Those of you who have been following along on our blog or Facebook page know that one week ago, Love & Hope Children’s Home accomplished a sizable feat: we moved.
After school, on September 18th, we took the kids to visit the new house for the first time. The staff had already posted the children’s names in the various bedrooms, so the kids had fun running around trying to find their new room. After the kids had finished exploring what would soon be their new home, we all went to the park around the corner for a picnic lunch.
After church the next Sunday, several members of our local board met with Love & Hope volunteers and other friends to pray at the new house. After praying together, we split into pairs to pray in each bedroom for the children who would soon live there.
Tuesday, September 24th, turned out to be an extremely important pre-moving day. While the children were at school, the staff took most of the morning to pack, sort and throw away anything we wouldn’t need. Nothing makes you reevaluate your possessions like the thought of having to pack them up and move them! When the kids came home they started to prepare their personal belongings for the move. Meanwhile, in the new house, our part-time driver and handyman, Nelson, was working with a contractor to complete a few small construction projects.
Wednesday morning was when the real work began. A moving truck arrived early at our house in Los Planes and our staff kicked into high gear, trudging up and down the steps with bags, boxes and furniture. Part way through the morning, a big group from the United States Navy arrived to help. It is amazing what a bunch of fit, able, and willing young people can accomplish in a short time! After the truck was packed full, we drove down to the new house to drop off the first big load.
On Thursday, the heavy lifting continued and we were able to move two more big loads to the new house with the help our friends from Focus, a call center in San Salvador. By the time the second load was packed into the truck, mot much was left in the house in Los Planes. We worked into the evening at the new house organizing the kitchen, tutoring room, garage, bodegas, office, and common areas. It was starting to look like home.
Friday morning greeted the staff and volunteers with sore muscles. While the kids were at school, we continued to work in the new house to get everything ready. By the time we left that afternoon, most everything had a place. The caregivers had unpacked a few things in the kids’ rooms, but they wanted to give most of that responsibility to the children and allow them to make their rooms feel like their own. Friday night was the last night we would all spend together in Los Planes de Renderos. We made it special with pizza, soda, popcorn and a sleep-over on the kitchen floor. The Love & Hope kids ate to their hearts’ content and watched movies late into the night.
The next morning, the kids woke up a little later than usual and packed up the remainder of their things. Somehow, everything and everyone fit into our vehicles. Before leaving Los Planes, we prayed and made one last stop at our favorite pupuseria, Lucy’s, for breakfast. 
Then, it was time to make the final trek to the new house. Once we arrived and the kids had a chance to explore a little more, everyone dug into the boxes and bags waiting in their rooms. Veronica, our cook, was happy to utilize her “new” kitchen to make lunch. 
By lunchtime, most of the kids had finished putting their belongings away just in time for a visit from the United States Navy. They spent the better part of Saturday afternoon playing soccer at the park. By dinner time, everyone seemed comfortable, exhausted and relieved to finally be settled in.
The kids are liking their new home. The layout of this new house is very different from our house in Los Planes. It’s helping to create the atmosphere of family and togetherness that we’re striving for at Love & Hope. And even though this new house is smaller, it doesn’t feel crowded. But most importantly, it feels like home.
Please pray for Love & Hope Children’s Home as the children and staff continue to adjust to life in our new house. Thank you to our staff who worked tirelessly to make this move happen; it only confirmed how blessed Love & Hope is to have you all. Thank you to the members of the United States Navy and Focus Services, as well as those who supported us financially, for helping us make this move a reality! We can’t wait for you to come visit and see it for yourself.