Month: June 2014

Today’s post features a guest writer: our very own Brenda! Brenda agreed to write about her experiences at a new school.

Throughout my whole life, I have always liked new challenges, opportunities and experiences. Since kindergarten I had studied at one school, a very good school which helped me in the development of my English, studies, and my relationship with God. Last year I started to think about my future and my goals. That made me ask myself, “Was I really being challenged? Do I really want to keep studying at the same school? Do I want something new, more challenging and difficult?”

Last year I started talking about how I wanted to change schools. I kept insisting about it, until one day Mommy surprised me and told me I had an interview at the Panamerican School. A couple of days later, I had the interview and it went well! They showed me the school campus, which I really liked, and told me that almost all of my subjects would be in English. One week later Mommy got a call from the school telling her that I had been accepted to the school with a scholarship, and that I needed to take the Iowa Test. On December 3^rd I started to go to school.

The Panamerican School was a new school for me and for the home. Its system is different from the one that I always had, activities are different from what I was used to, and the best is that it has all the things I really want from a school: its classes are more challenging, the projects are so hard, and I have good teachers and good friends.

The Panamerican School has given me and will keep giving me many opportunities. For example, I have already gone to a photography workshop and one of my photos was in art festival (see Brenda’s photo below). I met kids from Mexico who were at the school because of the annual exchange. I got the opportunity to be in the “Mathcounts” last year and this year too, and I got into the school newsletter writing short stories. In the future my education at the Panamerican School will give me the opportunity to study abroad and go to university. If I become part of the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS), it will help me to get a good recommendation for a university and I will get the chance to help others.

I want to thank God for this big opportunity that he has given me. And I want to say thanks to all the sponsors that have supported me, but not only me, all of the children. Your support really helps us through different situations. As I have gotten this new opportunity, thanks to God, the other kids will have similar opportunities. Your support makes a difference in every child of the home.

We couldn’t be prouder of Brenda’s academic effort and motivation. She is becoming quite an intellectual and God-fearing young lady. Her life is a huge example of the difference that our sponsors and donors are making in the lives of all of our children. Thank you!

Anna Zimmerman, a recent visitor to Love & Hope Children’s Home, only spent a week in El Salvador but managed to capture a lot of its beauty through the lens of her camera. Today, we wanted to show off our stunning country.

Did you know El Salvador is known for good surfing? Playa El Tunco is one of the closest beaches to Love & Hope and a destination for surfers from around the world.

Close to El Tunco is El Puerto de La Libertad. The port boasts an impressive fish market right on the pier.

Many who visited our old house in Los Planes de Renderos are familiar with La Puerta del Diablo. La Puerta is located at the top of Cerro el Chulo. From the “peak” one can see the ocean in one direction and San Salvador in another.

The city center of San Salvador, Centro, can be a little intimidating and chaotic. But step inside the national cathedral or Iglesia el Rosario, and find tranquility and beauty.

San Salvador’s greatest landmark is the Quezaltepec Volcano; it looms over the entire city. The top of the volcano is a national park with hiking trails, fresh air, and a great view of “El Boqueron,” the huge crater inside the volcano.

Love & Hope Children’s Home has gradually been building a relationship with a community in Salvador. The people there are wonderful: welcoming, engaging, united.

Thanks for a great visit and great photos, Anna! To see more of Anna’s photography, visit her blog at annaezimmerman.com/blog.

Love & Hope Children’s Home has already been blessed with visits from three teams this spring and we look forward to a couple more in the coming months.

At the beginning of March, Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) sent a spring break team for the 9th year in a row! The students and faculty from OWU are always dynamic, fun and motivated, accomplishing a lot in just one week. This year was no different. The OWU team’s main project was at the Escuela de Educacion Especial de Santa Tecla (School for Special Education of Santa Tecla).  The team cleaned and painted an entire building, put in two new basketball hoops and did minor maintenance projects on the school grounds. They worked very hard to finish the job and the school was very grateful!

The members of the OWU team were also great about playing with and getting to know the Love & Hope kids. Almost every afternoon and evening, several of the team members gathered the kids in a circle to play a dancing game. A few of the kids still randomly start singing the rhyme (in English) that went along with the game: “Little Sally Walker walkin’ down the street…” Thanks OWU for another great week!

In mid-April, a group of girls from Maryvale Preparatory School in Maryland visited Love & Hope Children’s Home for Holy Week. This was Maryvale’s first time in El Salvador, and their timing was perfect. The Love & Hope kids have Holy Week off from school, so the Maryvale girls did a great job of keeping everyone busy and entertained. They planned games, a talent show, water fights and other activities for the kids all week. 

Maryvale also planned and executed a two day vacation Bible school for the children of a nearby community. Some of Love & Hope’s older girls helped translate and lead games. Afterward, the team served lunch to their new friends at the community. We can’t wait to see you again next year, Maryvale!

A group from Agape Christian Academy visited Love & Hope at the end of April. Our children were looking forward to this team, having met many of the members last year and communicating with them via letters (pen pals) and Facebook ever since. Agape planned a mini vacation Bible school for our children in the evenings. They did Bible lessons, a craft and a puppet show. They also reached out to a nearby community with a lesson and a meal. Agape finished off their week in El Salvador with a pizza party for everyone! Thanks for another great visit, Agape!

  Thank you to OWU, Maryvale and Agape for sharing your students with us this spring. We had a blast!