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