My family and I have been recovering from a virus so life is slow. We have had a couple pieces of good news. One, the pueblo of Cerro de Oro where we are located, has agreed to let us have a nice building to have our preschool in. It will enable us to take children from the community of Cerro. They have never had a chance to go to a preschool before. We also will take younger special ed kids. My two sons, Tony who is 5 and Seth is 9 and down syndrome, go to the preschool 3 mornigns a week and love it. Today we had 3 volunteers from the hospitalito in Santaigo come sing and dance with the kids. Seth showed me his dance moves when he got home.
Also we desperately need to build. We have tried to work with the owner of the property we are on to buy it so we can build, but he is stalling. Also the next door neighbor does not want an orphanage. Today we were offered 4 acres of land in Cerro for $8000.00. It does not have buildings, but we know builders who can get things up quick, plus I had one organization offer the building supplies for free if we had people to build.
Did I mention 3 of my children have had chicken pox in the last month. We had to take my 7 year old daughter to the emergency room last night as she had swlllowed a whistle. Right before that I had to hunt my 16 year old daughter as it was dark and she was not home. She has a hard time understanding safety issues were meant for her. She is a beautiful blond girl who gets way too much attention from the men. Alisa the 7 year old was able to swallow completely the whistle and out it came today. But it is a little hairy driving after dark around here.
http://www.safehomesforchildren.org

Two great things at the hogar this last week. One, one of our new employees had connections with the association that collected food for hurricane Stan victims. This man gave the hogar 1000 pounds of rice, beans and atole, a soy, corn heavy protein drink. We wanted some food storage and here it is. We bought heavy duty metal cans to store the bags in.
Next we had a Sat. noon surprise visit from the social worker from the Chimaltenago courts. She loved the hogar and wanted to know if we would take some more kids. Babies I hope.
I am interviewing all week social workers to work full time at the hogar.
Vicki
http://www.safehomesforchildren.org

We have had a national teachers strike and all the kids but the ones in private school have not had school for a month. The strike was finally over and then the week of Semana Santa started and they got another week. My kids, who also had Easter vacation, helped me all week handing out dresses, pants, shirts and shoes as well as Easter bags to all the kids. Thank you so much all of you great people who donated these items. The kids looked fabulous on Sunday with all their Easter finery. I also gave out tennis shoes and regualr clothes as well as sheets and towels to kids who did not have them. An eagle scout and his mom visited and had a treat for all the kids, plus donations that were badly needed.
I still need more shoes for older kids, but will give my staff money this week to buy them as well as socks for older kids. We gave out a donated CD and DVD player which was much appreciated.
Anyone wanting to donate can send items to my US address. Thank you to those of you who sent cash also. It will be used to buy the shoes and socks. We have people traveling to Guate all the time who can bring down donations so if you wish to send good quality items, send them to
Safe Homes For Children
3303 Pond Mountain Lane
Whitetop, VA 24292

For all who have not experienced Semana Santa or Holy Week.....This is probably the biggest vacation time of the year. It occurs during the summer and everyone takes off the week for a vacation--very much like july 4th in the states. There are religious processions all during Lent and it reaches a crescendo during Holy Week. Antigua, Guatemala is the capital of Semana Santa in the Western Hemisphere. People make carpets of colored sawdust--very elaborate carpets--and flowers that cover the streets. The carpets are 6´to 8´ wide and 50´ or more long. They are intricate and beautiful and done as a sacrifice because soon after their creation the procession will walk over them and destroy them. We don´t have anything equivalent to this in the states. People come from all over the world to see the processions and the carpets in the streets and to party.

We had a great trip on Thurs. that an American owman and her sisters and mom paid for. They rented a big boat and took all the kids from the orphanage and my kids from my family across the lake. Then they bought all hamburgers and fries in Panajachel. The kids loved it. They also left some great donations.
On a sadder note. Betty and Vilma ran away from the orp. Both girls had lived on the streets for a long time and just could not adjust ot rules. betty left her 2 year old. Helen is eating now. At first she would not. But her big brown eyes are so sad. Life has just been hard for her.
Aisha went home to her family in the states. They sent me pics and she looks so happy. She has been with us since she was 1 and so hurt she would pick her skin raw.

We arrived safely in Guate and picked up the many donations the Newton family had left with Harvey plus Harvey's food supply. Then on to see our kids who we had been away from for 9 days. I sure did miss them. Now I miss peace and quiet. We have spent the last two days at the orphanage catching up with all the minor crisis. the rest of the time I have spent unpacking donations and organizing them. Today I gave out some of the much needed shoes and threw in the trash the ones the kids had on. I have my staff making a list for each child of what they have so on Monday I can start passing out what the kids need.
Thanks so much for all of you who gave so these kids can have a higher quality of life. I have to use the internt cafes for a while as banditoes stole my wireless box and printer.
Vicki
Director of http://www.safehomesforchildren.org

Jody and I are in the states now and have been for the last 9 days. Our kids are in Guate and doing great with our security guard and our college daughter. Jody and I have spent the time visiting with our older married kids and our 6 granddaughters. That has been alot of fun. Jody got to participate in the name blessing of Tali, 3 weeks old, and I got to hold her alot and hold Baleigh who is 5 weeks. We ate at some great restaurants and just had fun as a 50ish couple traveling with no kid responsibilty. Tomorrow we return to 50 of them.
We have had some great donations to the orp that were at the house in the states when I arrived home. Jody and I are taking 4 suitcases of donations with us and Sarah is bringing 2 more when she comes a month from now. I have an Easter outfit and small easter toy for every child thanks to these wonderful donations.
The Newtons visited the orphanage while we were gone and brought a ton of donations with them. Thanks so much. there are alot of shoes which is great as I have 20 kids clamoring for shoes.
We have some new kids and some old ones have left. When I return I will try and get a list on here of current kids. We have a mother/sister/friend team coming next week with more donations and some volunteer time. They are going to go thru all the kids clothes and throw away the ratty stuff and give me a list of what each child needs. Then I will pull their needs from the donations. They are also going to foot the bill for a boat tour of the lake and a barbecue dinner for the kids.
Some of the city teens have been causing a rucus, all girls. They want a better cook and tv time and on and on, gosh they sound like American teenagers. I am reading a book now on the psychology of teenage girls. Hope it helps. We do have all the kids in school now and basically the city kids set up out here. next step is we need to build more buildings.
Oh I forgot to mention. Our famaily moved into a better house. During the moving process, someone entered the old house [ while no one was there] and stole our wireless internet box, our printer and a cheap keyboard and a bike. Good old guatemala. So now I will have to use internet cafes foe a while until all this gets straightened out.
Well I have got to go pack .
thanks for everyone's help.
Vicki Dalia
http://www.safehomesforchildren.org

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

We had a husband/wife musical group perform at the orphanage this afternoon. They were great. Between their playing and me grabbing my 14 year old son and dancing, we had all the kids laughing, singing and dancing. The final number was the American song Twist and Shout and the kids loved it and learning the twist. So nice to see all those young uns who had such a sad start in life, laughing and dancing and just having fun.
Thanks so much to Yata and his wife Jean.
Vicki
http://www.safehomesforchildren.org

We have decided to move all the city kids to the orphanage at the lake. The schools at cerro de Oro have agreed to accept them the second week in Feb. This will certainly simplify things for us as soon as we get them settled in. In the meantime their is quite a bit of work to do.
Let me tell you about two of the kids at the city orp. Their are sibs. The older is named Victor. He came to us a couple of months ago with alot of fanfare. His story was on the front page of the Pensa Libre, the newspaper for Guate City and the whole country. He made the front page becuase he had been so badly beaten by his father. Last week we got his 9 year old sister. Yesterday she had a major seizure and after our head nanny took het to the hospital, it was determined that she has a fairly serious seizure disorder. We need to have alot of tests done on her. She has started on meds. I wonder if she has shaken baby syndrome. Her dad certainly seems capable of that type of behavior.
Vicki
Director of http://www,safehomesforchildren.org

Well we are back in Guate and at the lake. There is lots of excitement here. The biggest challenge seems to be moving the city orphanage. We have to be out in a month and have to decide whether to move all the city children to the lake or to another house we have found in San Lucas. We found out today that Adolfo quit without giving us any notice. We had noticed that his work was not up to par since we had been back, but have no idea why he quit. We have 25 kids at the Lake and 16 in the City. Jackie and Stephanie have gone back to live with their mother. Hope they are safe and happy. The baby at the lake has been in the hospital for the last two days. I am discouraged, but will try and keep up the writing.

Once again, I have to apologize for not keeping to my "write at least once a week" promise. Getting Christmas together for 18 kids, 6 in laws and 6 grandbabies takes alot of time. And then I have twenty suitcases to fill with donations and items my family needs for the next 6 months in Guate. Luckily I shop thru catelogues and phones, but it is still time consuming and nerve wracking. Everything is now ordered and as ready as it is going to be for both Christmas and our flight the first week of Jan. We are now at the beach waiting for our grown kids and grandkids to arrive tomorrow. We will all stay in two big cottages for the next week. My time with my grandbabies before we return. That is the only really bad part of living in Guate; I miss my grandkids.
The orphanages are growing. Thirty kids at the lake. In Jan. we will have 12 children whose parents can't feed them or educate them, but are still their parents. We had a bunch more ask us to take their high school kids and do the same, but I want to see how this works out before I get into it big time. At the city orph, we have 15 children. The police brought us a 14 year old boy two days ago who had been beat to a pulp by his dad. He also had not been feed in 3 days.
My big sorrow this year is I am probably going to loose Jackie and Stephanie on Sat. Their mom will not let them stay and let us send them to school, etc. She works 24/7 16 hours a day so she won't see them or be able to supervise them. I am so worried about their future. We have educated them at the orph as to when to call someone if abuse starts happening and make sure they have phone nos. to call. I will visit them in a month and try and make sure their life is going okay. Jackie will tell me what is happening if she hasn't been too terrorized.
This is the really hard part of this job. Falling in love with the kids and having no control over their lives.
We have had some great donations to take back with us. New shoes for all the kids, $400.00 in cash and presents for the kids from a couple of sources. Those donations really help the kids and help me emotionally, knowing that others care.
Vicki
http://www.safehomesforchildren.org

Gosh I can't believe I haven't written since we got home. Life has been so busy tho. We have spent alot of time seeing the adult children here and the grandbabies. My 2 year old grandbaby Karleigh stays with us during the week while her parents work and she is fun. Plus the children who live with us have school work to do since they are missing school in Guate. Plus we have so many doctor and dentist appts. to make and keep as well as hair cuts, etc. Then there is ordering of supplies to take back with us. Where we live is pretty dang isolated and we are 3 to 3.5 hours from Guate city where we can do any real shopping. So I have been ordering everything I can think of we may need for the next 6 months. Then there is Christmas for our 18 children and 6 grandchildren.
Anyway now to the orphanages. Our new house in San Lucas for the city orphanage has hit a snafu as we try and settle on a contract with the owner that we can both live with. No small job when he writes no English and we read little legal Spanish. The kids there need to get registered for school and it has created problems. On the 28th, a group from Guate City threw a big Christmas Party. Dinner for the city kids and the lake kids. We brought the lake kids into the city for the party and everyone had a great time with pinatas and face painting and comedians.
The next day was sad tho. We lost our precious Bryan and little brother Angle. Their parents petitioned the courts to have them moved to an orphanage that was just down the road from where the parents live. It has a good special ed program, just like ours does. There was nothing we could do. We tried as the boys have been doing so well with us. They just sobbed when they had to go and poor Bryan, who can't hear or speak, was horrified as was Angle who is only 3 and had just gotten settled in and secure with us. Life is so hard for some of these little ones.
Pedro spoke with Jackie and Stphanaie's mom [ did I mention the court turned down our appeal of their case ] about the girls continuing to live with us and go to private school and we will pay their travel to visit her on the week-ends. She wants to think about it. Her fear is the courts will not like it and take the girls from her. We have two new 14 year old grils at the lake. They were sent there by their moms who can't feed or school them so that is what we will do.
We have a wonderful group in Washington state who is collecting new shoes for all the kids that we will take back with us. Anyone who would like to send things for us to carry back with us, please send them to our home address by Jan. 4. Just contact me by email at 20.vicki@gmail.com
We still need Christmas at the Lake orp, if anyone would like to contribute. Also needed are single sheets and blankets. The kids love peanut butter and we never seem to have enough.
Vicki
Director of http://www.safehomesforchildren.org

We are gearing up to return to the states for the holidays. We fly the 23rd of Nov. and return the 5th of Jan. I am going to miss it here. Our general manager spent this last weeek at the lake orphanage helping to get it more organized. His wife came and worked on getting rid of lice. The kids are now lice free. Yeah. So far I have managed to not get lice this time or any time for that matter. He brought Jackie and Stephie out here. I want them to visit the private school my kids go to as I think they would do very well there. I need a sponsor for them however. I think they will visit on Tues. Weds. we got a major donation from Orphan Resources. They are such good friends. They brought us a new refrig and washing machine and 5 bunkbeds for the lake orphanage. They also brought new blankets and pillows, a very nice water filtering system that will make it possible to quit buying aqua pura. We also got a $300.00 commercial blender that will hep with the beans the kids eat ever day. He is bringing the lake and the city orphanage 10 more sets of bunknbeds.
We have 3 birthdays to celebrate this week. They all expect to spend the nights with us and be taken to lunch and also have a party and present at the orphanage. Vilma will be 13 tomorrow. Luis 10 on the 25th and Jackie 8 on Dec. 14. Since we won't be here those dates, they will celebrate with us early. Last year Jackie's mother didn't give her anything or even come see her. Two months before she had brought a cake and presents for Stephie Jackie's sister. But Jackie had been the one to tell about the rapes so her mom was still mad.
We had visitors at the orp on Fri. who maybe interested in adopting Juan and his sisters. The city orp got four new brothers last week, ages 6 thru 13.
Vicki Dalia
Director of www.safehomesforchildren.org

Sorry I haven't written since Sat. I am intending to write every other day now that I have internet. But I have been feeling weird and finally decided to check my blood pressure as I have had problems with it in the past. I had gotten better so was not medicating. Well it was high and on Sunday I started meds again. It is taking me a while for the meds to work and on Tues. while I was at the market buying food for my family and the orphanage it went very high. My friends took me to a Cuban doctor and he tried another med which worked within two hours. So now I am dealing with how to keep it down and how to deal with my resistance to traditional meds.
Unfortunately, no matter how badly you are needed, if you don't take care of yourself, you are no use to anyone. I am happy to have friends down here in Guate that care about me so much and my husband has been very attentive to this. I think it scared him. He also has been lecturing me about the 15 pounds I need to loose to be at 140.
Oh well life goes on. We have hired a new man who is a special ed teacher to work with the lake orp kids during their school vacation. He is great and now they have someone to do sports, swim and do extra tutoring for their vacation. They also have chores everyday. This Weds. was the Day of the Dead and he helped them all make kites and take them to San Lucas to fly them. He also donated matching orange gym shorts for everyone. He is the one who helped us get the free glasses for the children. So far 3 have them. Abram, our 15 month old malnourished baby, started physical therapy last week. Luis, our 10 year old abused angry boy started psych therapy. Every week at both orphanages we have group therapy for the abused kids [ all the kids I should say ]. they like it. We have two new girls at the lake. Their mom checked us out on Tues. She can't afford to feed or educate them so they will live with us. Danny was 16 this week and got several parties. He went with my family to a Halloween Party at my kids school and then spent the night. My children had a vacation day the next day [ they go to school on an American schedule ] and we took them to eat at their favorite place and then to the kite flying. Danny went to all of that with us and got birthday cake everywhere. When he got back to the orphanage, they had a cake for him and I gave him a soccer ball. Danny's mom died when he was little, he never knew his dad and he and his brother were raised by an abusive uncle.
In the city we have located our new house. It is in San Lucas and tomorrow my husband and I go to give the final approval on it. Today my general manager is meeting with the school system to make sure noone objects to orphans in their schools. A problem we have had in the city, but not at the lake. As soon as we move we will get a vacation program going for those kids. Right now they do chiores, some extra school work as everyone is behind and go to the playground everyday. Those who are good watch a movie with treats and go swimming once a week
WE COULD USE MAJOR PRAYERS FOR TWO LITTLE GIRLS AT THE CITY ORP. JACQUELIN AND STEPHANIE. THE JUDGE JUST ORDERED THEM BACK WITH THEIR MOM WHO IS STILL WITH THE BOYFRIEND WHO REPEATEDLY RAPED BOTH GIRLS. THEY HAVE BEEN WITH US FOR 3 YEARS AND ARE NOW 7 and 8. I have hired an atty. to appeal the case. I could use donors to pay for private school for these two sweethearts and music lessons for the younger. She is so talented musically. That is if we keep them.
Vicki dalia
Director of http://www.safehomesforchildren.org

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