Update on an Update

I promised an update with lots of pictures... and well... ITS COMING!

I have been so busy since I have been home that it has taken me awhile, but be assured, that it will be up very soon!

Kind regards,
Ella

Prayer

Please keep one of the workers "Dora" in your thoughts and prayers. Her little brother who is 12 was rushed to the hospital earlier today because he was not able to breath. Pray for his health and safe return to their family.

Sleepovers And More

Well, I told you guy I would tell you about the sleepover the ladies had here. So much fun :) It has been so awesome to form such great bonds with the ladies and make such great friends. The night started off with lotteria, as always, haha, Then we moved on to a new game which I didn't know before called la pirinola. This one  is played with a dice/top thing that looks like this -

The game is played by having all the players put in money to the "pot" and then one player starts by spinning the die/top thing and depending on what it lands on you have to either, take one, take two, put in one, put in two, take it all, or everyone put in one.. so really it is just a game of chance. But was really fun anyways :) 

Next we had some dinner and then off to the horror movies... yup, the ladies wanted to watch horror movies, that is where I ran away... I couldn't do it. I hate horror movies. So I can't tell you what happened after that, but I can guarantee there was fun! 

The next morning I had to say goodbye to some of the ladies who would not be here for the weekend which was so so tough, I had a hard time saying goodbye to friends. 

But just as I was saying goodbye to friends an old friend came in the door to visit - 

Seno Luz! She retired in March but came back to fill in for a lady who was away. It was so nice seeing her again. She was one of the first ladies I made friends with here. 

Today is my last day at the center and have to get back to my kiddo's, but I will be sure to post an update and pictures tonight or tomorrow or something :)

The War On Aid

In international aid there is a constant fight between "giving"" and "going". It is a struggle for people to decide which is best, and for some reason, they feel like they need to decide. For me, they walk hand in hand. 

The ministry going on at the center is wonderful. The discipleship that is forming between the ladies themselves, as well as the groups who visit is amazing. In a country so set on the catholic ways and "earning" your way into heaven, seeing the ladies interact and accept Christ is so amazing, their words and thankfulness just is the best that it could be. Us being there to share with them our beliefs and the love of Christ has been able to, in their own words, "transform" many of them when they accept Christ and experience the love of God. Many of them now have love in their hearts that they say they never knew they had before. Many of us go to be with the children and work with them, forgetting the woman who work with them everyday, even I did when I first started coming. But they are the ones who need us most. They are the ones who are here every day and can disciple to their peers in their community. By going we are not only providing the touch and love that every one of those children and workers need, but also sharing what the Lord has done in our lives in hopes to help them through whatever they need as well as plant a seed in their heart, craving the missing piece. It is not our job to go and make believers out of them, but to go and create disciples and offer help. None of which could be done with just giving. 

On the other hand, the daily needs at the center are ever growing as we are able to care for more children. There is so much need for food, clothing, diapers, more hands to work.. Just the simple necessities and unfortunately that all costs money. Without those who give there would be no one to go to. We have been able to start a board of chairmen (who are local Guatemalans) who will run all the things that go on at the center as well as start advocating for the center in their own community creating local support for the children and the center. I have already seen some of this in action as schools from around the town have come out to volunteer as well as wealthy corporations in the big cities sending out food, supplies, and money to help with daily costs. The goal is that one day they won't need us at all, and that they will be a fully self sustaining center run by the people in the community. How cool will that be?

And then, if any of us international folks are just dying for a baby cuddle, we can stop by and visit, just to say hi. 

A Day Of Laughter And Tears

It is only 3pm here and I feel the need to post now for fear that if I don't I will have too much to post about today.

Starting with a sneek into what is going on tonight, the ladies are having a sleepover! That's right, a sleepover. So, I will post about that either tonight or tomorrow.

But, back to today...

This morning was parent visitation and there was a huge turn out, so many parents and children reunited, they were all so happy! Guess who else showed up for a visit?... That's right my baby girl

Friends reunited

For the whole visitation time she would run up to me and say "Guess what!? I get to go back with my mom!!" and the run away. So sweet, and I was so happy for her. The nurse wanted to check her out while she was here as well so I took her in and we waited. It turns out that she had lost over 2 lbs in only a week and was dirty and bug bitten, something I had looked past when I first saw her. You can guess what is coming next.
The nurse brought the mom in and told her that she should leave her here again as she clearly couldn't take care of her. The mom just agreed and began to leave, here is where the water works started. Sandra started to bawl and hold on to her mom and cried "mama mama I want to go with you!" but the mom didn't care and just walked out, the nurse and her nanny had to hold her as her mom left. Since she was causing such a fuss (as I can imagine her grief!) they took her to the directors office and the director just yelled at her and told her to stop misbehaving and stop crying, then proceeded to take her clips she had in her hair and the shoes she had (granted they were very dirty and gross) but she wanted them so bad and yelled "they're mine, they're mine!" and flung herself to the floor crying so hard. I had to leave the room at that point because I had started to bawl for her, I was so sad for her, I knew her heart was aching and I was so mad at the director for handling it the way she did. No empathy at all. When I calmed myself down I could hear her still crying so I went out and it was only her sitting alone. I picked her up and we rocked and sat together for a few minutes. I told her how much I loved her and she finally started to calm down.

I had completely forgotten until that point I had brownies in the oven that had to be taken out, so hand in hand we both went up stairs for a snack.

Brownies cleared up any residual sadness she had in her heart (how could they not!) And now I am happy to  say she is sleeping soundly at nap time :)

It has been a very tough day so far emotionally, but things are looking up :) 

Fun At The Center

Today was the team's last day with the kids and it went as most other days did, but with added joy as well as sorrow. Joy for the chance to be here and work with the children and sorrow knowing that they had to leave that day. But in all it was a wonderful week with the team. I am so glad to have seen some familiar faces and meet some new wonderful people.

The team was able to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time because of it's size (50!) We were able to finish a new room (los dolfines), hopefully to have new children in it soon, Installed new ceiling tiles through out one wing of the center, as well as put our artistic skills to work by prettying up the place with murals, as well as mirrors for the bunnies and chicks. Phew, it was one awesome week. Here are some pictures.

The New Room 

Alrighty, so later that night there was fun with the boys, nannies, and babies!

Kevin was loving his shadow!

Off Topic... Marvin got a mohawk!

Last but not least, the ladies all got in on a photo op!

Life Goes On

I am getting close to the end of my last week at the center and that scares me more than anything! I don't want to leave my babies here, and I don't want to go back to the daily routine of life in Canada. Everything here is so different and so amazing. The people are so lovely and have such amazing faith in the Lord.

We had lots of fun yesterday with the kids and lots happened! 

We had two new little girls admitted to the center yesterday and are both adjusting very well, I have become particularly fond the little one named Melany. 

Evalyn

Melany

We also got to set up our very own hair shop for the kids :) most we very excited to get their hair cut, but there were few who hated it!!

My baby Sergio was not feeling well so he had to stay in bed, because of that I spent a lot of the day sitting with him singing and playing. Lucky him, he has so many people who love him and his nanny brought ice cream for him, herself, and I! He was wary at first of it, but once he tasted it he was so excited!!

Here are some other pictures of how we have spent the last few days :) 

Wondering How Your Favorite Little One Is Doing?

Here is a compiled list of all the children in the center and what is new with them!
The ones with (*'s) on them are the ones that went home on Friday

Ducks

*William- Likes to grab people's cheeks before a hug! He's so affectionate.

Billi- Becoming more vocal, loves to look at any and all books, whether in English or Spanish.  You have to keep a close eye on him, or you  may just find him in the laundry room helping Don Gonzalo!

Domingo- Loves to visit his little brother, Santos at the Canary window while we are on the playground.

*Erwin- Loves to give lots of kisses, especially at bedtime.

Andres- Always on the look-out for insects, especially spiders!

Gerson- Has moved to the big boy toilet instead of his pot. He also loves to be outside. Yesterday we played a game with a balloon and he was always the first to go down the slide to bring the balloon back.

Abelardo- Really enjoys brushing his teeth.

German- Loves to have his picture taken and always asks to see it aftwerwards.

Sergio- One of the best eaters in the group! Unfortunately is feeling sick again right now. 

Danilo- Is very vocal but we aren't sure which language he is going for.

Erasmo- Loves to sing and state the obvious. His favorite thing to say on the playground is “El caballo es malo!”

Carlos- Adjusting well and smiling more! :) He is helping our new “new kid” adjust as well.

Abelino- He has come out of his shell and become a jokester! He always loves to sing before bed, especially the Spongebob song.

Kevin- Loves to help out whenever he can. Singing must run in the family, because he loves it too!

Santos- Still adjusting to being back at the Center and learning the routines again.

Squirrels

Gladys- Always has a smile on her face, especially when in front of a camera.

Maria Elena- Her favorite thing to say is her name. She has been playing mom to baby doll for the last few days.

Odilia- Loves to get her picture taken and will always wave and say “Hola!” when she sees the picture. She loves being outside and running around.

Micaela- A natural leader, she always stands out and takes charge.

Flor- Loves singing “Ay yi yi yi” and is beginning to do the movements for "power" and "love."

*Wendy- Always interested in an adventure.

*Vilma- Loves running with the boys on the playground.

Madelin- Just celebrated her third birthday and began going to school with the big girls!

Mayra- Always looks out for her younger brother and keeps him in line. She ALWAYS asks for more tortillas at dinner and is usually the first one done.

Yoselin- Loves her little sister and shows everyone the picture of them on the wall. Piggy-back rides are her favorite, next to being held in someone's lap.

*Sandra- Loves to learn English. Right now her favorite words are “It's okay!” and “ticklish!”

Julissa- Always makes sure the younger girls are doing what they are supposed to.

Ana Lucia- Always looks out for her younger brother, German, and helps him out when needed.

Chicks

Ana-Becoming very independent and is smiling and laughing.

Hilda- Gets friendly during potty-time. She has been spotted hugging Mauro while sitting on the pots.

Luis Fernando- He is learning to talk and is learning several words like “good morning” and “hola!” He loves playing with balls, especially kicking and throwing them.

Manuel- Is very stylish and loves to wear the puppy dog hat!

Mauro- Becoming more independent and adventurous! Always loving, even during potty time!

Samuel- Has been found several times taking a nap on top of a beach ball! What a silly boy!

Victoria- Loves picking out her own shoes out of the bin each morning.

Telma- Great at communicating! She is very smart and loves to open the gates.

Elias- Enjoys playing on the see-saw toy in the Chicks area.

Maria Ascunion- Got new shoes and recently and has been walking with help so much! She loves to walk. When she's not walking, she crawls very quickly!

Eswin- Has a fabulous smile and loves to growl. Always loves to help tell people which bed the other Chicks belong in.

Cindy- With Telma, loves to open the gates and let out all of the Chicks! Very adventurous and loves to play.

Bunnies

Angel- Is very expressive. He is always smiling and laughing, and just like his brothers is always giving out kisses!

*Daniel- Loves to dance everywhere he goes and likes to growl, just like any boy!

Jamilet- Very helpful and loves to give things to people. She has a great smile and loves to laugh.

*Julio- Very easygoing. He is a great eater and loves to give surprise hugs.

Lesbia- Sweet and very quiet. Very big, beautiful eyes.

Marta- There is no description of her. She likes to be in charge and do things her own way. She is a great example of child-like faith.

Sucena- Loves to hold hands with her twin sister, Marta, as they walk and play.

Maria Josephina- Always happy. She loves to wear the doggie hat around as she plays.

*Rosa- Is the best eater of the group. (Nom nom nom nom!)

Dairin- Has learned to open the gates so she can explore more of the Center.

*Vilma- Loves to have a friend to snuggle with or just hold hands with.

Alex- He has only been a Bunny for a few weeks and is learning what life is like with the bigger kids!

Canaries

Rosa- Has adjusted well to life at the Center and loves to take care of the other children and her babydolls.

Josue- Learned to stay sitting instead of falling over!

Maria Fernanda- Has gained over a pound in 12 days! She is now over 4 pounds!

Ovidio- Learned to stand up on his own! The next step is walking!

Santos- Loves to see his older siblings, Sandra and Domingo at the window when the Ducks and Squirrels are outside!

Edwin- Can now crawl and sit! He is one of the fastest crawlers in the Canaries!

Mayra- Is teething and beginning to learn how to walk.

Carmen- Has learned to sit and even sit-up on her own without any assistance.

Kimberly- Can hold her own head up now!

Keicy- Has recently learned how to roll over. She will be crawling before we know it.

Adalin- She has recently gotten over an illness and is learning how to walk.

Irma- Has been very happy and laughing all of the time.

Walter- Our little escape artist has learned to get out of his crib and the gates in the Canary room. Hopefully, he will become a Bunny soon!

Jeferson- Another one of our Canaries who has begun to learn to walk. He enjoys the rocking chairs.

Jose Miguel- Loves to play on the mats on the floor with the other children.

Vilma- Walks very well, especially when her sister Yoselin, is waiting for her at the window.

Elizabeth- Always happy and independent, she loves to feed herself.

Cristian- Has learned to drink from a sippy cup rather than a bottle.

Marvin- He is always happy and has developed a great appetite recently.

Jorge- Very sweet and is happiest when he gets to hold his favorite rattle.

A Whole-Lotta-Things

Wow, these last days at the center have been crazy and a whole lot has happened. First of all, yesterday was visitation day for the parents again and I had learned that there were many kids who were ready to go home... Including my Sandra.

The kids were - from the bunnies - Julio, Vilma, Rosa, and Daniel. From the ducks - William and Erwin. From the squirrels - Wendy, Vilma, and of course Sandra.

Wow, Today will be a tough day for all the kids and workers as they cope with loosing some of their friends as well as when some of the little ones get moved up into older groups since spaces have opened up.

It is also the last day for the family that has been staying here with me, tomorrow morning they head back to Florida. They are all sad to leave the kids, but happy to see their friends and family at home. It will be so different here without them here and without the kids who went home.

Please pray for the little ones as they remake bonds with their families as well as for safe travel for my new 

"Guatemala Family" who is heading home. 

Wendy and Sandra

Sandra ready to go home :) Her joy have me joy

A last goodbye

We had just ran up and down the big hill in front of the center