Chapare Visit

This week we piled in Mike's car and headed out to Chapare! There were many things on the slate for this trip. Included in the things to accomplish were: meet with a church that is partnering with us on the almost complete kilometer 14 home, get the power turned on for the 14 home, meet with the Sindicato (local governing board) about the operating home at kilometer 21, and meet and better understand the situations and needs of the childred at the kilometer 21 home. Many other things were accomplished on the trip and many new relationships were formed. It is truly amazing to see how the work that has been so long in process is starting to bud and bear fruit. We thank Him for everything that is being done in Chapare and are happy we can play a part in it! Below are pictures from the trip:

Above: The kids preparing for Carnival (alot of water baloon throwing).
Right: They could use a little practive filling them up!



Bottom Three
Top: Mike with the head of the Chapare Sindicato. Also, he is wearing a Evo for President hat to amuse them:)
Middle: The kids were excited to show us their rooms and beds.
Last: Kids biggest to smallest.

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

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!

Sending back a piece of Bolivia for Christmas!

Christmas is just around the corner, and this year IOU was excited to try something new for the holidays: homemade Christmas tree ornaments! Christmas trees aren’t quite as popular in Bolivia as they are in the States, but that’s what made the whole experience even more meaningful and fun. Last week we took a herd of very excited children from the orphanage in Frutillar up to the IOU guesthouse for some serious silliness and crafts. They spent lots of time carefully painting and decorating the ornaments, and were happy to be making something special for the people who love and support them a world away. Decked out in their holiday finest (bed sheets tied around their necks to keep their clothes clean) and perched on little thrones (phone books stacked in their chairs), the IOU kids created beautiful memories to hang from your trees this Christmas.
Starting December 5, the first 50 coffee orders from BoliviasBestCoffee.com—no matter the size of the order—will receive one free ornament enclosed with their purchase. Thanks in advance for all the coffee you drink to support this ministry, and your hearts for these little children. This is their way of saying thanks and giving back to YOU!

Updates on Frutillar and Villa Israel

Just a quick update on what's going on at Frutillar and Villa Israel lately. (By the way, this is Caroline Mosey! My family joined the IOU team in June:) All the kids at Frutillar are doing great! We've had a wonderful time getting to know each child and their personalities. We love to stop by the orphanage at least once or twice a week and take the kids to play soccer or bring over a movie to watch on a big projector (when Marcelino says they don't have too much homework, that is!)

Mike and Ted were able to meet with Santo and Rosi last week to discuss becoming the houseparents of Villa Israel again. I'm excited to report the meeting went well and, Lord willing, they will begin the process of moving back into the orphanage in late November!

House Parent Interviews

Exciting things happening this month. We’ve been praying for house parents for three homes and we now have four candidates to interview. Praise God! It’s our hope and prayer to re-open Villa Israel with our previous house couple, Pastor Santo and Rosi. Their baby is now six months old and we’ll be speaking to them this Friday about returning. Our prayer is that this home can re-open immediately. We also have three couples to interview for the two homes in Chapare. God willing, we’ll be back in Chapare next week to conduct interviews and make a selection. It was heartbreaking to learn of yet another state-run orphanage that is closing down as financing jeopardized the care of 27 children.

Building Update

On the building front, Remberto hopes to finish Villa 14 de Septiembre in November and be accepting children before Christmas. He was also thinking of assigning his brothers to finish the home in Puerto Villarroel. In an effort to push through the final houses we’ve also hired a contractor to build the home in Villa Candelaria (Camp Kewiña). He believes that if we start this month we’ll beat the rains and be able to finish the interior during the rainy season. Go Team!

Evo Visits Our Chapare Neighborhood

Sindicatos – Imagine a community where there are no police, lawyers or judges. All you have is a group of property owners who elect officials, meet once a month and decide all legal issues including who can own property in their district. That’s a Sindicato. They’re a powerful influence, especially in the jungles of Chapare. Last week as we attempted to get an audience with the sindicato in Villa 14 de Septiembre we had just given up when the sindicato from Villa 21 came racing up behind us in a beat up old mini van. As they all jumped out and approached us many ideas ran through my mind but we were surprised to hear that they wanted to invite us to the grand opening of their new school. Constancio, the president, explained to the rest of his sindicato how the IOU ministry has had a heart for their district for the past three years, helping the Cuban clinic by installing a sink with running water, holding clothing drives for the children and allowing two grade school classes to use the orphanage as we waited for our orphanage license. The sindicato was offering us a unique opportunity to be present as Bolivia’s President Evo dedicated the new school financed by Venezuela and Cuba.






We arrived mid day on Friday so we could spend some time cleaning the orphanage; the thirty children really took their toll on the home. Our builder, Remerto, and his wife Vic and their daughter; played host to our family and our new partner Ted. Bonnie purchased a 10 pound Surubi river fish and she and Vic prepared a feast for us. We slept well that night in the orphanage and woke early, about 4am, to a chorus of roosters. The village has known for the past few months that President Evo would be visiting; however, we were amazed at the scurry of activity that morning and even minutes before his arrival. The school construction team was still painting the roof and front wall as Evo’s helicopter circled the village.






He landed directly in front of the orphanage on the football field. Remberto and Vic had met the president before when he visited the village one Christmas morning and asked Remberto about the orphanage construction project; he was very grateful on that day and must have been extremely pleased seeing it finished now. We were amazed at the casual atmosphere as he walked among the people he still considers his neighbors. Evo walked thru the crowd with very little security and we were allowed to be in the front row as the program began. After a traditional dedication of the school to Pachimama (mother earth) Evo was invited to a traditional folk dance with some of the teachers. He worked up quite a sweat as they passed him around like a party favor. After a few comments about the school and a lengthy commentary about party responsibilities the speeches were over. However, the festivities were just beginning. In a surprising turn of events; Evo disappeared into a room with some of his staff and emerged in Bolivian National Soccer uniforms. They then began a one hour futbal game with the local team. Although they lost 5-4 I was amazed at the casual atmosphere. We truly felt like we could have stayed and spoke with the president if we wanted, yet we chose to leave and allow him to spend the remaining time with some of his strongest supporters and closest friends.






As Bonnie was leaving the stadium she walked past Evo’s helicopter on the way to the orphanage and one of the pilots asked her if she’d like to sit in Evo’s seat. Bonnie kind of chuckled as he helped her up; when he looked at her curiously she said would you do me a favor? Tell Evo that a gringo sat in his seat this morning. He laughed hard and said “Yeah, I’ll be sure to tell him” and the other pilot said a bit more serious “No, we will not be telling him you sat in his seat.”


The relationship between IOU and the sindicatos are very important but also a delicate balance because we want to be blessing to them but not only be seen as a source of resources. The villa 21 group had asked us to help pay for the Evo party; however, that’s not our reason for being here. We did; however, have some extra office equipment we donated to the school. We have also committed to a life long partnership with the sindicato, school and neighborhood church as they help us raise the orphans God sends to the home we’ve built in their village. Please join us in praying for Villa 21 (San Francisco) and these vital relationships.

A Christmas Surprise

Holla everyone, This is Craig Dukelow and I am the newest intern down here! I am from New Hampshire and this is my second time visiting here. The first was just a short term trip though but have wanted to come back ever since and now I'm finally here. I arrived mid November to a house full of girls! It has been great though and they are all awsome and I love them! The bummer is that they are all gone now!
It is Christmas week and we have been buying, wrapping, and delivering Christmas presents! Villa Israel is doing really well and all the kids are super pumped for Christmas. On monday we had a really cool opportunity to take both villa Israel and the Fruitar kids for airplain rides. A family from CIC (Timmer's church) that has a airplain jungle ministry and they gave us three free rides in their Cesna plains as a Christmas present to the kidos! It was a ton of fun and they all LOVED it! There was a couple that were a little nervous, but once in the air, they were all good. The next day we had them write thank you cards to Mano a Mano... and they all came out super precious!
Something very special happened today. Little Franz has been in the malnutrition center for about three weeks. Today though on our way back from dropping off some presents at the orphanage, Mike got a call saying that little Franz had the doctors ok to go home. We were all super excited and went straight over to pick him up. As soon as he saw us, He ran over beaming to Mike's outstreached arms! He has improved immensly and he now has a little pot belly rather than a skinny ribcage showing which is very encouraging to us all!

We took him straight over back to his Villa Israel Family. They greeted him with hugs,chears, and chanted his name! It was so cool to see the love they all have for eachother and the beautiful family they have become! Although all the Christmas presents will be much appreciated, I think that Having Franz home will be the best present of all. Thank you all for you love and prayers and have a wonderful Chritmas as we celebrate the birth of our Savior!
Merry Christmas, Craig

Neydi... child #10!

About a month and a half ago, the newest edition to the Villa Israel orphanage arrived with a big, beautiful smile, and cute little braids. Neydi is 6 (or 8), depending on who you ask, but has a gentle little voice and an affectionate smile. She had been bouncing around from place to place before she came to us, but seemed to adapt easily to new situations.

Neydi with one of her new brothers, Elian

In her time with us so far, Neydi has won our hearts with her sweet spirit and her eagerness to try new things. We had a scare when she ran away for more than a week, but since returning to us, it seems like she has adjusted better into the Villa Israel family, taking on her role as a big sister to the younger kiddos, and learning from her older siblings.

Neydi loves to read, color, and discover. She´s working on the basics of spelling and numbers, but is rapidly progressing, and is a bright little girl. We´re also excited that Ana, the only other girl besides Charlie and Liseth´s little girl, has another girl to play with.

Please remember to keep these kiddos in your prayers. Life has thrown them so much already, and they need all the prayers they can get.

Thanks!

Katie Stewart

Timmer intern

The end is in sight.

Last Friday we went to Chapare (the jungle). We had a meeting with a camp and church that together want to give us land for FIVE new homes!! We also saw the work in progress at Remberto’s new project and went to the other home that Remberto recently finished where I’ve spent some time helping with construction. The finished home is now just waiting on Sedeges (The child services agency here in Cochabamba) to approve all the paperwork. Remberto, Vick, Mickey, and Judith are staying there until a family is ready to move in. We also played with the neighborhood kids down by the river. They did their best to make sure that we “bathed” and even though we didn’t strip down to our underwear like they did, they succeeded in drenching us. It was really great to go back to the jungle to see the homes, and people that I’ve grown to love there. It was really neat, too, that we got to see very different stages of the homes in one day. Obtaining the land, constructing the house, and finishing it!

Maria's Giving Heart

Maria, who donated the lot, was cooking in her kitchen. I wanted to share a couple photos of just how sacrificial their gift was. She's squeezing juice for us, setting the organges on a car battery that she uses as her counter.

October 10, 2008

Remberto is making great progress. He's poured the footings deep and raised the foundation a bit higher because of the heavy rains here in the tropics.

Church Members at the Dedication

After the Bible study we emmediately went to the proposed site. Pastor Faustino Ciprian and others prayed over the property and the children who will one day call this place home.

Patricio and Maria's Sacrificial Gift

When the Church property was too difficult because of title issues, Patricio and Maria Real approached us with their own gift of a building site.

Iglesia Villa 14 de Septiembre Bible Study

Hygiene Day

On Saturday we did a “Hygiene Day” with the kids at Villa Israel. A bunch of the kids have not been there very long, and usually come from poorer neighborhoods or the Campo (countryside), therefore cleanliness is not something they’ve grown up with. Kim did a puppet show and Aldo the psychologist talked about the importance of being clean outside, but also inside—having a clean conscience, asking forgiveness for wrongs, etc. We also brought some liquid soap (Aldo told Roberto that when he got a bit older the girls would like that he had clean, good smelling hands!), stools for the littler ones to reach the sink and toothpaste and toothbrushes. I was shocked by how excited the kids were!! Brandon ran up behind Kim and gave her a really big hug and thanked her, sometimes it’s the littlest things that get kids excited!

It was really sweet to see the older kids interact with the little ones too. They’re so protective and gentle. It makes me really happy, and kinda proud too, not that I taught them that, but that I get to work with such sweethearts!!

The new editions...

Meet Elian and Franz, two Quechua brothers who arrived at Villa Israel about three weeks ago. They came from a mountainous region near Cochabamba, speaking only Quechua. When they first arrived, they were shy, sick, and hurting, having just lost their mother a few days before. Now, they are beginning to come out of their shells, and the other kids at Villa Israel have begun to treat them like part of the family.

Elian is a delightful six-year-old with a sweet, shy smile. He´s constantly chattering away in Quechua, and has a deep thirst for learning. He takes pride in learning his letters, and is content to draw or read for hours. He´s also got a mischevious streak, and can climb a tree like a little monkey. When you hear him laugh, it sounds like God´s joy is actually bubbling out of him!

Franz is a long-lashes two-year-old who still carries the weight of his mother´s death on his face. He likes to sing, and will also chatter away in a mixture of Spanish and Quechua as you hold him. When he first arrived, he couldn´t bear to be put down, and would scream and scream to be held. He´s slowly adjusting, and has learned how to cope without constant human touch. He loves to draw, and often waddles around the orphanage, checking out what the other kids are up to.

We are so grateful to have these two new kiddos in our lives, and we´re excited to see how God will grow them in their new home. Pray that they will continue to heal in healthy ways from their mother´s death, and that they will sink their roots down deep in the peace and joy of God. Pray that Franz will stay healthy, and that Elian will learn quickly so he can enter into school soon.

Thanks for reading,

Katie Stewart

Interns + Kiddos= FUN!

(minus the two newest little guys...)

Devon Park Orphanage

Dear friends,
It's with a joyful heart that we begin the Devon Park Orphanage blog. Bonnie and I with all our children had only just arrived in Michigan (almost a Canadian province ehh?) when we received an email from Randy and Beth Fox. Devon Park Christian School in Frederiction New Brunswick has been blessing Cochabamba with short term teams for the past five years. Each year their graduating class has given of their time and resources to bless the ministries of Bolivia. I had suggested to one of these teams that if they some how could fail their final exams they may be able to return to Bolivia with the next years class and they emmidiately coined the phrase "Failing for Jesus"

Despite my questionable advise to the senior class; Randy and Beth Fox, Drew and Kandi Ingraham along with other faithful staff and parents have had it on their hearts to partner with Bolivia in fundraising for the construction of an orphanage. It's a beautiful testimony to the very reason I.O.U. (International Orphanage Union) exists. Family sized homes, with Christian parents, raising the orphans to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. As you read this please join me in praying for God's clear leading on this project, the students, parents and faculty.