A Hard Month...

I wasn’t sure where to go with this blog because it’s been so long since I last wrote and a lot has happened. Ill try to be positive with how things have been going here in Bolivia. I will admit that this past week has been the hardest since I have arrived in Bolivia. The few weeks before this week were wonderful for various reasons. I feel a true purpose at the center working with the older girls. It has been wonderful and rewarding. They are a great set of girls and I really enjoy teaching them more about Jesus and who He is to me. As I mentioned in my email, we had an overnight camp for the older kids and I was able to spend the night with my girls. Tim was here during the camp, so he was able to come help out as well. Here are some picks of us all being silly. This is tim with two of the boys…our team was called the “cobras” and they loved doing the snake hand motions...so funny!

Here is a pic of all the kids that came to the camp…here we are praying for our snack. It was really a great time, full of games, bible time and more games.

Here are a few more pics of some of the kids at the center on a normal day. I’m very I encouraged by how well things are going at the center and I praise God that I am able to work there.

While the center is thriving, this past week at the Villa Israel Orphanage was very hard. Since I got back in January, the kids have been getting worse and worse, behavior wise. We thought the new house parents were doing well, but about 3 weeks ago they came to us with the intention of quitting. The mother is pregnant and they felt the stress of the house could be detrimental to her baby. We decided it would be best to change the mix of kids in the home, because they were really struggling. About 2 weeks ago, we removed two brothers and placed them back with their biological mother. About a week ago, we removed two more brothers and placed them in the Frutillar Orphanage. On Tuesday, one of the hardest days here for me, we moved four brothers to an all boys orphanage. We all went to the Villa Israel orphanage to pick them up. The hardest part was seeing Jhoel, my boy, sob his eyes out as he said goodbye to the house mom. That’s the point when I could not hold it in anymore; the rest of the day consisted of me holding back the tears. It was so hard to take them to a completely new house, with 16 new brothers, knowing that things would never be the same as I remembered. Although it was one of the hardest things to be apart of, I feel confident this new home will be a good fit for them. I have to believe that God is good and cares more about these boys than anyone else. I will keep you updated on their progress. We would like to visit them often!! I miss them so much already!! The only child left at Villa Israel right now is Neydi. We are hoping to find a more structured environment for her as well. Below is a picture of the four boys in their new home…Brandon, Erland, Jhoel, and in front is Samuel. Please lift them up in prayer as the next few weeks will be hard for them, especially for Jhoel, the oldest.

As I finish this blog, I ask that you would continue to lift this place, this country, this ministry, the children, and my heart up to the Lord. I’m trying to stay positive and trust the Lord even when I don’t understand what’s going on. Farewell for now, from Bolivia!!