Below is a revised version of our monthly report for October. A lot has been happening at Love & Hope Children’s Home:
Childcare
Education
Nine of the children took admission tests on October 20th to enroll in a new school, Colegio Luz de Israel, for the 2013 school year. Colegio Luz de Israel is located in San Salvador and located on the same property as the Baptist church our children attend every Sunday. They will be enrolling in a summer course at the school during November and December to get ready for the curriculum.
The children who attended Colegio Liceo del Salvador finished their final exams on October 31st.
The leadership and administration at the home has begun preparing for the coming school year by soliciting donations for supplies, shoes, and book bags from several contacts in the United States. In early November, we will begin the registration process.
General
Children’s Day is October 1st every year. A contact we made through Focus brought a group from a church in San Salvador to Love & Hope for a Children’s Day party.
The children ran in Parque Balboa on October 6th to show solidarity with those that ran in CINCOKILOMETRO! on October 13th. Focus, a call center run by our friends Ben and Delena, provided prizes for the winners and lunch after the race. Ben and Delena and their two boys also ran with the Love & Hope kids.
On October 20th Andrew and Kristina Berger treated the home to a beach day. We also enjoyed a pupusa dinner compliments of Santa Lunardi.
We enjoyed the fun of trick-or-treating on October 21st. The kids dressed in funny costumes and ran from door to door of the home (inside), knocking on the doors and saying “Trick-or-treat!” Everyone had a lot of fun!
Bobby and Britney Hibbs have taken Osiel into their home. Osiel will continue to attend the same school in the afternoons for the remainder of the year. We are so glad that he has found a home with such a God-fearing and loving couple and enjoy seeing him every week at the Union Church of San Salvador.
One of the highlights of every week is going to the Platanillo Community. It has been fun to see our kids take such an active role, preparing the food that will be passed out and helping with the English class and Sunday School. A couple of the older girls ask to go every week, and take pride in some of the relationships they have formed with the children in the community.
Rob and Sarah, friends of ours from the Union Church of San Salvador, have sought to be more involved at Love & Hope by taking a few of our children on an outing every Saturday. We are excited for the kids to get a special day out every so often. We are also excited that the children will be able to spend time with an obviously loving, committed, and successful married couple.
Jocelyn and Brenda ran a 5k for breast cancer research called “Juntos por la Cura” with American volunteers on Sunday, October 28. They both finished the race and said they enjoyed it.
Michelle, Jocelyn and Brenda have started attending youth group at the Union Church of San Salvador. The Union Church is an English speaking church that the missionaries here attend every Sunday. The girls seem to like it and we are glad that they will have the opportunity to make new friends, be independent, and practice their English.
Leodina, Kevin and Moises celebrated birthdays. Leodina will have a more formal birthday dinner on November 10th to celebrate her 15th birthday, or quinceañera.
Finances
Donations
We are grateful to Golden Acres Baptist Church in Texas for the garage sale that raised $2500 that was donated to Love & Hope Children’s Home.
Fundraisers
The first-ever ¡CINCOKILOMETRO! 5k race brought in about $1700 for the general operating fund. There were 120 participants and another race has already been scheduled for next year.
Gary Klubnik, Justin Klubnik and Phil Miller will be climbing the Cotopaxi volcano in Ecuador on November 16th. They are attempting to raise $19,000 for the education fund at Love & Hope, covering tuition for the coming school year.
Visitors and Volunteers
A group from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints came and threw a Children’s Day party on the 13th.
Kathy Sanson and Andrew, Kristina and Eli Berger came toward the end of the month. The Bergers spend a lot of time with the kids, taking them on outing and doing activities at the house. Kathy will be at Love & Hope until mid November.
Ann Paradis, Jodi Paradis and Brittany Waickman came on October 23rd to stay several weeks. They will be covering childcare shifts when our caregivers are not available and completing projects around the house.
Prayer Requests
1.Spiritual mentors for the older kids
2.Financial provision and success in fundraising efforts
3.The adoptions of Kevincito (by Dan and Christine Boyle) and Antonio (by Kelly Moore)
4.Protection for children who have been returned to their biological family