Here's the result...
LOVE love love this color!!
I love going in and seeing what pretty things they are going to send me out with. :)
11 years ago
Friday, October 28, 2011
coming up roses...
Our volunteer coordinator Elena suggested that my friends in jail make hair accessories with roses. The next day I was in jail wearing a rose clip that I'd bought at Claire's while in the US. Before I could say anything, the girls asked me if they could make some!
Here's the result...
LOVE love love this color!!
I love going in and seeing what pretty things they are going to send me out with. :)
Here's the result...
LOVE love love this color!!I love going in and seeing what pretty things they are going to send me out with. :)
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
New arrival: sweet little girl!
Literally a few minutes before we were supposed to leave for Casa de Amor II for picture day, this little girl arrived to the Baby Home!
Since the arrival of Baby Boy G a few months ago we've turned down all requests to send us babies, but a two year old is a little more independent.
Very first picture!
Eating a snack before a bath and heading out to CDA II.
The tias started to come downstairs to meet their newest!
At the end of the photo session with new big sister J.
Since the arrival of Baby Boy G a few months ago we've turned down all requests to send us babies, but a two year old is a little more independent.
Very first picture!
Eating a snack before a bath and heading out to CDA II.
The tias started to come downstairs to meet their newest!
At the end of the photo session with new big sister J.
I'm pretty sure she thought she'd arrived to a crazy house watching all the crazy things the adults did to get good pictures of the crew. :)
What little we know about this one is that she was left in a chicharia (place to drink chicha...an alcoholic brew) all day until the owner contacted police and declared her abandoned. Something tells me the mother or parents or someone will go looking for her, so we have some investigation to do in this case. Police estimated her at 1 to 2 years of age and someone gave her a made-up name which begins with the letter L... And it's not a name we've ever had before, good going! (This is about all we look for now, LOL!)
Pray for little girl L to adjust to the Baby Home. I've gotten reports that she's a little aggressive with the other toddlers but otherwise is precious. :)
Pray for little girl L to adjust to the Baby Home. I've gotten reports that she's a little aggressive with the other toddlers but otherwise is precious. :)
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
Happy Birthday, B!
Somebody turned FOUR this week...
...and couldn't be more pleased!
...and couldn't be more pleased!
The rest of the crew doesn't mind another birthday, either!
And this special guy had not one but TWO days of birthday fun...
...and cake!
On B's birthday I was reading September staff reports and one of the tias mentioned that he's the smartest one in her group of toddlers. Wow, I thought. Seriously?! This is the child waiting three years to be assigned a family not put off by his medical and development reports.
Then that very evening before hitting the streets, I was hanging out with some kids supposed to be winding down for bed, and 4 1/2 year old B says "Tia, what color is your hair?" I told him to tell me. He thought about it and said "Hmm...PINK!" Brand-new-four-year-old B immediately corrected him "No...YELLOW!!"
Way to go, B! You've come so far and we pray that God has an adoptive family specially picked for YOU.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
the view from here
Forgot to post this a few months back. Both babies visible here are now with their families (one adoptive, one biological)!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
remember those in prison...
See this post first!
This is a direct copy of the sign I created to explain the jail ministry for the Cochabamba guesthouse that will display and sell the artesian items.
"Remember those in prison as if you were together with them..." Hebrews 13:3
Prisons in Bolivia are nothing like the Western system. There are no handouts.
From the minute Ana (name changed) entered the Penal San Sebastian Mujeres, she had to come up with money for fees...but that was only the beginning. Stripped of her liberties since May 2009 and still awaiting a court hearing to prove her innocence or guilt, Ana receives a monthly stipend of 180 Bolivianos (approx. $26) from which to live. She is now 22 years old. She buys clothes, simple footwear, food, rents a cell, and cherishes something as precious as shampoo or soap. Jobs are few and far between in this overcrowded jail, a small, old building that is home to nearly 200 women and their over 200 children ages 0-12.
At first Ana had some family visitors, but now no one visits and her husband was detained in another jail just weeks after her. Ana’s children live in Casa de Amor but have no contact with their mother due to the long judicial process and uncertainty of her future.
Casa de Amor’s director Jennifer Thompson looks out for Ana as well as several other young women that she initially met when they lived on the street. A plate of simple food, a couple of dollars, or any simple toiletry item means the world to them. Seeing their abilities with any sort of thread or yarn, Jennifer began taking in supplies, paying the girls for the finished product, and selling the items among CDA staff members and friends. It’s a great way for the girls to spend their days more productively and be able to support themselves without falling into debt.
Consider supporting this ministry by buying one of the beautiful items they create! Donations of supplies are also welcome. Call Jennifer for more information — or if you’d like to visit her friends in San Sebastian!
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’" Matthew 25:35-36
This is a direct copy of the sign I created to explain the jail ministry for the Cochabamba guesthouse that will display and sell the artesian items.
"Remember those in prison as if you were together with them..." Hebrews 13:3
Prisons in Bolivia are nothing like the Western system. There are no handouts.
From the minute Ana (name changed) entered the Penal San Sebastian Mujeres, she had to come up with money for fees...but that was only the beginning. Stripped of her liberties since May 2009 and still awaiting a court hearing to prove her innocence or guilt, Ana receives a monthly stipend of 180 Bolivianos (approx. $26) from which to live. She is now 22 years old. She buys clothes, simple footwear, food, rents a cell, and cherishes something as precious as shampoo or soap. Jobs are few and far between in this overcrowded jail, a small, old building that is home to nearly 200 women and their over 200 children ages 0-12.
At first Ana had some family visitors, but now no one visits and her husband was detained in another jail just weeks after her. Ana’s children live in Casa de Amor but have no contact with their mother due to the long judicial process and uncertainty of her future.
Casa de Amor’s director Jennifer Thompson looks out for Ana as well as several other young women that she initially met when they lived on the street. A plate of simple food, a couple of dollars, or any simple toiletry item means the world to them. Seeing their abilities with any sort of thread or yarn, Jennifer began taking in supplies, paying the girls for the finished product, and selling the items among CDA staff members and friends. It’s a great way for the girls to spend their days more productively and be able to support themselves without falling into debt.
Consider supporting this ministry by buying one of the beautiful items they create! Donations of supplies are also welcome. Call Jennifer for more information — or if you’d like to visit her friends in San Sebastian!
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’" Matthew 25:35-36
Friday, September 23, 2011
new enterprise
On my last night in the US, while having a slumber party with my youngest sister Emma, we were talking about stuff and something occured to me.
I could help my friends in jail by selling stuff they make, particularly the creative, skilled girls.
They make something, are more productive with their days, and if I do it right, I can make something back for what I spend in street/jail ministry.
Simple, but it took me 10 months of visiting (street) friends "inside" before this dawned on me!
Within a couple weeks of getting back and catching up with everything and everybody, I was already taking yarns in to the girls. At first I just asked them to make in bulk some of the things they'd already given me, like this little monogrammed change purse...
I could help my friends in jail by selling stuff they make, particularly the creative, skilled girls.
They make something, are more productive with their days, and if I do it right, I can make something back for what I spend in street/jail ministry.
Simple, but it took me 10 months of visiting (street) friends "inside" before this dawned on me!
Within a couple weeks of getting back and catching up with everything and everybody, I was already taking yarns in to the girls. At first I just asked them to make in bulk some of the things they'd already given me, like this little monogrammed change purse...
This would be my name spelled Bolivian-style :)
And a beautiful scarf that they declared matches my eyes...
So far, things are going wonderfully!! I just need to start focusing more on selling than constantly taking in materials and picking up the products, which is always a fun surprise, and they do such quick, high quality work. I've had multiple other women come up to me in the jail and hug me or shake my hand, thanking me profusely for helping these girls who "have no one" by giving them legitimate work.
More stories and pictures in an upcoming post!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
our new set of babies
We currently have a BIG group of babies!
There are 16 total* in the Baby Home right now, 9 of those ages 1-12 months. It gets wild and wooly sometimes!!
We've turned down at least 3 babies since baby G arrived end of July... Yesterday it was a 6 month old that social services was desperate to place, but what to do? We lack hands as it is now.
*Our 13 month old F is currently with a sweet missionary family for health reasons
We've turned down at least 3 babies since baby G arrived end of July... Yesterday it was a 6 month old that social services was desperate to place, but what to do? We lack hands as it is now.
*Our 13 month old F is currently with a sweet missionary family for health reasons
Some pictures!
Most of our babies...
(Little J was at blind school and baby C was taking a bottle in the arms of a tia during the pics)
See M, far left? Fit-throwing is the norm when I'm anywhere near him but not holding him
Babies, babies, everywhere...
Some of the youngest:
newest baby G (1 month), baby C (3 months), baby G (6 months), and baby F (3 months day after picture made) giving a little wave - most certainly to her mother Savannah... :)
Friday, August 26, 2011
"My Babysitters", a stolen post
As I catch up on some volunteer blogs, this one was so adorable I couldn't help snatching it to share with the rest of you!
Get ready for mega-doses of cuteness in Savannah's post, "My Babysitters"!
Our dear "Tia Savannah" is now back in Tennessee with her other family after nearly two years of pouring her heart and soul into our children and staff and even staff members' families. She made a lasting impact on so many people while living here, the numbers must be in the 100s.
Casa de Amor will never be the same! We were so blessed to have you and miss you a lot, Tia Savannah!!!
Get ready for mega-doses of cuteness in Savannah's post, "My Babysitters"!
Our dear "Tia Savannah" is now back in Tennessee with her other family after nearly two years of pouring her heart and soul into our children and staff and even staff members' families. She made a lasting impact on so many people while living here, the numbers must be in the 100s.
Casa de Amor will never be the same! We were so blessed to have you and miss you a lot, Tia Savannah!!!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
learned, 2.
While on my 25 day long US trip,
I learned that…
…Memphis summers are really hot and really humid (HELLO frizzy hair!!)
…Baking in the kitchen all the time for “old times sake” doesn’t seem like such a good idea when your family practically lives in cookie stores…and bring home plenty to taste!
…My favorite cookies are still all the “chewies”, YUM!
…I really seriously need to be in North Texas more than just a couple of days the next trip (shout out to Texas friends!!!)
…Even though I could talk about Casa de Amor in my sleep by this point, it was an interesting, new challenge to communicate the street work
…Memphis churches are passionate about local city outreach and are finding innovative ways to make a difference
…Road trips with family are still fun!
…US weddings are very lovely, very special, unique affairs (until my cousin’s this month, I hadn’t been to one since the 90s)
…never thought I’d say this, but Target is definitely a cool place to shop :)
...I am very fortunate to have lived in the same house 6 years and counting as a single (as my sister prepares to move for a 5th time, 5 years in a row)
…while it was wonderful to be with both parents again, in the same country, at the same time, the bond between sisters is extra special and I sure wish we could all four be together more often
I learned that…
…Memphis summers are really hot and really humid (HELLO frizzy hair!!)
…Baking in the kitchen all the time for “old times sake” doesn’t seem like such a good idea when your family practically lives in cookie stores…and bring home plenty to taste!
…My favorite cookies are still all the “chewies”, YUM!
…I really seriously need to be in North Texas more than just a couple of days the next trip (shout out to Texas friends!!!)
…Even though I could talk about Casa de Amor in my sleep by this point, it was an interesting, new challenge to communicate the street work
…Memphis churches are passionate about local city outreach and are finding innovative ways to make a difference
…Road trips with family are still fun!
…US weddings are very lovely, very special, unique affairs (until my cousin’s this month, I hadn’t been to one since the 90s)
…never thought I’d say this, but Target is definitely a cool place to shop :)
...I am very fortunate to have lived in the same house 6 years and counting as a single (as my sister prepares to move for a 5th time, 5 years in a row)
…while it was wonderful to be with both parents again, in the same country, at the same time, the bond between sisters is extra special and I sure wish we could all four be together more often
Monday, August 22, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
learned.
On July 19 I celebrated seven years living and serving in Bolivia! Since early last year I even have my permanent residency visa, which is WONDERFUL! This means I never have to apply for a visa again as long as I’m not out of the country for extended periods of time.
Right now is one of my ever-rarer trips back to the US. I have a week more visiting my family and this weekend we'll attend my cousin’s wedding in Texas!
As I add more and more time in between trips, it becomes a little like visiting a foreign country! The United States changes, my family changes (changing houses right now), and I change. The main reason I feel different since my last trip is all that I’ve been privileged to experience and learn in 2010 and 2011.
I’ve learned how to…
…Drive stick shift
…Care for triplets! (In a phrase, it’s exhausting, rewarding, and definitely felt like a once-in-a-lifetime blessing!)
…Lead a worship team at church
…Be part of a leadership team at church of university students and young professionals
…Make a real Bolivian “torta” (birthday cake)!
…Administer first aid (second aid?!) for many and various urgencies and emergencies
…Stitch minor wounds
…Give shots (to humans…before I’d only given them to goats)
…Choose medicines for various complaints and illnesses
…Coach soccer :)
…Get out ID cards for Bolivians
…Deal with macho police on a daily basis
…Speak and understand many, many legal and medical terms I had no idea of before 2010
…Speak “street slang” (literally dozens of new phrases and words in my vocabulary…some usable, others—well, NOT!)
…Go to a beautiful Christian wedding in the maximum security prison
…Enter the three main jails plus juvenile detention facility in Cochabamba
…Get someone out of a holding cell…or jail
…Navigate far reaching corners of the huge valley that is Cochabamba as I take street friends to their families
What other country and job would allow me to learn all of THIS in 1 ½ year’s time?!
I LOVE learning, what about YOU?
Right now is one of my ever-rarer trips back to the US. I have a week more visiting my family and this weekend we'll attend my cousin’s wedding in Texas!
As I add more and more time in between trips, it becomes a little like visiting a foreign country! The United States changes, my family changes (changing houses right now), and I change. The main reason I feel different since my last trip is all that I’ve been privileged to experience and learn in 2010 and 2011.
I’ve learned how to…
…Drive stick shift
…Care for triplets! (In a phrase, it’s exhausting, rewarding, and definitely felt like a once-in-a-lifetime blessing!)
…Lead a worship team at church
…Be part of a leadership team at church of university students and young professionals
…Make a real Bolivian “torta” (birthday cake)!
…Administer first aid (second aid?!) for many and various urgencies and emergencies
…Stitch minor wounds
…Give shots (to humans…before I’d only given them to goats)
…Choose medicines for various complaints and illnesses
…Coach soccer :)
…Get out ID cards for Bolivians
…Deal with macho police on a daily basis
…Speak and understand many, many legal and medical terms I had no idea of before 2010
…Speak “street slang” (literally dozens of new phrases and words in my vocabulary…some usable, others—well, NOT!)
…Go to a beautiful Christian wedding in the maximum security prison
…Enter the three main jails plus juvenile detention facility in Cochabamba
…Get someone out of a holding cell…or jail
…Navigate far reaching corners of the huge valley that is Cochabamba as I take street friends to their families
What other country and job would allow me to learn all of THIS in 1 ½ year’s time?!
I LOVE learning, what about YOU?
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