Cute Kids at Amor

बोयस एंड Labs

2010-02-21T10:27:00.001-06:00

Cute kids who live near us

2009-12-04T20:11:00.001-06:00

Shamefully long since I have shared our cute kids!!!

Check out this cute video of the children of Hermano Pedro's in Antigua, being visited by very special kids of all ages

Hanging out at Amor Its a dog's life

2009-08-12T11:03:00.007-06:00

Just some random pix of cute babies and cute kids feeding dogs...OK, the grandpa in me is coming out.

After enjoying these, you can see a really good photo blog by our friends at Athenikos, who are filming a documentary, but also took amazing still photos that chronicle the Doll Lady. She collects doll pieces found in the Guatemala City Dump, and washes them, and refits them into new dols, and sells them to families who cannot afford a "real" doll for their little girls.

no words...just Pix of Young Guatemalans visiting Amor

2009-08-12T10:43:00.003-06:00

TTR at our house

2009-08-12T10:31:00.005-06:00

Philipa, from Through the Roof, had a wonderful time with the tiniest of our crew.

Then she shared in song. Making me cry again when she came to the refrain.

Then played with our crazy crew

Friends from England Visited

2009-08-12T10:07:00.005-06:00

Above you see the students of the Von Ahn Institute in Guatemala City. They are physically and mentally challenged young folks who are blessed to be studying in a great program that allows them to study through Jr High. They are very intense here, watching Phillipa, from Through the Roof, singing, and telling stories.

The song she sang was incredible. "Then I shall see him Face to Face" was the refrain sung by this beautiful young woman who was born without eyes.

She then told the story of the friends who lowered their paralysed friend through the roof to see Jesus. Modeling the teamwork in which "disabled" folk excel, the story is translated into Spanish by Rolando and is explained with simple objects by Julie.

Then one of the students gets to experience moving around while blindfolded.

We had a wonderful visit with Through the Roof, an organization dedicated to show God's Love to and through disabled people. Their team included a therapist, a social worker, and a blind young woman, as well as Tim, the coordinator. It was a good trip, but I thought I would share what their travel blog says....just to share with my friends who think it's only me who can't communicate, and keeps happy anyway:-)

After the first blog entry for the trip, saying they had arrived on August 4th. The next entry, on August 11 says this:

Communication between Guatemala and the UK proved difficult! This text has just come from Tim:
Safely arrived back home. Fantastic trip + excellent team. 500 trained. God was in all we did.

miscellaneous cute kid pix

2009-08-04T11:48:00.004-06:00

We had a group from Brio magazine come and perform for us. This was a part of almost 500 young people and sponsors who came for about 10 days.

Followed by a drink break

Danny was serenading, not beating Adrian, with the flute.

Pizza party
Kids invading my office space

shared photos

2009-07-21T14:40:00.000-06:00

Check out these photos from our friends at Brook

Cute Kids and ugly issues

2009-07-20T08:40:00.005-06:00

You may have heard that Shyrel is participating in a hunger Strike in front of the Supreme Court. The cause is the plight of a number of poor women who have had their cute children stolen from them.

They sleep in a little tent at the foot of the Palace of Justice

Saturday, we were able to bring our kids to visit and cheer them.

Such a juxtaposition of stately buildings and ...just us

Here Shyrel and Maria Jose are returning to the "camp"

Even though their visitors drank all their water, Norma and Shyrel were happy they visited.

Team Tucker comes to Amor

2009-07-16T05:36:00.004-06:00

Our friends from at least 3 churches in Southern Alabama visited. I don't have picutres of the great new shelving unnit they built for us, or the beautiful tile job. But this is a cute kids blog anyway!
Then Team Tucker became the Tucker Train crew, one might say. as our children and their frinds visited the zoo in style.

Rain, prayers and the show must go on

2009-07-06T09:18:00.003-06:00

As Clouds and Blue sky swirled overhead, this incredibly proficient puppeteer team from Knoxville, Tennessee set up a tarp in the back play area of our village school.

The tarp proved prudent, as the rain came about 20 minutes after the start of the show. But Guatemalans are always ready and with umbrellas and plastic stayed till the rain filled the tarp.
Our kids had fun and made the most of the time too.
Tania really enjoyed the show thanks to her friend
Jose and Hannah are kind of like cats when there is rain around.
Dora and Danny found shelter under the roof edge
Juanito always enjoys every situation. Here he greets each drop of rain off the roof with delight.

Jump Rope

2009-06-27T20:09:00.005-06:00

cute kids naturally go well with jump ropes...no comments necessary

(OK, gratuitous cute kids w/o jump ropes)

I had to put this picture here too...both Dennis and Danny are wondering if I am jealous here.

yes

Kingdom of Heaven

2009-06-27T18:21:00.008-06:00

A week ago Friday ( yes, I am still catching up) we had a convergence of three different groups from the U.S. Visit our home.

Xavier University's OT department came by on the last day of their trip.

A group from Westwood Reformed Church in Omaha Nebraska came by as part of their trip to see how they might become involved with what God is doing in Guatemala.

A group from Compass Christian Center in Seattle Washington came to paint faces, and love on our children. They also brought a team of dentists. They also brought a full dental unit, to leave with us. They also brought the really cute kids you see above from another orphanage in Guatemala city, called La Casa de Amor. The House of Love.

The afternoon especially was like a 3 or 30 ring circus, with activities all through our house and property. Even though the Pizza for lunch was 2 hours late, you can honestly sing that never was heard a discouraging word.

The Westwood folks were on an exploration trip, but everywhere Barry went, he handed out candy and love

But Amy gave him a run for his money

Amazing how one on one times occurred again and again

Lots of creative activities and playing of games.

Lots of professional interaction

Even a barber station

Dr Steven Lee fixed about 50 teeth in all, but seemed to also be everywhere, playing with kids, and buying Pizza, and making things fun. Maybe it just seemed like he was everywhere, because the college kids and fellow professionals he brought shared the joy of life Dr Steve exudes.

The people of each group have become our friends, and each group came to us pretty miraculously. Hard to explain, but really fun to be a part of.

One of the participants commented later what a privilege she felt at being a part of it. She said she felt like she was walking around in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Face Painting

2009-06-27T18:13:00.005-06:00

Compass Christian center put a face on their talents and love for our kids

Xavier University Occupational Therapists

2009-06-27T11:23:00.004-06:00

I'm working backward, but will try to show the cute pix we have from the last 2 weeks. The photos are the best I have, but I am hoping team members will send better ones ( hint)

After the OT students from Xavier saw the country, they set down to work, and made a lot of patients, care providers and therapists very grateful, as they visited the special needs areas of Anini, Marina Guiloda, Misioneros del Camino, and Nuestro Pequeños Hermanos.

And, of course, our home
Lots of good discussions

and play therapy

and more good discussions

Lots of connections made with big and little Amor cute kids

A week full of training, learning, laughing

Teenage boy's dayroom at Anini

(yes, that's Josh helping fix that wheelchair)

After training sessions with the staff members, the Therapists left detailed sheets with photos and instructions for each of the children

Safe to say a good and productive time was had by all!

a day at the pool

2009-06-19T09:43:00.004-06:00

If you would like to see pictures from our trip to the pool with our friends at The Brook, in Huntsville, Alabama go here

We were introduced to the Brook by our friends and co-parents, Bill and Melodie Shroder. We call them co parents, because they have adopted Fernandita. It is great to keep in touch, and to note how relationships grow wider and deeper! One fun aspect of Fernanda's life is that Bill and Melodie see her love for dance, and have placed her in dance school!

She has always responded to music...do you see the one really grooving to the music?

Guess who?

By now you probably know that the picture at the top is Fernandita from the front on the day she went to live with Bill and Melodie

Beautiful lake and sad little town

2009-06-17T11:19:00.004-06:00

One fun part of teams visiting us, is it give our children an opportunity to see their beautiful country. So, we also went to lake Atitlan on Sunday, and the kids enjoyed a very fast boat ride to Santiago, and then Panabaj.

Tella loved the wind and waves

Jose imitating Jesus...sleeping in the boat!

Arriving at the dock in Santiago

Lots of old folks in Santiago...wearing pants that work well for fishing in the lake.

IN many parts of the country, only women wear distinctive clothing, but in the small villages aroud Lake Atitlan, the men also are distinctive.

Panabaj was hit by a terrible landslide in October, 2005, and the effects are still there, with many damaged buildings still vacant. Many areas still buried by the mud. There doesn't seem to be an interest in rehabilitating the areas that were affected. We were told by a young man that people are afraid to move back.

These are the shacks that were built as an emergency shelter area in November 2005. Still there. A little worse for wear. Like refugees everywhere. making do.

a day at Iximche

2009-06-15T18:58:00.004-06:00

We visited the ruins at Iximche, near Tecpan. It's sort of like a history lesson, and a playground combined, as the kids found more ways to use the ancient stones to have fun.
Jose watches over the Occupational Therapy students from Xavier University, with his Ka'chikel stern warrior face.
Friends and a beautiful park setting...

potpouri of the extreme makeover crews

2009-06-13T21:33:00.012-06:00

OK this is it for the gang from Roswell. I have to say I was really impressed with the grace of the servant hearted young people who worked so hard all week. It was a week of extreme makeovers, in other words, fixing rooves, and pouring cement floors, and leveling rain damaged areas.

The crew above figured out how to make mixing cement on the ground fun. I wish I had a video of it to share with you. These four people danced around the mound of cement, much like native american warriors dancing around a bonfire, with hoes in hand. In short order, the sand, water, gravel and cement powder was ready to pour in the kitchen they remodeled.

This is the roadside view of a small house we repaired the roof on. Here follows the formula for removing a tile roof:

simply lift tiles off, and gently lob to the ground crew.

ground crew gently catches and passes to stackers

who gently stack for future use

all under the watchful eye of sister silvia and baby Mateo

This is the view from the roof

Meanwhile, another crew was leveling the earth in front of the school in Chulumal

While inside, kids learned in the computer lab.

a fun juxtaposition, Americans handling rudimentary tools outside, while Guatemalan kids from extremely poor families studied computer science inside.

Thanks, Roswell Presbyterian Church!

all strung out

2009-06-11T20:58:00.011-06:00

Our friends from Faith Baptist also brought super string for our kids...

You might say it was well received

Or I guess you could say

the kids got all

Strung

out

A day at work in Chichicastenango

2009-06-11T07:08:00.015-06:00

Off to the job...all smiles and energy

roofs were built out of thin air

A LOT of concrete was poured inside the existing houses to raise the health of the family's children

8 hours later...still smiling!

But this is Chichicastenango, and so walking around town is an incredible cultural experience
this man is performing a Mayan ritual INSIDE the Catholic cathedral

This lady walked into the altar area on her knees multiple times. Part Catholic part Mayan?

Outside of the church, a market blooms twice a week

High density shoppers and sellers

Trey showing Jason the Market way.

Jason bargaining on his own

then time to go home
Take a look again at this picture. Will, in the white shirt is about 6 feet tall. But he looks and probably feels like a Goliath as he walks though the market.

RPC School Banquet

2009-06-10T07:05:00.008-06:00

One thing I like about Roswell Presbyterian's work in Chichicastenango is the yearly banquet. They make a super big deal about the children they sponsor at two schools. The children have seen restaurants, as they live right near a tourist "mecca", and so are aware of eating at tables, served by a wait staff. This is a chance for them to be served by their American hosts, and eat till they are stuffed ( and even take home doggie bags filled with goodies) Between the presents, and the smiles and even laughter, it was clear that a good time was had by all.

This is the group from Belen School in Chulumal, with Alberto Velasquez, who teaches, and is the school director. Besides that, he attends university on Saturdays for classes in higher education. He also happens to be a master weaver of the cloth that makes the skirts, like what the girls are wearing.

Children of Chichicastenango

2009-06-09T07:17:00.012-06:00

Chichicastenango is a municipality in the department of Quiche where Our friends at Roswell Presbyterian Church come one week each year to repair and build houses for the people of our friends at Belen and Ebenezer Methodist churches. Children are everywhere. These little guys are watching their family get a new roof and a concrete floor
Waiting for a bus in Chulumal

She just washed her hands in the pile behind her. a lot of dirt, but people really try to maintain cleanliness.

Every Sunday and Thursday are market days...and kids become entrepreneurs
sad faced little vender

This girl may be really poor, because she has no tipical corte ( skirt)

two salesmen with a large inventory

Then this little guy who broke my heart. he followed me, wanting to sell the one little stuffed animal in his hand, while his sister's head lolled back and forth on his shoulders.

Respects to Stephenson

2009-06-06T12:33:00.006-06:00

How do you like to go up in a swing,

Up in the air so blue?

Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing

Ever a child can do!

a day at the zoo and very cute animals

2009-06-06T12:17:00.017-06:00

All the animals in the zoo that day were not in the cages

Adriana
Jenny
Danny and Juanito
Ice Cream is not just enjoyed by Juanito...
Look at Tania checking out the wonder of soft serve!
Mariajose
MOnica
Letty and Friend
Sheyla
Timotea
Gabby...maybe
There were some close zoo like encounters! What is Juanito looking at?
Oh My!

Our visitors season has started

2009-06-03T08:08:00.000-06:00

Here are some photos of our cute kids as our friends from Colorado Christian University, and the Josiah Project took them out to eat, and to a park.

But first, we attended church at a new church with a great Name: Pesca Milagrosa (Miraculous fishing) and helped them pray for a new piece of property, where they want to have a school for the poorest children on the margins of San Lucas. The church is praying against the wall, after hearing that God delights in seemingly strange acts as we claim territory....think Jericho.

Part of our Job is to bring times of joy and refreshment to the kids...and we appreciate the help from our visiting friends in accomplishing that!!!