Orfananto San Fransisco

Here’s how our last week went. One department of SEDEGES (child welfare) told me that I needed a psychological analysis as the director of IOU (International Orphanage Union) so we could re-new our orphanage license. I went in for my appointment and they said they couldn’t afford to hire a psychologist, could I? Another department scolded us for taking in two children prior to our license being renewed when their grandparent’s house was destroyed by a flooding river. The same department brought us four children the very next week because they had no-where else to bring them. I didn’t know if we should laugh or cry.
Our home in San Fransisco. Samuel and Elsa have two children of their own; Ruth (5), Cristhian (1) and they are caring for their niece (9). We accepted two sisters when our partner church Nueva Jurusalén brought them after a flood destroyed the grandparent’s home; Liz (9) and Mary (4). The next four children came from the government; three siblings whose mother passed away and whose father would leave them for days at a time while he worked out of town. Jhamil (9), Erika (7) and Luis (5). The most recent is Hilda (9) whose parents passed away one year ago she lives with her godmother who runs a chicharia (saloon). Hilda has epileptic seizures if she doesn’t get injections three times daily. Her 15 year old sister must prove to be more useful because the godmother kept her.
I met with Abel on Saturday; he’s the Social Worker for SEDEGES in the Chapare region (rain forest). He said there are over 300 children in his area alone waiting for homes. He’s about 25 years old and stares into the faces of countless orphaned and abandoned children and says, maybe next week. I asked him where we should build the next orphanage and he laughed and said “Anywhere, I’ll fill it”. Out of the nine departments of Bolivia, Cochabamba has more orphanages than any other. I ask God every day to allow us to be the ones to provide a home for all the rest of the children. None of this would be possible without your prayers and support.
Thank you, thank you, and thank you.
Mike and Bonnie

Annie here,
So yesterday I got to take home to the Hacienda two of the Timmers kittens! Another great addition to the team! Tigerlilli and Leon...(a tiger and lion to protect me up there!) Thats really exciting and it's really nice to have some company!
I've just been given a list of things I can now do and I'm interested in helping at 'el Centro' which is an after school club and also doing lots of little projects with the kids at the orphanage including some Biblestudies and some conversational English lessons and also taking a few kids at a time to bake cookies or help with the chickens etc. So I'm excited to see these things starting up!
Unforunately three of my five new chicks were killed so I will need to improve a little of the security in the chicken run! and maybe find some older chickens that will lay sooner to boost the numbers again :(
Still can't sleep very well...it may be down to the kittens though!?...they are currently staying in my room!
I stayed two nights at the Mosey's appartment this week and may start staying here a fewnights a week until there more people join me in the Hacienda.
Taking so many taxis on my own now...I'm getting the hang of this city!...next thing Trufies! (the colourful buses that go round the city for a little cheaper)
here's a few pics of the animals!!

New Intern!

Hey all I (Annie) have just joined the Timmers from Bath, England.
I'm living in the hacienda on my own at the moment and await teams and another intern in February. I have been here about a week now and am enjoying the rays seeing as the whole of Britain has been in a snow blanket! I'm just getting used to the way of life here in Bolivia. Trying to improve my spanish and bearings so I can take taxis on my own around the city and become a little bit more independent! I have been introduced to as many markets and coffee shops as possible and tommorow I'm going to a football match between the two Cochabamba teams which is really exciting! I love football and have been to a few matches in England but I hear Bolivian matches are a little dangerous and lets say..interactive!
I have been introduced to the orphans at the orphanage just down from the hacienda and they've also come up to sift through the many generous contributions in the store room up there and taken away some clothes and toiletries...they had so much fun doing that and trying on clothes!
On Friday the Moseys (another mission family here for 9 months and leaving in March) and I took all the kids to the park which was a laugh, they all had a go on the bumper cars and had a lot of fun! We are planning to take them all once a week in two taxis to the park or something before they go back to school.
I was really surprised when I went to the supermarket how many English imports there were!! So I'm doing just fine with my Heinz tomato soup and Hellmanns mayonnaise! I was worried what I would eat here but I'm doing just fine so far!
My spanish is also something that needs much improvement and I'm planning to take a lesson a week to get back up to scratch...I used to know alot more but in the past few years have forgotten. So prayers for my Spanish to be picked up easily and that I can sleep better at night...also an annoying extra!!
Thanks for reading!
Annie

NEW INTERN!

Hey all I (Annie) have just joined the Timmers from Bath, England.
I'm living in the hacienda on my own at the moment and await teams and another intern in February. I have been here about a week now and am enjoying the rays seeing as the whole of Britain has been in a snow blanket! I'm just getting used to the way of life here in Bolivia. Trying to improve my spanish and bearings so I can take taxis on my own around the city and become a little bit more independent! I have been introduced to as many markets and coffee shops as possible and tommorow I'm going to a football match between the two Cochabamba teams which is really exciting! I love football and have been to a few matches in England but I hear Bolivian matches are a little dangerous and lets say..interactive!
I have been introduced to the orphans at the orphanage just down from the hacienda and they've also come up to sift through the many generous contributions in the store room up there and taken away some clothes and toiletries...they had so much fun doing that and trying on clothes!
On Friday the Moseys (another mission family here for 9 months and leaving in March) and I took all the kids to the park which was a laugh, they all had a go on the bumper cars and had a lot of fun! We are planning to take them all once a week in two taxis to the park or something before they go back to school.
I was really surprised when I went to the supermarket how many English imports there were!! So I'm doing just fine with my Heinz tomato soup and Hellmanns mayonnaise! I was worried what I would eat here but I'm doing just fine so far!
My spanish is also something that needs much improvement and I'm planning to take a lesson a week to get back up to scratch...I used to know alot more but in the past few years have forgotten. So prayers for my Spanish to be picked up easily and that I can sleep better at night...also an annoying extra!!
Thanks for reading!
Annie

Chapare Orphanage and New Intern!

A lot has been happening lately in Cochabamba and there have not been nearly enough blog posts to document it! Here is a quick post to highlight a couple of the things that have been happening.

Above is a picture of the new houseparents at "Orhanage 21" in the Chapare region, Samuel and Elsa.
Our new guests:
Liz Fanny 9 yrs old
Mary Cruz 4 yrs old
Their mother abandoned Liz at birth and left the baby with Grandma. She returned 5 years later to drop off Mary Cruz and has had no other contact. Grandma and Grandpa are in poor health but were caring for them until the river crested this year and destroyed their house and everything they owned. Please join us in praying for these girls as they adjust to new surroundings and faces.



Last but not least, we are excited to welcome a new intern to our team! Annabel (Annie) is joining us from Baath, England. She'll be helping with the ministry for the next 5 months and just arrived in Cochabamba this week. Above is a picture of Annie learning the secret hiding spot of Evelyns baby doll. Welcome, Annie!