Archive for guatemalan orphans
Thank You to our Wisconsin Work Team
Posted by: | CommentsA huge thank you to Pam and Rich Garman for arranging the work team, hosting their visit to Guatemala and working alongside all the team members. This is the second year that our Wisconsin work team has visited, and for many this was the second year on the team as well. What a treat for us. This year our work team built an amazing play set for the kids, painted, built an arbor, installed our drinking fountain and did lots of maintenence work. Needless to say that my “honey-do” list was long for this team and I am so grateful to everyone who came and worked. Our kids love the new play set and I am thrilled with everything that that was done for us. The work teams are made up of people who work long hours and then spend their vacations and money giving back. We were fortunate that they gave back to us, at Semillas de Amor.
About the foot lockers. When I was asked by Pam and Rich, several months, ago for our wish list of projects, on my list of priorities were foot lockers for our oldest kids. Children raised in institutional settings do not have their own bedrooms and rarely have a place to keep their personal items. This can be very difficult for children because anything that belongs to them is generally used by everyone. I feel that it is very important for kids to have their own personal space, a place that is theirs. Craig designed amazing foot lockers for the kids, and then he and Rich built 17 footlockers for our kids. When the foot lockers went into the kids’ bedrooms the children began to dig under their mattresses, in the pillow cases, under the pillows for their things they had safely put away and put them in their own locker. All the kids were informed of the new rule regarding the foot lockers, no touching anyone else’s locker or risk losing yours. Privacy is somewhat of a novel concept in institutional settings, although only a few of the foot lockers have been seized. What a difference these foot lockers have made in the children’s lives. A space of their own. Thank you Rich and Craig!
A huge thank you to our Wisconsin Team, Mary, Jack, Barb, Rick, Ann, Tim, Kathy, Kathy, Dave, Nancy and Craig, Rich, Pam, Our Saviors Lutheran Church, Guatemala Mission, Lisa and Jason, Scott and Julie, Lisa, Connie, Tom, Helen, and Todd. See you in 2011!!!!
Washington DC March for the Guatemala900 Kids!
Posted by: | CommentsMark your calendars for May 6th in Washington DC! There are over 500 children, who were suppose to be covered under the grandfather clause and allowed to go home with their adoptive parents, still left in Guatemala. Many children have US visas, many children have their adoptions finalized and still they wait, institutionalized. These children were promised by both the United States and Guatemalan governments that their adoptions would be completed. And now, over two years later, lots of unfulfilled promises, children’s precious years robbed from them by government bureaucracies, families have been emotionally and financially devastated. The Guatemala900 is serious, we want the children to go home to their families now. Please join us in the march to help the children get home. Semillas de Amor is home to 16 of the 500+ children. If you can’t attend the march, please contact the Guatemala900 website below and see what you can do to help these children be heard. The only voices they have are yours.
Summer Arrives at Semillas de Amor
Posted by: | CommentsIn Guatemala we only have a short summer season. Our weather in Parramos is spring like weather, all year long, even though we are at an altitude of 5500 feet. Our growing season is year long. Summer brings hotter and drier weather and leads us into the rainy season which last six months of the year.
We hope you enjoy the slideshow, it is a celebration of summer.
Cutting hair for 34 kids,and only one stylist, is quite a job. But Laura, and adoptive mom from Semillas de Amor, came for a visit with her husband and son and cut all the kids’ hair. They all sported new, summer styles. And look just adorable. Keeping up on haircuts for 34 kids can be a bit overwhelming, so we are so grateful to Laura.
Down the dirt road from us is macadamia nut farm. The kids went for a visit and were welcomed with a great tour of the farm and all the farm animals. The kids saw turkeys, chickens, horses and perigueyes. Perigueyes look somewhat like sheep, but aren’t. And, of course, the kids sampled the macadamia nuts.
It can’t be summer without a dip in the swimming pool. We have two new pools, thank you Laura and Jason, so the kids are spending lots of time in the pools. I think a built in pool is in our future someday. Kids love to swim and it is such good exercise for them. We will add the built in pool to our wish list.
Rarely, will you see our kids without the dogs. Dooney is a favorite with the littlest ones. He is so big but has the patience of a saint. And he loves to be loved on. A perfect combination. Kids + Dogs= Happiness.
For most of our blog readers, it is just becoming spring time. But in Guatemala we are getting ready for the rainy season. Our neighbors are planting corn and other crops as they wait for the rain. Last year we had a terrible drought, the worst in over 30 years so we are really looking forward to the rain.
Happy Spring time from all of us at Semillas de Amor!
To make a donation to keep our children at Semillas de Amor thriving, please click HERE. We appreciate your on-going support and generosity.
