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S seems to show up in our Instagram and Facebook feeds more than any other child here at Love & Hope Children’s Home. It is because of his wonderful and crazy personality, funny stories and great photos. S is so unique and special; he brings joy to all of our lives here.

It is no secret that El Salvador is suffering from the effects of a violent gang culture. Rates of delinquency and violence are at or above the levels that this tiny country experienced during its 12-year civil war. Thankfully, Love & Hope Children’s Home is situated in an area that is safe. Still, our daily decisions and activities are all affected by the reality of the situation here.

For the last couple weeks, a group from the organization No Mas Violencia: Un Mensaje de Dios (No More Violence: A Message from God) has conducted a workshop for our children on Friday afternoons. The mission of this organization is to “influence individuals and communities by using concrete actions that express a message of peace, justice and love founded in God.” No Mas Violencia works in many countries in the Americas, including El Salvador and the United States, and was founded in Argentina.

The leaders of our workshop do a great job at reaching all of our children, despite a big age gap. They use activities, funny videos and conversation to keep everyone involved and engaged. The workshop started off by talking about bullying. As in any other place, bullying is a huge problem amongst the youth of El Salvador, and we have even seen the effects of bullying amongst our children. Talking about bullying candidly allows everyone to reconsider their words and actions.

We’ve talked about self-esteem. The leaders explained that having low self-esteem or high self-esteem are both unhealthy. A healthy level of self-esteem is best. We’ve also talked about being a good listener and an effective communicator.

While some of these topics could be seen as insignificant compared to the real situation of violence here in El Salvador, they are starting points. Bullying, unhealthy self esteem, and ineffective communication lead to more serious problems. Prevention is key!

Workshops and experiences like this one are so very important for our children. Our prayer is that the Love & Hope kids will grow up to be followers of Jesus, leaders in El Salvador, positive agents of change in their own country, fostering peace, justice and love rather than violence and hate. Please pray for our children as they choose friends at school and in their activities, and as they make daily decisions to follow God and strive to honor him. Please also pray for the government leaders of El Salvador as they search for the best methods to combat the gang culture.

At the beginning of 2014, Suzana entered Love & Hope Children’s Home for the first time. She had never been to Love & Hope, never been to El Salvador, and arrived with the intention of staying for just six months. Over two years later, Suzana has become an indelible part of the Love & Hope family and is deeply loved by all of our children and our staff. Sadly, Suzana’s “six months” have finally come to end. Last week, we had the difficult task of trying to say goodbye and properly thank her for all her time, energy, effort, and love.

Suzana graduated with a degree in social work, and prior to arriving in El Salvador she spent the previous two years teaching in Jerusalem. Her training and experience made her a perfect fit for Love & Hope, and she quickly poured herself into every part of life here in El Salvador. Suzana not only worked as an educator – coaching our kids through homework assignments, tutoring them in subjects where they struggled, and attending parent-teacher meetings – but she also stepped into other roles whenever needed, taking shifts as a caregiver and helping teach “Parent’s School” with the kids’ biological families. Most recently, Suzana became an “RA” for three of our oldest girls who moved into our new transition home (we’ll talk about that in another post!). Suzana has lived there with them for several months, guiding them and helping them learn to be independent young women. All this in addition to baking birthday cakes, accompanying kids to soccer practice, answering emails, keeping our supplies organized, and cooking us all a delicious Mexican meal every week!

Suzana has invested countless hours into Love & Hope, and into each of the children who call it home. They adore her. Suzana has an engaging personality, her laugh is infectious, and she is great at listening. The kids flock to her for both fun and advice. We affectionately call our staff Tios and Tias (uncles and aunts), and like many of them, Suzana has become a true Tia to our kids.

Likewise, Suzana formed a bond with our staff like no one else. Her fluency in Spanish and her latin roots allowed her to build deep and lasting friendships. Suzana truly built a life in El Salvador, and so many people will miss her in so many different ways.

Over the years, Love & Hope Children’s Home has received hundreds of visitors and teams. Some come to Love & Hope specifically, others are just passing through. Some stay for a week, others stay for a few months. One group that we always look forward to every year is the “Women’s Team.” While the women who come has changed year-to-year, one thing hasn’t changed: these women bless us in countless ways every time they visit El Salvador together. This year, the team came right in time for two big events at Love & Hope: Linda’s quinceañera and back-to-school.

Our dear Mama Kathy led the team again this year. Kathy, lovingly called Mama Kathy by the kids (and staff!), is Rachel’s mom. She has known our children since they were infants and considers them to be her grandchildren. Along with Mama Kathy came a great team of women: Melissa, Suzanne, Karen, Sandy and Lauren, most of whom had already been to El Salvador. They brought a great variety of experience and skills with them. One thing they all had in common was awesome work ethic!

We started the women out on book and notebook detail. This is a huge back-to-school job for Love & Hope every year. Each notebook and book that the kids will use during the school year must be labeled and covered in plastic. Some of the notebooks even have to be color-coded. It is hard to count up exactly how many books and notebooks they covered all together but we estimate that well over 300 items need to be covered with contact paper or plastic. Needless-to-say, it is time consuming!

The women also helped greatly with preparations for Linda’s quinceañera. They brought and made decorations, cooked food, and helped set-up and tear down. We couldn’t have made Linda’s party so special without them! Suzanne even handmade Linda’s jewelry. It was beautiful!

Many of our visiting teams opt to take a trip to a near-by community, with which Love & Hope Children’s Home has a growing relationship. The women’s team visited this community, taking a snack, craft and lots of love for the precious children there.

Probably the best thing these special women did was build relationships with our children. They took us out for pupusas, played games, did karaoke, and engaged the kids in conversation. Sandy, a physical education teacher, taught and left us with an awesome maze game that gets the kids moving. The women even took time to love on our staff a bit, giving every staff member a gift during our Wednesday morning meeting.

Thank you Mama Kathy, Karen, Suzanne, Sandy, Melissa and Lauren for working so hard and blessing Love & Hope Children’s Home so deeply. We can’t wait to see you again next year!

There was a time at Love & Hope Children’s Home when all of the children were under 10-years-old; over one-third of the kids were in diapers or being toilet trained. One day having a house full of teenagers was a reality that seemed so far away, it wasn’t even worth thinking about. Guess what? It is now a reality! Our youngest child is in first grade, we have two young women in university, and we just celebrated our fifth quinceañera, or 15^th birthday party. Linda turned 15 in January, and we celebrated this important milestone with a traditional “fiesta rosa” or “rose party,” which marked Linda’s entrance into adulthood.

Preparation for Linda’s quinceañera started weeks in advance. We reserved the church, planned a menu, bought a dress, made a photo slide show, and the like. There were decorations to be created, music to be chosen and invitations to be printed and handed out.

A few days before Linda’s big day, several visitors arrived! Along with a women’s team, our good friends Mandy and Jodi came to El Salvador. Linda’s long-time sponsor, Josh, came for the party too. Linda had already asked him if he would walk her down the isle.

On the day of the party, Linda went with Rachel to have her hair and make-up done by our friends at Sevens Salon. Alma and her staff have always been so generous with our girls on their 15^th birthdays, treating them like princesses. Meanwhile, the women’s team cooked a special dinner, and another group did set-up at the church.

Guests began arriving right on time. In addition to Linda’s out-of-country visitors, all of the children from Love & Hope, many staff members (current and former), and friends of Love & Hope were in attendance. Linda’s little brother walked in first as the ring-bearer. As Linda was escorted down the isle by Josh, she was nervous, but looked so happy.

Our quinceañeras at Love & Hope have always begun with a church service. During this service, Linda received several symbolic gifts. She was given a Bible, to make reading the Word of God a lifelong habit. Linda was also given a bracelet to represent God’s unending love and promises. A ring was placed on Linda’s finger to represent her commitment to purity.

The service also included worship, a sermon, prayer and special words spoken by one of Linda’s caregivers.

After the service, it was time to party! We went all out with Linda’s color choices of lime green and aqua: decorations, cake, centerpieces.

Linda was our first young lady to choose to do a waltz at her quinceañera. She choose to do the dance with her sponsor, Josh. Josh, on his own accord, even took dance lessons before coming to El Salvador! Days before the party, Linda and Josh practiced and practiced the waltz. They looked confident during the entire dance and Linda’s smile was a mile wide!

Later, we did a ceremony called “15 Candles.” During this ceremony, Linda chose 15 special people in her life who lit a candle, then were allowed to say a few words especially for Linda.

We finished off the quinceañera with piñatas. How else would you end a party in El Salvador? After cleaning up and heading home, Linda excitedly opened her presents and cards.

The next morning at church, we noticed something different about Linda: confidence, poise and radiance. We recognize Linda’s caring, sensitive, and loving heart for others, the way she takes care of her brother, her academic focus and dedication, her great sense of humor, and her contagious bouts of happiness and laughing. She really is becoming a beautiful young woman, inside and out.

Thank you to everyone who made Linda’s quinceañera so special! It took many people and many hours to make this event happen: Josh Bradley, Kelly Moore, Kathy Sanson, Suzana Gomez, Kirsten Zimmerman, Justin and Rachel Klubnik, Julio Ramirez, Eric and Mandy Elkins, Alma Reyes, Sevens Salon, Alex Perez, The Union Church of San Salvador, Lauren Balata, Sandy Bstic, Suzanne Rulitski, Melissa Mullet, Angelica Rosales, Karen Vana, Nate Migal, Kayli Plotner, Orestes, Carmen, Herberth, and the caregivers and staff at Love & Hope Children’s Home.

As Love & Hope Children’s Home gears up for a new school year in 2016, we wanted to share some of the successes we celebrated with them at the end of last year!

Shelby graduated from high school! Shelby hasn’t lived with us at Love & Hope for quite some time now, but she visited often and we made sure that she was able to get a quality education close to her home. We couldn’t be prouder of the young lady she has become, overcoming many obstacles to achieve her high school diploma. This year, we support Shelby as she begins her university career! Shelby is going to study English with a focus in tourism.

We also recognized another very special achievement. Our youngest graduated from kindergarten! He even won a pin for “excellence,” an honor that only a few of his classmates received. We can’t believe that Love & Hope Children’s Home is finished with kindergarten; it is bittersweet. Needless-to-say, we are so very proud of our little guy. This year he will be in first grade!

Besides graduations, we had other things to celebrate. Moises won first place in his class at school. He even exonerated a few final exams because of his excellent grades and wonderful behavior. Moises loves his school and we have enjoyed watching him become a leader there.

Salvador learned reading basics and swimming in 2015. If you know Salvador, you know this is big for him! He diligently and enthusiastically practiced his reading every week, so proud to read the syllables out loud. Salvador also receives swimming class at school. Many of us didn’t even realize how well he could swim until we spent a day at the lake. Salvador had no problem swimming in the deep water without a life jacket! This year Salvador will continue at the same school. We are excited to see the advances he will make!

The highlights are endless! Michell won third place in her class for the year. Our kids participated in robotics and science fairs, recitals and talent shows; others represented their school in athletics. Brenda is an active member of the honor society at her school. Jocelyn finished her first year of university. All of our children will move on to the next grade, and we anticipate an even better year in 2016.

All of this- quality education, safety, caring teachers, extra-curricular activities, field trips, special education, higher education- all of this is possible because of the generosity of our donors. THANK YOU.

Many of our children have already begun school this year. They are excited to be back and optimistic! Education is a gift that can never be taken away from our children. A solid education can make the difference between a life of sustenance and a life of success. Our kids have amazing goals and with your help, we want to give them the opportunity to reach them!

To offer our children the best education possible, we need your support. Please consider giving the gift of education this year! Visit our website to give and learn more.

Last week, after months of planning, the entire Love & Hope Children’s Home family embarked on a two-day retreat to the mountains. This was our second annual retreat!

Preparations for the retreat started months ago as Tio Julio took charge and separated responsibilities among the staff. We planned the theme, devotions, music, food, games, t-shirts, teams, location, etc. Tio Julio decided once again to have the retreat in the beautiful mountains of the department of Chalatenango, El Salvador.

A few days before the retreat, Julio called a meeting to announce teams, talk about rules and pass out t-shirts. The following day, each team got together to pick a team name and make headbands, bracelets and flags. Each team also had to be ready to leave, with their bags packed the afternoon before the retreat. Everything counted for points!

On the morning of the retreat, everyone was ready by 7:00 am to make the 3 hour drive to Chalatenango. After praying, we loaded into the cars, pumped up the music, and headed north. Once at the campsite, the kids worked together to put up their tents while waiting for lunch. It was quite the campsite!

Later, it was game time! The games all counted for points for each team. The favorite game seemed to be “Human Anatomy.” Each team separated into partners. A caller would yell two body parts, “Nose to nose!” Each pair of players had to put their noses together as fast as possible. We started out easy, then mixed things up with calls like, “Tongue to big toe!” Needless to say, we laughed a lot and the most extreme pair won!

After games, it was time for dinner, then the first devotion. The theme for the retreat was based on Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Julio and Rachel planned devotions for the teenagers, and Gloria and René planned devotions for the younger kids. Both devotional times (a second was held the next day) were wonderful. The kids were responsive and interactive!

In the evening, our friends Bobby and Britney Hibbs, Alex Perez and Chris Huovinen arrived to lead a chapel time. Bobby preached about how to shine before others: telling the truth instead of lying, using edifying words rather than ugly language, giving over stealing, and living with joy rather than anger. Alex and Chris led the kids in some great worship time!

The first day ended with a bonfire, s’mores and a sky full of stars!

After breakfast and devotions on the second day, it was time for some more extreme activities. We could choose between three challenges: the pendulum, high ropes course, and zip-line. The kids (and adults) were so brave and supportive of each other.

Before heading home, we cleaned up, prayed and announced the winners of the retreat. The blue team won first place and a pizza dinner, but every team was awarded with some kind of prize! Everyone agreed that the retreat was a success. The cars were pretty quiet on the way home, as everyone was exhausted.

We treasure opportunities like this to spend time with our family. The retreat was a great way to reconnect with God and each other, play and explore together. Events like the retreat are only possible because of the generosity of our donors and sponsors. Thank you for helping us to provide experiences like this for our children!

October 1^st is Children’s Day in El Salvador and many other parts of the world. We at Love & Hope Children’s Home try to make it a special day for our kids. This year, we were helped by PGS 360, local branch of a California based company. We were already very familiar with PGS 360, as they provide us with weekly karate lessons with one of their employees, Jose.

On Wednesday morning, to prepare for Children’s Day on Thursday, our staff took the time to make cards for each child. We tried to make the cards appeal to each child’s interests. Then every staff member signed each card.

Later, we prepared goody bags with some of their favorite treats: Coca Cola, Ramen noodles, Pringles and candy. On Thursday morning, while the kids were at school, the cards and goody bags were placed on each child’s bed: a fun surprise to return home to.

Our children were also treated to fun at school on Thursday or Friday. They had parties, ate special food and played games with their classmates. Needless to say, they were too full to eat lunch when they came home from school!

After homework hour on Thursday, PGS 360 arrived with awesome decorations, a clown, music, soda, pizza, piñatas, face painting and games! Love & Hope also hosted another children’s home, Mi Casa, who joined us for the fun. The kids loved it!

The clown was interactive and fun. One of the games he had the kids play was to simply have them make a pile of as many “things” they could. The kids started collecting shoes and keys, then getting really into the game, finished by collecting people and chairs! In another game, the participants had to make a line of shoes as fast as possible!

The “little girls” at Love & Hope Children’s Home recently became entrepreneurs! For the last few weeks, the little girls gave up 25 cents of their snack money everyday to save up to buy supplies for a “venta,” or sale, of chips with all the fixings (we’ll explain below). Once the girls had saved enough money, they bought individual bags of chips, as well as mango, paterna, limes, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and salt.

When they were ready to open their “venta,” the girls and their caregiver posted a sign on the door to their room: “Little Girls’ Store,” “Sale of prepared chips for only $0.25.”

Prepared chips with “everything” are doused with lime juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and salt. The girls also had mango and paterna (a large seed that is boiled until soft) for sale, also eaten with all of the previously mentioned ingredients.

The girls sold out of chips on the first day, then bought more later in the week and sold out again! The older boys admired their business savy, we heard one of them saying they were going to start selling soda.

Great job, girls! We admire your initiative, teamwork and responsibility!

If there is one thing the children at Love & Hope are good at, it is playing. Even more, growing up around so many other children, they are great at playing together. The Love & Hope kids have a great talent for taking any object and imagining it into a plaything or taking any situation and creating a game. It is entertaining to watch them be imaginative and creative, and even more amusing to join in the fun! Here are some of the games and toys they like best:

Bingo: Bingo has been a Love & Hope tradition for many years thanks to our friend, Mandy. Once every couple weeks, we pull out the Bingo supplies: homemade cards and chips, a bag of balls for calling the numbers, and prizes. Usually we play until everyone has had a chance to win once!

Sardines: Sardines is similar to hide-and-go-seek. After turning off all the lights in the house, or heading to the park when it is dark, the kids select one person to hide while everyone else waits in another room. After hiding, all the players separate to look for the “hider.” Once found, they hide with the other person, until everyone has found the hiding spot. Playing this game in the past, we’ve seen more than 10 of our kids, young adults and caregivers, squished and hiding together in closets or showers, trying not to laugh as they wait for the other players to discover their spot.

Card games: The Love & Hope kids love card games. Decks of cards wear fast in this house as the kids play and play all kinds of card games. Some of their favorites are War, Stress, Speed and Poker (innocently, of course). Linda loves a card game called “Dutch Blitz,” and when she brings out the special set of cards, the other kids gather around, anxious to play. Linda is tough to beat though!

Legos and toy animals: Keeping the boys busy is easy; just leave them alone with a box of Legos or toy animals and soldiers. They stay occupied for hours (literally), building, modeling, making simulations, setting everything up. The boys create little battlefields in the dirt, or fly their Lego planes around the house.

La Casita: Love & Hope Children’s Home was recently blessed to be able to construct a small playground on the lawn. Everyone has been referring to the playground as “la casita” or “the little house.” The kids love to sit up on the platform to play, talk or read. They use the swings everyday. We’ve also attached some rock-climbing holds to the back side, and hope to add a hammock underneath. The platform is also high enough to see over wall surrounding our house. If the restaurant across the street erupts in cheering during a big soccer game, our kids run to climb up the platform and see who scored the goal on their big-screen TV’s. During our “family meals” on Tuesday nights, we can always find a group of kids eating their dinner on the platform. La Casita has been a great addition to our house, and the kids (and adults) love it!

The children at Love & Hope also, of course, love electronic games and watching TV. But we are encouraged by the fact that they can and want to play together outside or share in a board game. Our children are fortunate in that there is always someone to play with nearby! What are the games your children play?