Our orphanage teacher Neftali has gotten most of the city children in school out here at the lake. The children are gradually adjusting from city life to country life. T Atitlanhey now have two acres of grass to play on. The little ones adjusted pretty quick.
On Tues. Two nurses and 4 med students from the hospitalito in Santiago came out to the orp to visit and possibly volunteer. Also with them was an another American, a man who also has a nursing degree, experience with special ed and administrative experience. He lives in San Pedro Atitlan. He has been wondering around Guatemala for the last couple of months looking for somerthing to sink his teeth into. He settled on us today. He will live in a bedroom in our storage house and work with Neftali and the preschool with alot of his help going to my adopted downs son. He will be at the orp to help us get our staff better organized. The two nurses were a big help as we have now 5 or 6 kids with health issues. One of the nurses has known our 16 month Abrama since birth as she has seen him go in and out of the hospital. She did not know he now lived at the orphanage. As a matter of fact, she said she was surprised he was still alive. The last she saw him he was living with his parents. I showed her that he could walk with help for several steps, that his belly was no longer so distended and that the flatness of his head was much improved. She was very impressed.
Yesterday the pump went out at the hogar. No cooking, no functioning bathrooms--bad news! With our limited electrical experience we guessed it was a fuse and went into Santiago for another one. One the way we came upon a wreck along the windinng road that surrounds the lake. It appeared that a crazy kid was trying to pass on a blind curve and slammed headon into a mimivan being used as a taxi for the local Indians. The cars appeared totalled. Numerous injuries to the Mayans in the back of the minivan. One woman was stuck in that van. Just as we were ready to truck a few of the injured to the hospitalito, the bomberos showed up. All the roads in Guatemala are dangerous because the drivers have few rules and there are no traffic policemen. Chicken buses are notorious for flying around turns with a "I'm bigger than you are attitude." The woman who had devoted the last 10 years of her life to a program called "Safe Passage" was killed two weeks ago by a chicken bus that hit her driver head on. We always drive slow and defensively.
Tonight Harvey, our wonderful friend from Orphan resources brought out the last big truck load of stuff from the city orphanage. We have gotten many wonderful donations from people in the city. I will be sorry to see them end.
Tomorrow jody and I go to San Marcos for a morning off from the orphanage and our kids. I am looking forward to it.
Vicki
http://www.safehomesforchildren.org

The two new boys have settled in well. great kids. Neftali has already taught them a ton of sign language.
We have decided to start a preschool/special ed school at the orp with Nicho[ Neftali] as the director. He will hire some more staff. He also has tutoring the school children in the afternoons. We will have 8 " normal" preschoolers and 5 special ed. It will actually be cost efficient as we are spending $10.00 a day tranporting our 5 special ed kids to Santiago.
Abraham is finally starting to walk. If I hold both his hands he will grudgingly walk 5 or 6 steps. Cindy, the 14 year old who came with her two year old, is begging money from everyone she sees, at the orphanage, in Cerro de Oro and today at church. This is how she used to make a living on the streets.
Sat. we moved 12 kids from the city to the lake orphanage and their beds and kitchen appliances. The town of Santiago loaned us a truck and driver and Pedro and our son Johnny drove our van and moved them out here. It was alot of commotion, but Nicho who runs the orp on the week-ends , had them all at church today where Cindy tried to panhandle me in the bathroom. This move will save us about $2000.00 a month. And allow us better supervision. On Weds., Harvey with orphan resources, will use his truck and move the rest of the furniture from the orp. They are a Mennonite group who is a ton of help to us. Nicho has the job of getting all the school age kids in school tomorrow.
Friday Jody and I met with Ryan Williams, one of the board members. He had with him 5 other men from the US. They are starting a humanitarian tour group. There tours will be half tour and half volunteer work. We will be the main humnaitarian project. One of the men is a photographer who video taped me and the kids telling all their stories. Should be on Ryans website soon.
In the midst of this we celebrated two of our kids birthdays and valentine's Day and dealt with a major stressor with one of our teens.
Did I mention I had a new grandbaby born last Sunday. Baylee Mae Dalia born to Crystal and Joey. Some of you know Crystal as she is my administrative asst. Sarah Dalia Bodily, the head of the orp association, is expecting her baby and my grandbaby no. 6 anyday. Her name is Talia.
I really want to go to the states for a few days to see my grandbabies. Does anyone have any frequent flyer miles they want to donate?
Vicki Dalia
http://www.safehomesforchildren.org

We received two new boys from the courts on Fri. We were told there was no other orphanage that would take them. They are brothers 12 and 6 who were being used by their parents to shine shoes and then turn the money over to the parents for drugs. They can neither speak nor hear. They seem like good kids and thank heavens Neftali, who has been to school for special ed, does sign language. The boys know enough sign to tell us their names and ages. We sure do need donations of all kinds.

Last week was a big one. We lost our translator as his children are visiting from Canada for the next 5 months and he has moved to Antigua to be close to them. He quit last Tues. In court on Tues. the orphanage was awarded custody of the 3 little Tzutihil children until they turn 18. A psychologist from the courts came out today to assess that they were better off with us. He confirmed that that was definitely true. That day in court we were also awarded 3 more children. A 14 year old and her 2 year old daughter and 9 year old sister. They are all retarded except the baby. They had not eaten in 3 days. They were from the Carribean.
Fri. in court Wendy, age 6 who has been at the orphanage since she was 3, was awarded to our hogar until she is 18 as was Vilma, a 13 year also from the Carribean. She can be adopted as can Juan, Maria, Monica and Aura.
Next week we need to get serious about moving the city to the lake. I had an American volunteer help clean out my storage room. It sure was nice to spend time with an American woman. We can't take any more children unless we start getting some financial support, so if you feel so inspired you can send the money on our paypal acct. or call Flossie at 1-276-388-3092 and she will tell you where to send the money in the states. 100% goes to the orphanage.
Vicki
Director of http://www.safehomesforchildren.org