Dancing Machines

We were blessed to have Theresa Huffman and her daughter, Amber, here with us last week. They stayed for around ten days. They came all the way to Bolivia from Oklahoma in order to visit our Dreamers. With them, they brought lots of gifts for the kids.  Among the many gifts that they brought were ballet shoes. Amber has been dancing ballet for the majority of her life and wanted to give the kids a few pointers, and teach them a routine.

Right before performing their dance in Sunday School.

They worked hard all morning Saturday learning their routine so that they could perform it for their Sunday school class the next day.  Amber did a great job teaching the Dreamers, and they all did a great job showing off their new moves at Sunday School.

Thank you Amber and Theresa for investing in the lives of our Dreamers!

Romon

Come Help in 2012

The end of the year is quickly approaching, and just like most of you we at the House of Dreams are making plans for 2012.

One of the things we are looking and planning for is people who are interested in coming down and working with the House of Dreams long term or short term. From tutoring to cooking to just playing with kids, the areas where you could help out are limitless. Volunteers are a huge help. It’s always great to have a few extra sets of hands. This is your chance to make a difference in the lives of our Dreamers!

If you’re interested in coming to the House of Dreams in 2012, check out our page and click the visit tab  for more information.

Romon

Meet the Holsingers

The Holsingers are a family that came down and spent about a week here in Cochabamba. Dividing their time between the House of Dreams and various other opportunities, they remained quite busy for the week they were here.

We have been extremely blessed to have had quite a few volunteers come through in the last few months, each one having their own unique story of how they came to volunteer at the House of Dreams. The Holsingers were no exception.

Steve Holsinger, and his two daughters Emily(15), and Amanda(13) came to the HOD not because of the decision of the parents, but of the kids. Emily and Amanda had been wanting to visit an orphanage for quite some time. So much so, in fact, that they both saved their own money and paid their own way to come down. Steve, chuckling his way through the story said, “When they did that, I had no choice but to come.”
What an awesome story, that two teenagers would each decide to save their own money to be able to help out a group of kids in another hemisphere. There is still hope for this world yet! It was truly a pleasure to get to know this family and see their hearts for the Dreamers.

Are you interested in coming to the House of  Dreams?  Click here for more information on how you can come for a visit!

Romon

Bring on the Volunteers

Recently here at the House of Dream, we have seen a pick up in volunteers and volunteer interest.  We currently have a group of 6 volunteers at the House of Dreams. They are participating in an organization called The World Race. They are traveling to eleven countries in eleven months, volunteering for a month in each country. Bolivia is the third country they’ve visited so far.

A few of the volunteers from the World Race team at the HOD anniversary celebration.

How awesome that of all of the places they could have gone, they came to Bolivia. And of all of the places to volunteer, they ended up at the House of Dreams! We are so excited to have them here with us.

Are you interested in volunteering? Click here to find out how you can come visit!

Romon

Three cheers for the volunteers!

Our dreamers have been home from school on winter break for the last two weeks.  Our volunteers have been a great blessing as they help with homework and other activities.

A Bolivian volunteer helped out with haircuts.

One of our short-term USA volunteers helped bring out the creativity in our dreamers by having them cover a wall with a jungle scene.

If you would like to know more about coming to the House of Dreams as a volunteer, check out the Visit page!

-Marisol

Come on Down!

Have you ever thought about doing some volunteer work? We’re currently looking for people who are interested in coming down and helping out.

Whether you have a church group, school group, a groups of friends or you just want to come alone , come down and make an impact on the lives of our Dreamers!

As you can imagine there is always something to do at the House of Dreams, so why not bring a team for a week or so and work on a project? We would love to have you!

Ready to come down? Fill out this form. See you soon!

Romon.

City Life

As most of you already know, the House of Dreams has changed locations.  The kids have settled into the new place and are absolutely loving it, especially their bigger rooms.

As we all have experienced once or twice in our lifetimes, the house isn’t the only thing that changes with a move, but the neighborhood as well.

At the old place, the Dreamers were in a secluded, slow-paced neighborhood. Most of the neighbors were older couples. Some were retired and cherished the Dreamers as if they were their own grandchildren.

At the new House of Dreams,  the neighborhood is more fast paced. It’s a half of a block away from one of the busiest intersections in the area. The kids absolutely love looking out of the window and watching all of the cars go by, and calling everybody to the window when there is a motorcycle.

During the day while the older kids are at school, the younger ones go for walks around the block or to the park.  Every day as they walk, they are fascinated by all the cars and towering apartment buildings.

The youngest Dreamers pausing for a picture on their way to the park.

The street vendors and police officers guarding the bank light up with excitement every time the kids walk by.  It’s good to know that not only do the Dreamers welcome the new environment in their life, but that their new environment welcomes them as well.

Interested in getting to know the Dreamers better? Fill out this form to get more information on visiting!

Romon

Who Needs Training Wheels?

Classes are in full swing and summer vacation is in the rear view mirror. All that’s left of summer is the memories: a trip to the pool,  a few water fights, and the most memorable, learning how to ride bikes!

During their summer vacation, the Dreamers were blessed to have multiple volunteers coming to their home on a daily basis.  Some of the volunteers took it upon themselves to repair some of the broken bikes in order to teach some of the older kids how to ride.

Every morning the Dreamers would go out in front of the House of Dreams and practice. One learned how to start off but couldn’t figure out that stopping part.  Another figured out how to start off and stop but was scared to turn. Another only knew how to turn but not start off.

It was a comical sight to say the least, as some of the neighbors would come out to witness the event and get a chuckle.

Jhoselyn riding around the house.

After two months of practice most of the school-aged Dreamers are now officially bike riders. Bernancio was so inspired by seeing the other kids ride, that he taught himself how to ride!

Bernancio showing us how he can stand up and ride.

Have something cool in mind to teach the Dreamers? Consider coming to volunteer!

- Romon

House of Jams Orphanage

Music. Just the word alone ignites an excitement within my being.  Hearing a song can bring back all types memories. With some songs, I can still remember exactly where I was the first time I heard them, some dating back to over 20 years ago! I’m sure some of you can remember where you were the first time you heard albums like: Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen, or Thriller by Michael Jackson.

Recently, one of the volunteers at the House of Dreams surprised the kids with a radio and several cd’s. The Dreamer’s initial reaction wasn’t the most exciting one. Some of the younger kids didn’t even know what it was.  All the kids just stood around it and blankly stared.

One CD, is composed of a collection of theme songs from children’s shows (Spongebob and Power Rangers, to name a few).  With the click of a button on that CD, the Dreamers were in love.

The CD player is on all day every day, which prompts impromptu dance parties. The Dreamers can often be found memorizing printed-off lyrics so they can sing along. They just want to listen to music all day long, and even prefer listening to music over watching television.

Estefani memorizing lyrics while Bernancio looks at his listening choices.

Interesting in coming and volunteering? Best bring your dancing shoes!
Can’t come down, but want to help out? Look into sponsoring a Dreamer!

Romon

The Wonderful World of Books

When I was a kid, I loved to read. The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary, and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff were two of my favorites. I loved stepping out of reality and into an imaginary world where anything is possible.

Recently at the House of Dreams, a “book time” has been implemented.  Tables are set up with a selection of children’s books on each one. The Dreamers come in and go at it.  Some interpret the stories by way of pictures, while others actually read the words on the pages.  Each has their own little way of expanding their imaginations.

After about an hour, the books are recollected and put away until the next time.  Yesterday, Estefani had a pen and paper, copying the words from her book. When I asked her why was she copying the book, she replied, “Because I love this book and want to be able to read it all the time.” I then told her that she could hang onto it for a while, instead of copying the entire book.

Estefani copying the book onto paper.

Fernando happy after I explained to him that the monkey gets out of jail. Initially, he was worried.

Do you love to read? What are your favorite books? Ever considered coming down, bringing books and helping out our Dreamers?

 

Romon