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Every Tuesday afternoon, about six of our children come home from school very excited to go to horseback riding lessons. Love & Hope Children’s Home is blessed to receive these lessons for free from our good friend, Whitney.

Whitney, a “missionary kid” in El Salvador for many years, attended college in the United States where she studied therapeutic horsemanship. She later returned to El Salvador to fulfill her dream of having a therapeutic riding center for the benefit and use of children’s homes. Her center is located in the outskirts of San Salvador on what we refer to as the “finca,” or farm- property that belongs to another children’s home, La Casa de Mi Padre.

The Love & Hope kids have been learning to ride horses with Whitney for almost four years! We have seen all of them accomplish huge feats, and the “regulars,” who ride every week, are now able to control the horses on their own. Several of the kids have also overcome sizable fears about the horses. We’ve seen it as a great way for them to gain confidence and independence (there is nothing like being able to control a giant animal by yourself)! Whitney says, “I have watched your kids grow and improve over the years, even the ones who no longer come. Most came out for the first time pretty scared of the horses and didn’t have much confidence in themselves. I still see their insecurities, but they are improving. They are more confident riders and have learned to handle the horses almost independently; in Raquel’s case, she is completely independent. Eliseo and Irene are also very good riders. The horses have helped their confidence a lot. I think they humble Irene sometimes.”

Whitney has the kids do exercises while on horseback: touch the ears, touch the tail, turn around, rotate your arms, hug the horse, etc. The purpose of the exercises is to help the kids stretch and gain balance: “The horse is a good tool to challenge balance and to build strength because of its constant movement. We play games to work on their confidence which in turn helps their control of the horse.”

Horses, as with many animals, are also great for emotional therapy. Whitney says, “horses are like mirrors for our emotions. When we are sad they act sad. When we are mad they act mad. A good example of this was this week with Raquel. She came out frustrated, but acting like she was fine. As soon as she got on Serena (the horse), Serena started acting mad and not listening. I told Raquel to relax and calm down and when she did Serena changed her behavior as well. I think Raquel has captured the idea of using the horses to help her deal with her emotions and to relieve stress.”

The “finca” is also a fun place for the kids to explore. They run up the dirt road to the stables and help feed the horses. The farm is full of orange and lime trees, mango trees, zapote trees, and coffee. The kids might enjoy picking fruit (with Whitney’s permission, of course) just as much as they enjoy the horses. They often return home with a load of freshly picked produce.

Horseback riding has been a huge blessing for our kids. We love that several of them form a little horseback riding clique that goes enthusiastically every week for a lesson. The horses have benefited our children physically and emotionally, even if they don’t realize it. It certainly has been a unique opportunity for our children that most children in El Salvador (or the world) will never experience. We are so thankful to Whitney for offering our kids such a wonderful experience.

If you would like to know more about Whitney’s work in El Salvador and the Serenity Therapeutic Riding Center, visit her Facebook page here.

Love & Hope Children’s Home recently celebrated the coming-of-age of two amazing young women: Brenda and Michell. In Latin American culture, a girl’s 15^th birthday marks the beginning of adulthood, and is often celebrated with a special party, called a Fiesta Rosa or Quinceañera. This was Love & Hope’s 4^th quinceañera and definitely the biggest; rightly so, because we had two birthdays to celebrate! (Make sure you read to the end; there’s a video!)

Preparation for the party began months ago. Mandy is Love & Hope’s resident party planner and having already planned three other quinceañeras, she is getting quite efficient at it. Michell and Brenda picked the colors they wanted (fuchsia and yellow) and Mandy started planning the party’s homemade decorations, favors, etc., accordingly. The girls picked out dress styles they liked, then went to a local dress shop to be measured. We handed out invitations at church, youth group and school.  We found sponsors for the different party items, and asked our good friends to share the message and sing during the service.

A couple of weeks before the party, Brenda and Michell’s guests began to arrive! Old and new friends flew in from the States to help prepare for and be here for their special day. They folded, cut, decorated, painted, cooked and shopped to have everything ready for the quinceañera. Love & Hope Children’s Home and Mandy’s house were filled with yellow and pink decorations. Mandy made sure that all of the Love & Hope kids had appropriate attire for the big day too. Everyone was eagerly anticipating the party!

The Saturday morning of the quinceañera, everyone had their job to do. Rachel went with Brenda and Michell to the salon. Meanwhile at home, all of the other kids took an hour to study for their tests the next Monday (party or not, school is important!). In the kitchen of Love & Hope, Brenda and Michell’s special guests were preparing lasagna for 150 people! At the back of the house, Tia Larixa ironed just about every person’s dress/shirt/jacket/pants (adults and kids!). Many of the older girls spent the majority of the morning in their room straightening their hair, painting their nails and the like. After lunch, the kids and tios began to get dressed and ready.

Another group was assigned to head to the party venue to set-up and decorate. They hung lights, “fluffed” tissue paper balls, set-up tables, arranged flowers and prepared for the music and slideshow. Brenda and Michell came from the salon, helped a little with the decorations, then disappeared to put on their dresses. The food arrived shortly after and was readied for dinner.

The party started at 4:30 pm. Guests began pouring in, and took their seats. Our kids looked so beautiful and handsome when they arrived; they sure know how to get fancy! The twins helped pass out the programs, Chamba took lots of pictures with everyone’s phones, and the kids had a great time greeting so many important people to Love & Hope Children’s Home.

All of our quinceañeras have followed a similar format. Brenda and Michell’s quince was unique in many ways, but Love & Hope’s values and quinceañera “traditions” were prevalent. The service included a prayer by Tio Julio, music led by Michael Kaiser, and a few words shared by Tio Rene and our good friend Eric Michiels. The girls then girls received several representative gifts (bracelet, Bible, ring) and made a promise to purity. Later, we watched a slideshow featuring photos of the two girls from the time they were little.

After the ceremony, dinner was served and then Brenda and Michell did the 15 candles ceremony. In this ceremony, the girls honored people that have made an impact on their lives. It was touching to hear the words that each person shared with the girls. It was obvious that Brenda and Michell have also touched the lives of many people.

Finally, it was time for cake and karaoke. Everyone had a great time singing and dancing along to the karaoke. Michell and Brenda each sang several songs with their friends. Our very own Chamba, though, seemed to steal the show. He danced and sang his heart out to just about every song. After seeing the enthusiasm of the Love & Hope kids, one of our staff made a good point: Love & Hope Children’s Home, on its own, is pretty good at having fun; we ARE the party! The Saturday night of the quinceañera was no better example of this. We had a blast together.

After the rest of the guests had left, Mandy pulled out one last activity just for Love & Hope: paper lanterns. The lanterns looked beautiful in the night sky and it certainly provided a memory that neither Michell nor Brenda, nor any of the other children, will ever forget. We didn’t get home until about 9:30 pm and then everyone gathered around to watch Brenda and Michell open their gifts.

Brenda and Michell’s combined quinceañera was a huge success thanks in part to many, many people. Thank you to their sponsors; you have been such a huge part of their lives and Love & Hope Children’s Home for so many years. Thank you to Mandy for working so hard to pull the party together. Thank you to the many people that sponsored the party items (dresses, rings, bracelets, Bibles, etc.). Thank you to Sarah, Brittany, Lisa, Mama Kathy, Eric, Phil, Justin, Chelsea, Karen, Mackenzie and Gary for flying to El Salvador especially to attend and help with this event. Thank you to Nathan and Jason for, once again, taking the time to capture our beautiful children on film and video. Thank you to Alma for making Brenda and Michell look like princesses at your salon. Love & Hope Children’s Home would also like to thank the following people: Rachel, Yanira, Suzana, Kirsten, Michael Kaiser, Eric Michiels, SEVEN Salon, The Union Church of San Salvador, Kris Klika, Sarah Nehez, AME International, Thrift Nation, Veronica, Julio, Rene, Yessenia, Henry, Yency, Gloria, Aracely, Marisol, Larixa, Alberto, Constru Market, Jaime Angel, Mike & Sandy Royle, Perry & Charisse Anderson, and Scot & Tanya Soeder.

Happy birthday, Michell and Brenda. We are so, so proud of both of you!

September 15th is Independence Day here in El Salvador. El Salvador shares this day with Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. All of these Central American countries declared independence from Spain on September 15th, 1821.

Salvadoran schools do a great job of celebrating this day with their students in the days leading up to el Dia de la Independencia. They call their assemblies, “actos civicos” or civic acts, where the students participate in presentations of the national symbols, traditional dances, and readings, among other traditions. The Love & Hope kids have always been enthusiastic to participate in the “actos civicos” at their schools. This year, Vanessa, Jacobo, Esau, and Irene participated in a traditional dance and Moises represented the Central American country of Belize as part of a mock delegation. Jeremiah recited a bit about the national bird, the torogoz, in front of everyone! Brenda also performed a traditional dance at church. Today, we thought we’d explain more and share a little about the traditions and culture surrounding Independence Day in Central America.

Actos civicos usually begin with the National Anthem of El Salvador and a group of students who walk in with the flag. Later, the students present the national symbols and their meanings:

The Flag: The Salvadoran Flag boasts two large blue stripes, which represent the two oceans (the Pacific and Atlantic) that border Central America. The center white stripe signifies peace.

The Coat of Arms: The coat of arms in the center of the flag contains several representative images. Five volcanoes and five flags represent the five Central American countries that were united in their independence from Spain on September 15^th. The 14 leaves represent the 14 Salvadoran departments.

The National Flower: Flor de Izote is the national flower of El Salvador. In addition to being a national symbol, Salvadorans often use it in cooking!

The National Bird: The torogoz is a beautiful multicolored bird with long, unique tail feathers. Here in the city, we rarely see them, but at our old house in Los Planes, we saw them all the time!

The National Tree: The maquilishuat tree is known for its distinct and beautiful pink leaves.

Actos civicos always include a few different traditional dances and songs as well. The participants dress in traditional clothing that would have been worn by indigenous farmers and coffee pickers in El Salvador. Some of the popular dances and songs are:

Las Cortadoras: This song and dance are about beautiful women cutting coffee cherries.

El Carbonero: This song is also known as El Salvador’s second national anthem. It is about a charcoal merchant selling charcoal on a volcano.

El Torito Pinto: During El Torito Pinto, one child wears a fake bull head (sometimes with fireworks attached!) and runs around. The “bull” is surrounded by other children who are trying to escape from it!

This year at one of the schools, we also had the pleasure of “meeting” El Salvador’s founding fathers and watching a mini-drama of the famous Salvadoran folklore (and mischievous) character, el Cipitio:

There are many other special events that happen during the month of September. The Love & Hope kids come home from school every September asking for blue and white crepe paper and balloons to decorate their classrooms. They learn to do artisanal artwork at school and play traditional games. Many of the kids also take in typical food to share, like pupusas and Salvadoran hot chocolate.

The whole country also seems to get pretty excited about Mister Donut’s (a popular chain) independence month promotion: 2-for-1 doughnuts for the whole month of September! We’ve enjoyed a few doughnuts here at Love & Hope this month.

September is a fun month in El Salvador, and for our children, it is a time when they learn and participate in the traditions of their beautiful little country! Salvadorans are a proud people, and we are happy that the Love & Hope kids are learning to appreciate their roots.

If you’ve followed our blog for some time, you know that in addition to Antonio’s adoption last month, we celebrated another adoption over a year ago. Kevincito came to us at three years old and lived at Love & Hope Children’s Home for about seven years. He was eventually adopted by a beautiful family in Ohio, the Boyles.

Since moving to Ohio with his forever family, Kevin has experienced tremendous progress physically and emotionally. Here is an update from his mom, Christine:

Kevin is using both hands to bring his sippy-cup to his mouth, almost independently. He has even begun to bring bites of food to his mouth like Nutrigrain bars and goldfish crackers! He is learning to chew. He loves to eat almost anything and his appetite is HUGE! He uses his surgically placed feeding tube for only 7 ounces of water overnight – otherwise, he takes everything by mouth. Kevin is now almost 40 pounds (he came home as an 18 pounder) and he has grown 5-6 inches taller. He is getting contact lenses, because he has a lot of sensory issues, he will not keep glasses on and we found out that he has a significant visual impairment.

Kevin is full of energy! No naps for him! He is full of crazy, silly, joy! He giggles all the time and loves to play.

Last month, Kevin and his mom, Christine, came to visit El Salvador for the first time since the adoption. We’ve seen pictures and videos of Kevin via Facebook over the last year and were following his progress. But nothing compares to seeing the change in person.

Everyone was ecstatic to see Kevincito again, to see how healthy and strong and content he looked. There were many, many exclamations of, “¡Juela!” (Wow!) and “¡Es increible!” (It’s incredible!). Probably most excited was Tia Larixa, one of Kevin’s prior caregivers. She ran out to meet Kevin, and it was clear that he was happy to see her as well.

After visiting Love & Hope, Kevin also was able to see his grandfather and his family, and Tia Mila, who also cared for Kevin in our home. The pictures explain it all:

Unfortunately, Kevin and Christine had to leave early due to I.G. bleeding. We are grateful that Kevin is in an environment where he receives the attention and medical care he needs

God works in amazing ways. Here’s one of the best parts of this story: Antonio would often say that Kevin was his best friend. Kevin’s caregiver was also partly responsible for Antonio and they spent a lot of time together. Though separated for just over a year, Antonio and Kevin now live just 5 minutes away from each other in Ohio! Kevin even got to greet Antonio at the airport to welcome him.

We are rejoicing along with Kevin, Antonio and their families. Adoption is beautiful, and even more so when we consider that God adopted us as his children!

Even though it is popular to label homes such as ours “institutions”, we have always seen Love & Hope as a family. And just like any family, we love to explore and share the talents of our kids. Each one of them is full of ideas, tastes and opinions that make them unique. Today we wanted to share a few of the “hidden” talents that make our kids special.

Jefferson is an artist. He is able to draw incredible images freehand, from memory. Jefferson keeps a notebook just for drawing, but his school notebooks are also full of doodles. If a homework assignment involves drawing, Jefferson takes great care to go above and beyond and loves to show it off.

Moises plays the recorder. He started learning to play in music class at school, but has made it his own at home. Moises likes to play with Tio Henry, who has taught him more songs, and we often hear him practicing by himself in his room. The sweet, little melody carries itself through the whole house.

Raquel is a singer. As she moves throughout the house or sits in the micro bus with her headphones, Raquel is always singing or humming something; her talent is amazing! It is clear that Raquel likes to sing, but she is very shy and humble about it. We are hoping that one day she’ll realize how uniquely beautiful her raspy voice really is!

The support we receive from you makes it possible for our children to shine. Love & Hope is able to maintain a great adult-child ratio, send our kids to good schools, and allow them to participate in extra-curricular activities because of your generous donations. Thank you for helping us create a family-like atmosphere for the Love & Hope kids, rather than an institutional-like atmosphere. We love spending time together and celebrating together, just like your family. Providing this family-oriented care wouldn’t be possible without our donors.

Last week, Love & Hope Children’s Home said “goodbye” to Antonio. After his adoption was made official, there were still a few more things to do before he could take off for the United States. Kelly spent the last few weeks getting Antonio’s passport, visa, and other documentation together in preparation for his big move.

During that time, Antonio and Kelly visited Love & Hope and also invited several of the kids to fun outings. Antonio and the other children have had a lot to say about his adoption. He was happy to recite his new last name and the names of his new cousins to anyone who would listen. When asked what his first words would be to the welcoming party in the Cleveland airport, Antonio joked that he was going to yell, “Pan!”, imitating the bread man who rides his bicycle down our street everyday. Jacobo and Esau greeted Antonio over and over as “gringo” – the nickname used for Americans in El Salvador. Antonio loved it! We were also happy to celebrate one more birthday with Antonio before he left. He turned 10 years old just in time for his big move!

Last Friday, Kelly and Antonio invited us all to the beach for his farewell party. The kids had a great time playing with Antonio in the pool and on the beach. Several of the staff joined us and even our dear Tia Mila came to say goodbye to Antonio (Mila previously worked at Love & Hope and was one of Antonio’s primary caregivers). We enjoyed lunch, dinner, and cake before saying our final goodbyes and praying over Antonio. Afterward, everyone wanted pictures with Antonio and he gladly obliged. Love & Hope gave Antonio a memory book full of well-wishes and photos.

Hugging Antonio goodbye was hard and a little surreal. In just 24 hours he would be in the United States. A couple nights after Antonio left, we were blessed to be able to Skype with him and Kelly!

Adoption can be like climbing a mountain. The path is not as clearly marked as one might expect. You often don’t know how much farther you have to go. At times you can hear everyone cheering you on, and at other times you think everyone has forgotten you’re out there climbing. At times it is so hard you fear you might not make it to the top. We couldn’t be happier for Antonio and Kelly. They reached the summit. We know they are enjoying the beautiful view.

Congratulations to you both! We love you so much.

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