Our visit went very well. The judicial representative was impressed. She said the things she was looking for most were cleanliness and happy children. She saw both and also saw how loved the children were. Next I took the whole orphanage to Pollo Campero. Boy were the kids and staff excited. They don't get to do that often since it was a$100.00 venture. It rained really hard so they kids couldn't walk back to the orp for several hours so the got to play a long time on the indoor play equipment. Then Adolfo, Pedro. Hannah and I went to San Lucas to see the house for rent. It was really nice. The kids would have a fenced in nice yard and a great house that can hold up about 35 kids. We are bargaining now with the landlord to try and get him to come down from a $1000.00 a month to $800.00. The schools and the church are within walking distance and it is in a safe area with security.
Then back out to the lake. The ride from Concales to San Lucas was tense as it was dark and lightening and this was the road my daughter and son were robbed on in May. I was glad to return to the relative safety of my home. Three kids at the lake orphanage needed glasses and got them. The parents who leave their 4 children with us to feed and school came to get them for the vacation time [ 2 months ] so they could pick coffee for them. The oldest boy refused to leave
Vicki
http://www.safehomesforchildren.org

I am in the city today. We have visit with a representative from the judges at 9 to review our city orphanage. Hope everything is okay. MY new general manager has bought a table cloth and flowers and has a snack prepared. After it is over, I will take the kids to Pollo Campero for a fast foods lunch. We think we have found a new and better location for the city kids. One of the complaaints has been that they have no outside place to play which is true. This new place is supposed to be nice and have outside area. I will see it this afternoon and make a decision. It is a half hour from the city in a safer location.
My driver is getting the back windshield fixed on the van where a dump truck ran into it and busted it. He is getting the windows tinted also as it is supposed to provide better protection from banditoes as they can not see in as to how many people there are and what there is to rob.
Vicki Dalia
http://www.safehomesforchildren.org

Well we have finally have internet in the house. it is nice.
We had two great groups come two week-ends ago.
The first was with Worldlink and they are helping us get further financial help for the programs we are working on. We enjoyed showing them our lake facility and letting them meet the children. The donations thay brought which had been collected by the Sorensons were distributed to the kids yesterday. I wish everyone could have seen the looks on Marie's face as she dressed up in a violet satin and lace dress to show me that it fit her. It looked almost brand new and she was so pretty. Her sister Monica loved her new skirt as did Rosa and Wendy. Rosa got the sandals in the box and Wendy had wanted them also, but Wendy surrendered them willingly and then gave Monica one of her new white shirts so Monica had a blouse for her new skirt. I thought she was so sweet. Especially since she is only 6.
The second group was with Life Vision adoption agency out of Washington. They brought new bookbags for all the kids full of things kids need and like. I wish you could have seen my littles [ ages 1 thru 5 ] who had never had anything of their own especially new, put there bookbags on their backs and try and walk with them. It was a tear jerker. What a privilege to be part of it. They gave the same bookbags to the City orphanage,but I was not there to see it.
Tpmorrow I go to the City with my 16 year old. I am meeting with one of the judges, spending time with the city kids and taking them to McDonald's [ a once a year treat ] . On Thurs. I meet with a representative with the Magistradas office. We are trying to upgrade the quality of the city orp and she is going to check us out and give us pointers. Hope it goes well.
We have hired a new general manager who will oversee both orps. He has worked in this field for 3 years and is very assertive and motivated. We are grateful to have gotten him
One last thing, we heard of an orphanage an hour from here that has lost their US funder and we are considering taking it over. They have 19 kids some of whom have disabilities. We have such a great special ed thing going on here in our area, I think we could be of real benefit to these children. But WE NEED MORE FUNDING
I forgot one neat thing. Last week the mayor's wife from San lLucas Toliman gave our orp kids free tickets to the local fair. This week she paid for some of them to go to the City to have eye tests and get glasses for the ones who needed them.
Well got to go get supper on for my crowd.
WE NEED CHRISTMAS HELP . IF YOU CAN DO IT, LET ME KNOW. THE BEST WOULD BE CASH AND WE CAN BUY THE THINGS DOWN HERE.
Vicki Dalia
http://www.safehomesforchildren.org

Well my husband and I had a great time on Fri. and Sat. just being tourists. We spent the night away from kids and had a great romantic ,candlelight, wood burning fireplace dinner with great massages. My massage person said my neck felt like it had the weight of the world on it which is exactly how I felt as she did the massage. Like she was removing the weight of the world. The next day we toured the lake. Gosh It is beautiful.
This was good because the day before we had had a four hour staff meeting trying to get things running more smoothly at the orphanage.
Monday, we had two visiting pediatricians at the hospitolito in Santiago that is run by Americans. They were young women from Chapel Hill, NC. Twenty miles from my hometown. We took our little severly malnourished and mistreated baby into them. We have had him for 3 weeks and he is eating good, but has the muscle tone of a downs child and is sick all the time. His name is Abram.The peds ran every test they could on him including an ultrasound and decided that he is okay and we are doing everything right. He and his sister who is also suffering from her past abuses will start physical therapy next week. The doctor at the hospital who was familiar with these children{s history was so glad to see them in safe hands and doing better.
Bryan who got his hearing aid last week is now starting to make some sounds and is learning to sign. He is so happy. My little wild child is starting to get civilized.
I got a call today that a woman who is paying the tuition for a private school for one of our teenagers has found tow more people to pay it for tow more teens. That is wonderful. And then on fri. we have 5 wonderful donors visiting with us. There financial help is so appreciated. On Sun. we have two more ladies who have brought down 55 bookbags full of stuff for the kids.
Lots of love to everyone
Vicki
Direcotr of http://www.safehomesforchildren.org

We had another victory today. Alicia ,who is 16 and came to us with her sister selena as our first children 5 years ago, just competed in the guatemalan special olympics. She won a silver metal for the 60 meter and will go to Mexico for further competition.
We are so proud of her.
Vicki http://www.safehomesforchildren.org

Two good things happened at the orphanage today. The first was we went back to court with Luis, a 10 year old boy who came to us 2 months ago. He had been abused in everyway possible. He sure is a cute one tho but has rage attacks from time to time. Anyway his parental rights will be terminated and he will remain at the orphanage until he is 18 or adopted. I have taken a fancy to him so am happy about it. Bryan, an 8 year old, who came to us with his 3 year old brother, was so misbehaved we thought we were going to have to send him back to the courts. Instead we brought him out to the lake orphanage and put him in the special ed school some of our children there attend. He couldn´t speak or hear. They took him to the city last week for tests and are taking him back today for a hearing aid. They think he will hear after that.
My downs son who also attends that school is 9 today and I am taking a birthday cake there shortly to celebrate. Tomorrow we take our 9 children to the pcific to celebrate my husband´s and my son´s brithdays.
Vicki
Director of http://www.safehomesforchildren.org