A couple of years ago, we mentioned in a blog about our friend Kelly’s desire to adopt Antonio, the most recent addition to the Love & Hope family. Today, we are happy to announce that Antonio’s adoption has been made official! Antonio and Kelly are now a family! Over the next few posts, we want to share Antonio and Kelly’s story with you.

Kelly first met Antonio about three years ago while she was volunteering as a long term missionary at Love & Hope and Antonio was just six-years-old. After receiving a call from a local government children’s home about a child with special needs, Rachel and Kelly went to meet Antonio and subsequently bring him to Love & Hope. Kelly and Antonio still both remember the day they met: she tickled and played with him in the office of the home as they spoke to a staff member there. As they were leaving the government home, Antonio was handed a telephone to say goodbye to another caregiver. He joyfully announced into the phone, “I’m going to the crystal house now!” despite having no idea what his new home would look like. He continued to call our house in Los Planes de Renderos – which was made out of concrete, not crystal – “la casa cristal” until the day we moved. Just another sign of Antonio’s bright and positive spin on the world around him.

Kelly and Antonio clicked immediately. Kelly offered to take Antonio to his weekly pool therapy sessions and began noticing shortly after that Antonio sought her out constantly – lunch time, homework hour, playtime, bedtime, etc. Kelly began to take a special interest in Antonio’s care, getting more involved in his therapeutic and medical needs.

Eventually, Kelly started thinking about Antonio’s future, and realized that she wanted to pursue adoption. She began the process as a missionary living in El Salvador, but finished the process in Ohio. During the years that the adoption was in process, Kelly visited Antonio whenever she could, but was unable to tell him that one day she would be his mother. When she wasn’t in El Salvador, Kelly and Antonio talked via Skype, sometimes for hours at a time.

Without knowing what was happening behind the scenes, Antonio would always say, “One day I’m going to Ohio to visit Kelly.” “Kelly lives in Cleveland.” At times he referred to Kelly as, “Mamita Kellita.” We even taught him to sing “Hang-On Sloopy” and chant “O-H-I-O.” His favorite shirts to wear sported the Cleveland Cavaliers and The Ohio State University logos. At home, we worked on Antonio’s English skills to prepare him for what was to come. As he learned to read in Spanish, he also learned the English alphabet and phonics and practiced his speaking skills with visitors.

Kelly arrived this June to spend another summer with Antonio, thinking there was only a small possibility that she would be able to take Antonio home with her in August. But three days after she arrived, Kelly received some great news: a court date that would make the adoption official was set for July! At last, she could reveal to Antonio that she had been pursing his adoption this whole time, and that very soon he would be able to go home with her to Ohio. He was so excited: Kelly would become his mom, he would move into a new house, he’d have new cousins, new grandparents, he’d get to ride on a plane, he’d have a pet cat, and a go to a brand new school!

We are so excited for Antonio and Kelly! As they get ready to leave in August, we also reflect on the great memories we have of Antonio here at Love & Hope. His always (always) joyful demeanor will be missed, but we are so excited that he now has his forever family!

The last month at Love & Hope Children’s Home was filled with soccer. Soccer at the park, soccer in the yard, and of course, soccer on television. We had a blast watching the 2014 World Cup in Brazil together.

For those of you reading in the United States, think about how excited Americans are for the Olympics, Superbowl or the World Series. Then, multiply that excitement by about 100 and make it last for over a month. That is El Salvador during the World Cup. And to think, El Salvador didn’t even have a team represented in Brazil!

Love & Hope Children’s Home was no exception to the countrywide (more like worldwide) enthusiasm for futbol. On the day of the first match, the Love & Hope kids arrived home from school buzzing. They couldn’t wait to watch Brazil play Croatia. Their excitement was only matched by that of the caregivers, some who stayed after their shifts so that they wouldn’t lose time traveling home and miss the start of the match. We decorated the dining room with flags and the teams in each group and our neighbor restaurant, La Herradura, donated pizza for lunch. We also put up a world map to locate the country of each team. We asked the kids on one poster, “Who will be the world champion?” Someone wrote in “Jesus” first, and then everyone else filled in their predictions.

We continued to watch one match per day. The Love & Hope kids mainly cheered for Brazil and Argentina throughout the entire World Cup. Central America’s own Honduras and Costa Rica were our other favorites. The Americans at Love & Hope, of course, were very excited for every USA match, but the kids seemed to find some fun in ganging up against the “gringos” and cheering in favor of whichever team the United States was playing. Still, we were grateful that our friend, Kris, donated pizza for the first USA match.

The World Cup was everywhere. Jerseys and towels were sold on every street corner. Every item in the grocery store had some kind of World Cup advertisement ploy. Everywhere we went, people were sporting the jersey of their favorite team. Big screens, World Cup soccer ball displays and fuse-ball tables at the mall. Soccer competitions at school. Advertisements for FIFA all over the television. Shakira’s World Cup song, “La La La” blasting everywhere.

Last Sunday, we enjoyed watching the final match together: Argentina versus Germany. Almost everyone was in favor of Argentina; our kids love Lionel Messi. At the most crucial part of the game, our cable went out! Before we could get it the game back up, the restaurant across the street erupted in cheering. Many of the kids ran outside, craning their necks to see over our wall and get a look at the televisions across the street. They came back reporting that Germany had scored. We got the cable back on to see the rest of the game, but most of us were disappointed in the outcome. Next time, Argentina!

Experiencing the World Cup through the eyes of the Love & Hope kids was so fun. They loved every minute of it! Did your family watch the World Cup? Who did you cheer for?

If you have read our blog before, you have probably heard us mention pupusas once or twice (or a lot more). The pupusa is El Salvador’s national dish and for a good reason; they are delicious!

Pupusas are essentially a corn or rice tortilla stuffed with any combination of beans, cheese, or pork. Sounds simple enough until you’ve seen them made (see video below). Start with a ball of corn or rice masa, stuff it with beans, cheese or pork, then pat and slap until flat. After a few minutes on the grill, the pupusa is hot and crispy.

Pupusas are not eaten alone. Curtido is cabbage and vegetables pickled in apple cider vinegar or fruit vinegar that is meant to be eaten along with the pupusas. Add some tomato sauce on top of it all to make it complete. 

Pupusas, curtido and salsa are all about preference. Every person in El Salvador has a very strong opinion as to where and who has the best pupusas. Every person has their favorite kind of pupusas: just cheese, cheese and garlic, revueltas (beans, cheese and pork), made with corn masa, made with rice masa, extra crispy, etc. Some pupuserias (a pupusa restaurant) even get a little crazy and start adding things like jalapenos, carrots, avocado, chicken or octopus.  

The Love & Hope kids love pupusas. When our cook, Veronica, makes pupusas at home for dinner, it is a happy day for all. Veronica’s curtido is amazing too. Days before pupusa day, she cuts up a pineapple, makes homemade vinegar with it and then pickles cabbage, carrots, onions, cauliflower with lots of oregano.

One more interesting fact about pupusas: no forks allowed. Pupusas are eaten with your hands! The Love & Hope kids always get a giggle out of foreign visitors who try to dig in with a fork and knife. Pupusas are messy, but that’s what makes them wonderful!

Pupusas are unique to El Salvador. They can be found in other Central American countries but El Salvador takes special pride in this dish. There are pupuserias on every corner, sometimes five or more of them in a row! We love pupusas at Love & Hope Children’s Home. Have you had them? What is your favorite kind?

Photo credit: Anna Zimmerman

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!

When the Love & Hope kids think something is cool, they can’t get enough. If you are reading our blog stateside, then you are sure to know what rubber-band bracelets are. Tiny, colorful rubber-bands turn into cute, stretchy bracelets when woven through your fingers or on a specially-made loom. Love & Hope Children’s Home was introduced to this fad a few months ago, and the kids love sitting together to make the bracelets.

Eliseo, our youngest, has also been enthusiastic about making rubber-band bracelets. A couple weeks ago, after making about six bracelets for himself, an idea dawned on Eliseo and Jeremiah. They became mini-entrepreneurs, walking around the home, asking anyone who would listen to buy their bracelets for 25 cents.

We love sharing these fun moments with you! What hobbies do your kids enjoy doing?

During the 1980’s and into the 1990’s, El Salvador was engaged in a brutal civil war between the government of El Salvador and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN). Thousands and thousands of people died at the hands of both groups. Peace accords were signed in 1992, but the effects of the war can still be seen today in El Salvador.

Perquín, El Salvador, in the department of Morazán, was one of many war zones and a stronghold for the guerilla forces. This rural area is still trying to recover from the serious damage that war caused. Now, Perquin is home to El Museo de la Revolución or, The Revolution Museum. Last month, our children had the opportunity to visit the museum and learn a bit about the history of their country.

The bridges pictured below crossed a river and were used by the guerillas to train. The river is now dry, but the Love & Hope kids had fun trying to cross the bridges anyway.

The boys were very interested in this bunker where the guerillas hid during battle. The bunker is about two meters deep and its occupants used a rope to climb in and out.

This is an example of a cot used to aid wounded fighters. Since supplies were limited, the guerillas had to improvise, using car parts to administer medicine and IV fluid.  

Below, the Love & Hope kids are playing with radio transmitters that the guerilla forces used to communicate. The Salvadoran army had destroyed the radio towers necessary for using the radio in a traditional manner, but the guerillas found that barbed wire could be just as effective. The campesinos, or peasants, living in the countryside had all of their land enclosed with barbed wire fences. The guerillas took advantage of this, forming a huge radio network. Anyone who wanted or needed to listen to their signal only had to connect in to the barbed wire. Behind the radio transmitters on the wall, are cardboard egg cartons that the guerillas used for sound insulation.     

The guerillas destroyed an army airplane and kept the wing pictured below as a trophy.

Tia Yessenia and a couple of the boys read about an arm that threw grenades.

The picture below shows a place known simply to the guerillas as El Palo de Mango, or the Mango Tree. Every night at 10:00pm, the commanders would meet to make a strategy for the next day. This meeting place was ideal because the tree camouflaged the men completely from the sight of military planes flying overhead.

It was a long ride (four hours!), to and from the museum, but the Love & Hope kids learned a lot. When asked what she learned, Linda said, “The women lost their rights. They kidnapped them and some women disappeared. I liked that the women had the strength to struggle and fight.”

Jocelyn said, “The worst thing was that women, young people and children had to go to war.”

When asked what their favorite part of the museum was, the boys all cited the weapons. Antonio said, “Seeing the guns. Some were bazookas. I saw airplanes.”

Mandy said, “I liked to see the excitement on the kids faces as they ran around looking at all the things in the museum, especially Herberth. He touched and examined everything and explained to Eliseo exactly what the bombs, machines and guns were used for.”

El Salvador has a rich, though oftentimes dark, history. One of our goals at Love & Hope Children’s Home is to raise leaders who desire to make a positive impact on their country; discovering history first hand aids in reaching that goal.

Love & Hope Children’s Home recently received a very special gift from our friend Sara: personalized bilingual Bibles. The kids were excited to be given something so personal and so nice. Several of them have taken their Bibles to church already. 

The Bibles are perfect for our bilingual household because they feature side by side scripture in Spanish and English. Moreover, the kids’ names are written on the bottom. Thanks, Sara! 

On a related note, Julio, one of our caregivers for the older boys, will be overseeing the spiritual development of the children in our home. Julio is currently studying the Bible formally and is the perfect fit for this job. He has taken his new role seriously, writing out a work plan and planning a Bible study for the older boys. We’ll share more about Julio’s work as he develops his new role here at Love & Hope. 

The spiritual lives of our children is our top priority at Love & Hope Children’s Home. Raising children up in the Word of God is a task we take very seriously. The financial support of our donors and sponsors allows us the opportunity to care for the Love & Hope kids spiritually, and we thank you for that!