Back to School Prayer

Tia Olivia working with Jose

School starts a week from today. The home is full of a range of emotions. Will you join us in prayers for the Dreamers, their caregivers, their teachers, their classmates, and the administration of the school?

• There is a new director (principal) at the school. We pray he can assimilate to the new tasks. May he have the best interests of the children in mind and creative ideas to lead.

• The Tias will be helping the children with their homework. This is the first year that all the Dreamers are school aged so their afternoons will be structured for study. Patience, clarity, and quiet will be helpful.

• That the children, both the Dreamers and their classmates, would get along and behave properly.

• As the children switch grades and find themselves with new teachers it would be great if there was a good working relationship in the classrooms. Pray the teachers have energy, peace, and keep their classes in order.

• The administration of the orphanage and the administration of the school need to have a positive working relationship as well. This is to everyone’s benefit. May there be clear communication and understanding.

Thanks so much for your support of the kids in this new school year.

- Angie

Are My Parents Bad People?

“Are my parents drunk?”

This is the question I was faced with this past week while spending some time talking with Juan Daniel.

The Dreamers rarely ever talk or even ask about their parents. So when Juan Daniel asked me this question, I was a little surprised. Trying to buy time to come up with a correct response, I asked him where he got that idea from. “Benancio.” he responded. (For those of you who don’t know, Juan Daniel and Benancio are brothers.)
I sat them both down to have a conversation about the topic. I was honest. “I don’t know if your parents are drunks or not. And neither do either of you.”

“Do you even remember your parents?” I asked. They both shook their heads, acknowledging that they didn’t. “Well then you can’t say that they’re drunks, can you?”

“No,” Benancio replied.

“But are they bad people?” Benancio then asked me.

For a moment I wasn’t sure what to say, but I quickly gathered my thoughts. “Let’s not focus on if they are bad people or if they are drunks. Let’s think of some good things to say about your parents. Let’s assume they are good people. What are some good things you could say about your parents?”

“That they are smart,” Juan Daniel replied.

“That’s a good one, Juan Daniel,” I responded. “What about you, Benancio?”

He thought for a while before finally responding, “My dad is handsome and my mom is pretty.”
We all agreed that that was a good one, too.

I went on to explain to the boys that sometimes things go wrong in life, and that no matter how it looks or feels, we should always try and give people the benefit of the doubt. They thought that was a good idea, and agreed to talk about their parents positively from here on out.

Please pray for the Dreamers and staff alike. Pray that the staff will be able to respond clearly and correctly when questions like this come up in the future. And pray that the Dreamers will be receptive and open minded of the responses to their questions.

Romon

The Cat’s Away

And we hope that the only playing going on will be summer fun at The House of Dreams. Our director, Marisol Soliz, is in the United States for a few weeks with her husband Marco. This is first time he is visiting the States. I know they are going to have a wonderful time! But I also know that they will be greatly missed here in Bolivia.

I am so proud of Marisol. She is a wonderful director who puts the Dreamers first in all that she does at The House of Dreams. She is able to see new and better ways of doing things and is able to motivate and train the caregivers to implement those changes.

Marisol was born in Ecuador to an Ecuadorian mother and a father from the U.S. She lived her first few years of life there before they moved to the States. She spent the rest of her growing up years all through university in the U.S. She is truly bi-lingual. She applied her Masters in Education to teaching for a few years before she felt the call to be a missionary. Through the connection of our home church in Missouri she decided to come to Bolivia to learn how to be a missionary. Her involvement with Christ Nation Ministries has been vital. What started as a one year commitment turned into a lifestyle. She is married to a godly Bolivian man, now. Her mother retired to Bolivia from the States and owns a house where she and Marisol’s brother live. Seeing Marisol and her family so integrated into the Bolivian way of life encourages me and fills my heart. I am excited to see God’s will infold in all they are doing.

We are so grateful that she has decided to serve in the capacity of director. I know that God is working through her for the good of the children. Join me today in saying a prayer of blessing over the lives of Marisol and Marco. Thanks!

- Angie

Love Towers

I imagine that when a child looks up at an adult it is like what an adult feels like to look up at a building towering above. When I crane my neck up to the stacks of floors I have to guess what’s on the top. I wonder if children guess what’s on top of us adults when they look up at us. Probably why kids loved to be picked up; they want to see what’s on top.

Downtown stands a building with the word AMOR in block letters on the first floor. Amor means love. I want to be like that love tower to the Dreamers. That when they look at me the first thing they see is love. That even if I seem big, mysterious, and altogether a sight to behold that they would still reach their arms up to me.

Some of the Dreamers at the House of Dreams came to us already a bit grown. I often tell people they have seen too much, heard too much, and felt too much in their little lives. I only hope that we can surround them with towers of love. Then, when the day comes that they are grown up, they can be towers of love in the lives of others.

Join us in supporting the Dreamers. Pray for their hearts. Pray for their minds. Pray for those of us who care for them to be towers of love. Thank you.

- Angie

The blood of a champion

A Christian, Latin, author wrote a series of children’s books that teach children valuable lessons for life.  The books are called, The Blood of a Champeon.  This Thursday, I will start reading one chapter a week to the girls (Romon to the boys), and discuss the lessons learned, followed by a short time of prayer.

Please pray for us as we start this book, that the children will be motivated to apply these lessons to their lives.

-Marisol

Open Window of Prayer

Have you ever asked God to answer your prayers? A prayer made by Solomon, King David’s son, is recorded in the book of 1st Kings chapter 8. Part of this prayer reads:

“…that Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward the place of which You have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ to listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place.”

Solomon asks God to open His eyes towards the place from which he prayed. This morning I awoke with an urgency to ask for prayer. The final quarter of the year is quickly approaching. Might I invite you to join us in prayers for the House of Dreams and the people who care for the Dreamers?

Here is a bullet list of points to help you know what we are asking God for.

• The health and well being of all the caregivers and the kids at the House of Dreams
• Grades for the final trimester of classes, school ends in November
• Travel of the missionaries and their families, safety and provision
• Financial provision for the 13th month salaries for the staff and other bonuses
• Direction from the Lord for the new Sucre orphanage

If you would like to you may share these points with prayer groups or other people who love to pray. You can even print this out and put it in a place to help you remember to pray. Thank you for helping us in this vital task of prayer.

- Angie

Gabriel’s Dinosaur Pictures

The Bolivian school system runs on a morning / afternoon schedule for students of all ages. Some kids go in the mornings, some in the afternoons. Gabriel attends a school to help him learn at his pace and overcome some of the challenges his brain presents him with. He goes in the afternoons.

Last Wednesday morning I arrived a bit early to see Alicia’s parents before they all went to the courthouse for the adoption. So Alicia, Gabriel, and I got to hang out a bit. I pulled out my camera so we could “play” together. Alicia had no problem hamming it up; but Gabriel shies away from lenses.

I knew this about him. So, after Alicia had her fun and got busy with something else, I had an idea. I asked Gabriel if he wanted to take some pictures. His face lit up.

He wanted to take pictures of his dinosaurs. He lined them up in just the right position. He took care to compose the shots in the viewfinder screen before he clicked. As he photographed his toys we chatted.

He told me he wanted to see real dinosaurs. I told him about the dinosaur display in Sucre where the scale sculptures are taller than houses. We talked about vacations and travel. He gave me his signature bashful smile when he talked about the people he cares about. I had such a nice time with him.

As you look through the images captured by this nine-year-old boy please pray for him. He can be adopted. His papers have been ready for years. He was assigned by the government to a family, yet because of the undiagnosable issues with his learning they said no. He would flourish under the care and attention a proper mama and papa. Pray that God’s will would be done for Gabriel. Thank you.

(click any picture to enlarge it and scroll through)

- Angie

Prayer Points

For those of you who love to pray for the House of Dreams:

So thirsty after a romp in the park!

Petitions:

1. Alicia’s adoption to take place soon
2. Paperwork issues on Roberto’s and Fernando’s cases to be resolved
3. The monthly budget to be covered by consistent donations
4. As we move into the winter months for health for the kids and smooth transition with the staff as we adjust their hours
5. The direction of the Lord regarding the advancement of the land project

Thanks:

1. That the need for English tutors during Marisol’s absence has been met by volunteers
2. For all the people who step in to cover the financial needs of the home
3. For our capable, loving, and innovative director, Marisol
4. That the children are well cared for
5. For a strong spiritual foundation being laid in the lives of the Dreamers

I appreciate your prayers. God bless you!

- Angie

 

Into His Own

From time to time, I have general conversations with the kids, asking them how they are behaving, how are they doing in school, etc. Most of the time they tell me what they think I want to hear, of course.

Recently while having a conversation with Yamil, I flashed back to how he was about a year or so ago. He was very quiet, timid at times, and generally kept to himself (around adults at least).

I then looked at how he is today and was amazed at the changes. He is quite talkative and outgoing, not to mention the major growth spurt he just went through. He is becoming his own person. It’s great to be able to notice the positive development of our Dreamers.

Please pray for Yamil, as well as the rest of our Dreamers as they continue to grow and develop.

Romon

Lots of Tests!

The school year in Bolivia is divided into trimesters instead of quarters.  Our dreamers are finishing up the first trimester, which means it’s test time.

Some of our Dreamers started taking tests this week and some start next week.

Please pray for our Dreamers, that they do their best and not worry during these weeks of testing.

-Marisol