Last week, all of our children at Love & Hope Children’s Home finished school for the year. The Salvadoran school schedule begins in January and ends in November, so “summer vacation” encompasses about two months in November, December and January.
The kids have been enjoying a more relaxed schedule, later bed times, extra TV time and playing together. It is easy to see that everyone is relieved to have a “brain break.” They have been spending the afternoons playing with their toys, hide-and-seek, tag and baseball together in the yard. Several of the kids have also been reading non-stop (it is a lot more fun to read when you aren’t required to!), and others have loved playing board games with our caregivers and volunteers. We’ve even had a couple visits from members of the U.S. Navy.
Last Thursday, our friends at Focus Services hosted a pool party for us to celebrate the end of the school year. The kids had fun playing in the pool, spraying the adults with water guns and eating Pollo Campero for lunch! The weather was perfect and sunny; it was a great day.
Love & Hope Children’s Home has a lot planned for the next couple months of vacation. Several children, because they are changing schools, will attend a summer course to become acclimated to their new learning environment. Some will begin playing on new soccer teams and others will continue practicing Tae Kwon Do. The tios and volunteers plan to give “workshops” to the Love & Hope kids on topics like sewing, German, volleyball, computer maintenance, and crafts. We also have some fun outings planned, and are hoping to explore beautiful El Salvador a bit more!