La Esperanza

Vacation

2011-09-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

Like last year, a dear family of our church, the Endericas, opened the doors of their swimming school to our children. This year it has been a little more complicated because we had to schedule time for both of our children’s homes. Many of our children did not know how to swim. It was so exciting when they came home one day and told us, “I know how to swim.”I’m sure many of you mothers can relate to what a blessing it is to send the kids off for a tiring activity during the summer.Many thanks to the Enderica.

Also the city organized a sports program during vacation. All our children attended they were able to choose different sports: soccer, basketball, volleyball, dancing, tennis or ping-pong. Many of our children excelled and were recognized for their accomplishments. We’re so proud of them and are blessed when that they see what they can accomplish with dedication and discipline.

Vacation time is always a good time to enjoy our kids without the pressure of the school schedule. We have had outings to the park, skating, dances, movie nights, bicycles, cookies, monopoly, campfires and barbecues. All we need is one thing to complete the list, a trip to the beach! Hopefully next year.

Volunteering

2011-09-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

Anita Kimmel joined the La Esperanza team here in Cuenca. She, left the confort of the U.S. and moved here as a missionary to help coordinate the volunteers and send communications to all our supporters. Welcome Anita! You are a blessing and great example.

Nathan, Grace, Ryan, Amanda, Holley, Hope, Gretchen, Jennifer and Megan we are so blessed that you have decide to set a time aside from your busy schedules to serve our beloved children.You’ve asked for nothing in return but we are sure tha God will bless you mightily.

Scouts

2011-09-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

Our church began a Scout program that we are very excited about. This program is for children ages 9 to 15. There are over 50 children who have enrolled in the program including some of our own children. We’re excited about all they’re going to learn in the Scout program.We’re confident it will be an experience that will stay etched in their hearts for the rest of their lives.

Urgent plea

2011-03-03T14:19:00.000-08:00

We are now in our new house with the new kids. That gives us two houses. As you can imagine running two houses isn’t always easy.

We’ve had to buy new beds, furniture and everything else a house needs. Our finances are at zero. We’ve spent every dime we have.

Any financial support at this moment would be greatly appreciated!

Jessica and Sandra are really good friends

Juan Pablo, Henry, and Miguel

2011-03-03T10:07:00.001-08:00

After suffering a tragic loss on Friday January 14^th, Juan Pablo (15), Henry (13), and Miguel (11) came to us at La Esperanza. The boys spent the weekend with their family attending the funeral of their alcoholic mother who was found dead in their home. They returned to us on Sunday and attended school today in high spirits. We are proving as much love and emotional support as we can. Please keep them in your prayers!

New House and Government support

2011-03-03T10:06:00.001-08:00

We are over capacity at La Esperanza and are opening up a new house February 15^th! Of the 47 children in our current house, 25 will be moving to the new one. We are so blessed and excited to see what God is going to do next. With your prayers and support, we are hoping to open more houses in the future!

We are even more blessed to be receiving Government funding for our new house and for houses to come! They are backing us 100% in every area of operation; a huge prayer answered! Their support won’t cover all our financial needs, but it is amazing to see how involved they want to be and how much support they are offering.

Javier and Jose Camas

2011-03-03T10:05:00.001-08:00

Along with Juan Pablo, Henry and Miguel, we received two more boys this month. Javier (13) and Jose (9) were runaways from another children’s home here in Cuenca that shut down. Government officials found the boys and called us to take them in. They cried the whole way over to us, scared and fearful, but God changed their fear into joy when they arrived. Within minutes of entering La Esperanza, their cries turned into laughter and they were running around playing with the other kids. We are so grateful to have them!

New Staff

2011-03-03T10:04:00.002-08:00

We are growing so fast! With the addition of 19 kids last month, 45 total, we need more workers! We’ve hired 10 people to help out here at La Esperanza and all of them are a blessing. Everyone has amazing hearts and great attitudes. It is wonderful to see how fast the kids have warmed up to them!

19 NEW KIDS

2011-03-03T10:04:00.000-08:00

Due to poor administration, another Children’s home had to close immediately and we received 19 new kids during the last few weeks of January. We now have a total of 45 kids here at La Esperanza. We are excited to see God’s power transform their lives; many of them have physical and emotional problems. We are trusting God to give us all the wisdom we need to help them grow and heal.

As you can imagine, the house gets pretty crazy with 45 kids running around! We are so grateful though to see how God is changing lives.

Two new beautiful girls

2011-03-03T09:53:00.000-08:00

This past month Maria de Cisne (13) and her younger sister Vanesa (10) arrived at the house. What a blessing! They are really great girls and have warmed up to everyone at the house so fast.

Maria’s favorite thing to do is to play with the babies and take care of them.

She’s a quiet girl but loves to laugh and hang out with the rest of the kids. Vanesa, also a shy girl, keeps to her self most the time but has told us that this is a dream come true for her. She said she always wanted to be in a house with so many other kids where there is so much love.

The girls’ parents went to live in the states and left them with their Grandparents. Due to their age, it was difficult for their Grandparents to provide good quality care for the girls. Most children don’t want to leave their families, but these girls actually called the government and requested to be placed in our house. They wanted to be somewhere that was full of love and other children. We are very blessed and happy to have them.

Christmas party and New Years

2011-03-03T09:43:00.000-08:00

In December, we received many donations and people threw party after party for the kids. We had so much fun and even had a special dinner this year for the parents. They were able to come over to the house and spend time with their kids for Christmas. It was wonderful to see all the families happy and together.

At La Esperanza, our goal is to restore the families our kids come from. Sometimes it isn’t possible, but we always strive for a positive and healthy relationship to be developed between the kids and their families.

Christmas morning was crazy! Imagine 26 kids running around opening presents and playing with their new toys. Wrapping paper was everywhere! None of the kids were happy about cleaning it up, but we explained to them that if we all work together and pick up 3 or 4 things, we’ll be done. It was a wonderful Christmas.

For New Years, we had firecrackers and a cookout. The kids had a blast! We can’t convey how much of a blessing 2010 was to our kids and us. We are expecting 2011 to be even better and for God to move in even more miraculous ways. We know He will open doors and do things for us this year that we can’t even imagine.

Carmen Chuva

2011-03-03T09:18:00.001-08:00

This month, we received a young girl named Carmen. Her story is long and tragic and started when she was about 3 years old. Her father killed her mother and then himself. Since then, Carmen has been passed around to different people around the country. She has lived in our capital, Quito, in Gualaquiza to the north, and in the southern jungles of Ecuador. Carmen was recently given to some operators of an orphanage she was living in. The family moved to Cuenca and did not want to take responsibility of Carmen due to legal issues, so she now lives with us.

Carmen has been abused throughout her life by different people; even by family members. She has never felt like a part of anything. We know she is safe here with us and we are more than happy to be able to save another child’s life. We don’t currently know of any family members who are capable of taking care of Carmen. She is the only child we have at the orphanage who is truly orphaned. We are certain God brought her here for a reason and we will love her and provide everything we can for her to live comfortably and securely.

Nancy Aguilar

2011-03-03T09:17:00.000-08:00

Nancy, our 11 year old who has been with us for a year and a half now, will soon be leaving to return with her family. For the past several months, she has been spending weekends at home with and for the last month has been alternating weeks; staying here at the house one week and with her family the next. Shortly she will be returning with them and we will only be making house visits to see how she is doing. This is all part of the process of reuniting the kids with there families.

Nancy is doing great and is very happy. This past Friday our psychologist and social worker made a visit with one of our volunteers to see how she was doing and how the family was. Nancy’s family is very happy to have her back. They have made many changes and been faithful to their visits and the responsibilities we have given them. We are going to miss Nancy very much here at the house. Her smile and gentleness and her friendship with the other girls here; but we are eternally thankful to God for healing this family and we will continue to work with them in improving their lifestyle.

Tuba Children and Mother

2011-03-03T09:14:00.000-08:00

This month was very important for the Tuba family. Their mother has been in an alcoholic rehabilitation clinic for the past 3 months without being able to see her kids. She has recently been released after meeting with our psychologist and social worker and visited with her kids for the first time since she started rehab.

The first step has been made in attempting to restore this family and reunite the children with their mother. She has another appointment to visit the kids this coming week. Please be praying with us for these kids while we are going through this process of healing their family. We know that it will be a long and difficult road, but God is helping this family and we know they will be reunited and able to live a normal life.

Looking at opening our second house

2010-11-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

It has been almost 2 and a half years since we started La Esperanza, 1 and a half since we got our approval from the government and starting receiving more children. We now have 26 kids living here at La Esperanza and are looking at receiving 5 more, this would give us 31 kids in total, the capacity this house can hold.

We are hoping to open another house here in Cuenca as soon as possible, maybe the beginning of next year. To do this we will need new staff, people we can trust who are responsible and capable of taking on such a big task, but more than anything people who love God and will show each child that arrives at La Esperanza his love. We ask for you prayers that God will bring these people to us.

We will also be needing enough income to run a second house and provide everything for the kids that will be living there. There are a few houses close to us that are for rent. Please pray with us that God will help us to make the correct decisions on where to open the new house.

Your financial support is much appreciated. We could not do the things we are doing without the help so many of you give to us. We trust that God will continue to touch people hearts and provide for us so we will be able to take this next step and continue rescuing children's lives. Thank you all for the donations and prayers.

Cristian's first birthday

Cristian's second birthday

The family of 10 we started with...

Two years later is a family of 30!!!

Different Help and Donations

2010-10-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

We have had lots of help this last months with getting school supplies, uniforms and transportation. We got a discount on the uniforms for all the kids from the company we purchased them from, facotex. Also Cartopel, a private business here in Cuenca, is paying for a school bus to come a pick up the kids for and drop them off from school. Graiman, yet another business in the city helped us buy all the the books and supplies the kids needed for this school year. It’s a blessing to have the city supporting us.

Also when a local manufacturing company was flooded a couple weeks ago their insurance company chose us along with 2 other foundations to donate the products that were not destroyed in the flood. We were given enough laundry detergent and oil for at least 6 months as well as scotch brite scrubbers and sponges, toilet paper, and other kitchen, bathroom and house supplies.

The government is now giving us financial support every month. We have a 1 year contract with them and at the end of the year they will decide if they will renew the contract. We are excited that the government has decided to sponsor us because this means they are happy with our work and trust in us to use their money wisely. Though this help is not even a fourth of our income every little bit helps and we are excited to get the government involved in what we are doing.

Juan Carlos Estrada

2010-10-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

Juan Carlos is the newest member of the La Esperanza Family. He was welcomed to the house this weekend with open arms. This gives us a total of 26 kids!

Juan Carlos is 6 years old and is Fernanda's older brother. We are so happy to have him here with us.

Juan Carlos and Fernanda

Nancy and Yaneth

2010-10-28T11:53:00.000-07:00

I’m sure some of you remember our 2 darling sisters Nancy and Yaneth. They came to La Esperanza and were with us for a few months before they went to live with their aunt and uncle in an attempt to reunite them with their biological family.

I am sad to say that in our last visit to check up on the girls we realized that they were not being taken care of in a proper way. The girl’s aunt and uncle are not bad people but their situation and circumstances make it hard for them to take care of and feed two more mouths.

So for this reason the two sisters are living with us again at La Esperanza, which gave us a total of 26 kids living in the house.

We do not want to look at this attempt to reunite a family as a failure but as an attempt to provide for Nancy and Yaneth what the most need, a home.

The next step we will take with the girls is giving custody to a foster family, a couple from our church.

One of our goals for La Esperanza is to get families from our church involved in this system, foster care, which is a system that we don’t have here in Ecuador. We have started this project and presented it to the county officials here in Cuenca and are now waiting on different laws to be approved and passed for us to be able to start. We expect at the latest by the middle of next year for these laws to be approved.

Until then our dear Nancy and Yaneth will be here with us at La Esperanza and we will continue to give them all our love and care.

Nancy and Yaneth

Back to School

2010-10-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

Our kids truly enjoy going to school, especially the ones who are just starting and the ones who, for different reasons and circumstances in life, haven’t been attending any school for some time.

The first day of class they woke up themselves at 5:30 ready and excited about their first day of school. Though now the excitement isn’t enough to wake them up they are still joyful in the mornings and we hope it stays like this throughout the school year. =).

To be able to see them happy and learning makes its worth all the time and hard work it took to get them signed up for school. One of the things we want for our kids is for them to be able to live a normal life , and we believe that going to school and interacting with children who don’t live with them here at La Esperanza will help us accomplish this goal.

You can imagine finding spots for 21 kids and signing them up for class, finding transportation, uniforms, school supplies, books, and everything they need is not an easy or cheap task. But thanks to God and the help of a few local businesses and many of you, we were able to provide the kids with everything they need for this new school year.

Kids at school

Ready for their first day!

A Call We Couldn't Leave Unanswered

2010-08-24T23:21:00.000-07:00

It is always a challenge to carry out the mission and vision we started with here at La Esperanza; above all when things occur that make our walk and fight harder. We always knew that it wasn't going to be an easy path, but we decided to respond to this calling God put on our hearts. He is stronger than any obstacle that may appear on this journey.

"But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24)

Through it all we can say that God is faithful! He has given us the joyful reward of helping these kids. Every accomplishment, every smile, the reflection of the Lord's love in the eyes and lives of these kids is a blessing from Him.

All the hard times, obstacles, frustrations, and disappointments become nothing as we witness the power of God; the way He has changed and transformed the life of our kids completely. He extended His hand in love to them when they thought there was no one in the world to care or rescue them from their pain. He is their hope and has given them security in knowing that He is always with them and always will be.

The Tuba Family

2010-08-24T23:10:00.000-07:00

We have been blessed with the arrival a 5 new siblings; Carmen, Cristian, Rodrigo, Silvia, and Wilmer. It didn’t take long for them to adapt to their new home here at La Esperanza. Our kids received them with open arms. I’m so proud of them. Our boys were very excited about 3 of the 5 new kids being boys. "Now we will finally be able to beat the girls in soccer" was what they said to me with smiles on their faces. Every child that comes to La Esperanza is a blessing to our home.

These kids have gone through a lot of hard times. Their father abandoned them when they were little and their mother is an alcoholic. There is no family member that we know of willing or capable of taking care of them. Their mother has now made a decision to get help and will be in rehab for the next several months. We pray that she will be able to change her life and one day take care of her kids and be the mother they need. Until then we will fight along with them against fear, sadness and any problems that rise.

Cristian, Carmen, Silvia, Rodrigo and Wilmer

The new soccer team

Daniel Moreira

2010-08-24T22:58:00.000-07:00

Daniel arrived at the house not long after the 5 siblings. He is the younger brother of Carla, who is one of our girls that has been with us since the beginning.

We work hard to create a good relationship with the parents and families of the kids, working with them in all areas: social, psychological, legal, and spiritual. We hope for a radical change in their lives that will allow them to reunite with their children. It’s sad to say, but often, this is one of the hardest things we deal with. While working with Carla's mother, our team noticed that her son Daniel who is 4 years old, was not being properly taken care of. We reported what we saw to the city officials and they took Daniel out of this very dangerous situation. He’s now living with us. Carla was very happy to have her brother with her at the house but also very sad to see that her mother was not giving him the care he needs and realizing that her return home would be prolonged even further.

Carlita and Daniel Moreira

Swimming lessons

2010-08-24T22:48:00.000-07:00

Our kids have learned to swim! One of the members of our church is the owner of one of the best swimming academies in the city and offered to give free swimming lessons to the kids over summer break. They have lessons 3 times a week and if they could have more they would! They love it. At first they were a little scared of the water now we struggle getting them to get out of the pool.

School will be starting soon

2010-08-24T22:25:00.000-07:00

Soon we will be buying new uniforms, shoes and school supplies for our 23 children beginning the new school year. If you desire to help us with a special donation during this time it would be a much appreciated help. You can send you donation to the address located to the right side made out to La Esperanza/Education.

Having fun before classes start

Carlas Sweet... 15 =)

2010-07-06T20:21:00.000-07:00

In Ecuador we have a quinceañera when a girl turns 15 rather than a sweet 16 and this month was a very special month here at La Esperanza, our dear Carla had her 15th birthday party. And man oh man did we celebrate!

With the help of some of our church's members and friends we were able to give Carla the party she deserved! Carla never imagined the party was all for her. "All of this is for me?" she asked me, "of course" was my response "all of this is for you because you are a princess and we love you!"

Sometimes it is hard to get the kids to understand how special they are because of the abuse they have experienced and the feelings of abandonment. Their self-esteem is low and they don't think they are important or worth anything because that’s what they have been told their whole lives.

We want them to understand who they are in Jesus and how he sees them so they know that they are special and loved and that they are princesses, daughters of the King of Kings, and that He has plans for their lives.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Father/Daughter Dinner

2010-07-06T20:20:00.001-07:00

The youth group at our church organized a special dinner for the fathers and their daughter’s in the church. We want our kids to be a part of every event in the church and this wasn’t an exception. Most of our girls have never met their father, don’t remember their father, or don’t have a good relationship with their father. But our girls have important men of God in their lives who love them and whom they love!

John Guido, Wilfredo Hermoza and Bob Capaldi, some of the elder’s from our church, had the privilege to take our girls to this special dinner. The girls were overwhelmed with joy and you could see how special this was for them in their faces.

Nancy, Daniela, John Guido, Cristina

Elva, Bob Capaldi, Vero, Olga

Carla Hermoza, Carlita, Wilfredo Hermoza, Paola, Geomayra

Beatiful girls

Diana's Departure

2010-07-06T20:20:00.000-07:00

When Diana arrived here at La Esperanza, like a lot of the kids here, the possibility of her being able to reunite with her family was not very good. She didn't really remember her mother who had left when she was very young, leaving her with a violent father and brothers.

Her wish since she arrived at the house was to be reunited with her mother. She would always tell me that it didn't matter that her mother had abandoned her or even why she did so. "I just want to see her and hug her and tell her I love her and that I’m sorry if I did anything to make her mad" she would say to me. It's so hard and sad for me to see these children whom I love so much blaming themselves for things that are not their fault. And that's how Diana thought when she arrived at La Esperanza. We were able to find and contact Diana's mother. She was very embarrassed and ashamed for what she had done and showed that she was willing to do whatever it took to have her daughter with her.

The day that Diana was reunited with her mother was incredible. Her mother was very afraid that she was going to be resentful about what she had done to her daughter, but she took the next step and got a wonderful surprise. Diana's reaction upon seeing her mother brought tears to my eyes, as the young girl threw her arms around her mother she said, "mommy" , I knew you would come for me". Diana's mother just kept asking her to forgive her over and over for leaving her. It was beautiful to see how Diana had no resentment or anger toward her mother. She only cared that she was there after hoping and waiting for so long for her.

Matthew 18:3 and he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven.”

What a different world it would be if we could all act with the same love Diana had toward her mother, a love that’s forgiving and true and willing to give everything. Joel 2:25 “I will restore to you the years that the locust have eaten.”

Family for ever

Diana and her Mom

Missiones week at Verbo

2010-07-06T20:18:00.001-07:00

Our girls were able to participate in a dance at church for a special Sunday of missions. It was wonderful for them to have the feeling of being part of a grand event at the church.

They wore beautiful dresses and carried big flags from different nations and places where we want to reach people for Christ. As well as flags from places where we have already planted churches. It was an awesome experience and the girls enjoyed it very much.

Guest Visits

2010-07-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

It is always a blessing to have visitors at La Esperanza. We are so thankful for what the groups and people have done for us and all their support!

Bethel Church

We had an amazing visit from our friends at Bethel Church in Redding, California and learned a lot of things from them. The kids got to experiment how God works through healing and prophecy, prayer and art.

The importance of knowing that God can use us and work in us and through us is a powerful tool we can use in this world. We know that God is transforming the lives of our kids and we desire for Him to transform the lives of others through them.

Global Health Outreach

GHO is part of the Christian Medical and Dental Association that sends various medical mission trips to Ecuador with our church every year for the last 14 years. The last team that came down was here in Cuenca. Many people were seen and not only did these excellent doctors tend to their physical needs but also to their spiritual needs.

Though the doctors were very busy seeing patients they took the time to come visit us here at La Esperanza and spend some time playing with the kids. The kids enjoyed these new friends and the time they got to spend with them.

Hosanna Church

Extra help is always a good thing to have here at the house! A group from Hosanna Church was here for 2 days painting, fixing up the yard, organizing our storage rooms, and preparing delicious cooks for the kids. We thank you guys for being here and for all you did. We are blessed to have people who have a heart to come and help where we need it.

Tripty and Rachel

Two beautiful girls, from the USA and India came to help out for one month with the little ones, whose mornings were full of fun thanks to Tripty and Rachel. They sang songs and played games, colored books and had little adventures around the house with the little ones. Our kids enjoyed having them here and we are very thankful and blessed by their stay.

Summer Bible Camp

We had an incredible summer Bible camp!!! Our dear friends from Glorious Presence
Church come to spend an incredible week with our kids.

Some of our biggest challenges so far

2010-05-19T09:00:00.001-07:00

The Ecuadorian government, under Rafael Correa, has made significant changes to the labor laws. It is no longer legal to have part time and volunteer workers. All the employees at La Esperanza have to be full time even if it’s not completely necessary. We are also required to have a full time social worker and psychologist. This last month our landlord raised the rent 15%. He did however give us a three-year lease so we are going to make some additional modifications to the house. All this has significantly increased our operating costs. There are many more children out there who need our help. We really appreciate your prayers and support.

Kevin and Bryan climbing a huge tree, after an enormous effort they made it.

If they can meet that challenge we trust in God that He will help us meet our challenge.

Nancy and Yaneth are with their new family

2010-05-19T08:53:00.003-07:00

Maybe you remember hearing about two of our girls, Nancy and Yaneth. Their parents are mentally handicapped and most of their family has some kind of difficulty/addiction.

When we thought there was no possibility for them to go back to their family, their Uncle Jose and his wife Angela decided to take responsibility for their nieces. They are a young Christian couple that regularly attends church. They already have a one baby and another on the way, so they’ll have their work cut out for them.

After working with the couple for several months preparing them for their new responsibility, Nancy and Yaneth have become part of their family on April 13^th. In the beginning we were very sad to see the girls go and we will miss them dearly. We are thankful to the Lord for being able to care for them during this time and for the wonderful changes we’ve seen in their lives. After seeing them in their new home with their new family we could feel the love of God and felt a great peace for them. They have started school and are very happy. We hope that some of our children will also be able go back to their families soon. There are other children who sadly don’t have that option, but we will be their family and with the Lords help care for them as best we can.

Nancy and Yanet’s going away party

Yaneth y Nancy on the road to their new home

The girls in their new home

The new family

Our dear Fernanda

2010-05-19T07:48:00.000-07:00

Last month God blessed our home with the arrival of Fernanda, a wonderful little three year old girl. When she got here we thought she was only 10 months old and were shocked at how small and skinny she was. In the beginning she would scream if anyone came close, she couldn't walk very well, she wouldn't ask to go to the bathroom, and she also had serious stomach problems. It was heart-breaking.

Fernanda's mother is mentally ill and abandoned her in a house where she worked doing laundry. Fernanda was hospitalized for close to a month before being sent to us, we can't imagine the state that she was in at that moment considering how bad she was when she arrived. Seeing Fernanda today, we are amazed to see how much a little tender loving care can do in the life of a child in such a short amount of time. Fernanda is completely different now, she is happy. At the same time it breaks my heart to know that many other children are going through what Fernanda went through, or worse. And the fact that these children's families don't understand how basic their children's needs are, they mostly need love.

We may not be able to reach every child but we are overjoyed to know that we are not alone in the struggle to rescue and restore the lives of these precious children. We pray that God will give the strength and resources to keep up the fight.

Water System

2010-05-19T07:27:00.001-07:00

Turn off the water!

In Ecuador the water system in the houses is a big frustration!!!!, In every house is impossible to open two showers at the same time, cause if you open both showers, one of them will stop having water, so we know how annoying this can be. It was a big problem for us as well, just imagine 25 people living in a house where we had to run the water only at one place at a time. Thank God and all of the people (both local and international) we were able to solve this problem, and now we have a new water system. We can run fresh and hot water at five different showers at the same time! Praise God.

New Staff

2010-05-19T07:24:00.001-07:00

"La Esperanza" is a project that goes beyond just a house. We want to open new houses where we can place small group of children. We want to start a system where families from our church would take in our kids. In the meantime we would like to work restoring the families of some of our children, if it is possible, so that we can reintegrate them to their biological families.

All this dreams require much effort and work, especially with 20 children under our care. These people are new members of our staff and a blessing to all of us because of their professionalism and willing hearts of service: Nancy Vazquez (Social work and administrative support), Yolanda (In charge of kitchen, cellar and inventary), Adriana Rodríguez (clinical psycologist), Rocío Barrera (housekeeping and laundry).

God is so faithful and we have been able to experience His faithfulness here at "La Esperanza". He has provided for us every day of our lives and now we are getting ready for the next step. We know He will continue to provide.

Yolita, Adriana, Rocio and Nancy

Volunteers

2010-05-19T07:13:00.003-07:00

¨Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the zeal you can, as long as ever you can” (John Wesley)

John Wesley expressed very well in this statement the longing to serve that the group of volunteers here at La Esperanza have as well as the people from our church and from the United States who support us and help us in every need. They are the motor that keeps us running here at the home.

Tutoring groups

We have the help of some youth from our church who have dedicated their time to help our kids with their homework. It’s such a blessing to know we can count on them for their help.

Spiritual support

Leaders from our church help with devotions, Bible studies and work on the spiritual growth of the kids weekly. This is very important because we know that with God they will be able to confront any circumstance or difficulty that comes along in their life.

Outting with the kids

The kids love getting out of the house. A lot of the time we who live in the house are very busy doing everything La Esperanza needs to keep organized and keep the kids taken care of and we don’t have much time to take the kids on outtings and to just get out side of the house.

Our volunteers are a great help to all off us living and working here day after day. They plan outtings with the kids such as taking them to the park, going to get ice cream, swimming at the pool, etc. They do a great job of this and the kids feel the love and friendship the volunteers are offering them. We try to have something each week for the kids to do in groups. We will split them up in age groups or gender, put the ones who get along better together and things like that.

Leave the house to do something fun means a lot to the kids. Even more so when it’s with someone they appreciate and who is always encouraging them and showing God everywhere they go.

Visits from USA

Kylee Schweitzer from Nebraska, she helped us with the little ones

Our dear friend Steave Coke, sponsor of one of our girls

Jessica Shive, Taylor University

Christian City Church Atlanta

Brad an Cade from Taylor University

Light House group from Taylor University

We give thanks to God for all the people, groups and churches from the United States that have visited "La Esperanza" during this year. You have given us your time and resources and we have felt privileged to experience God's love through you all.

Going-Away Party

2010-04-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

Things continue to go well here at Esperanza!

Last week, two of our kids, Nancy and Yanneth, left Esperanza to go live with their Aunt and Uncle. So of course, we had a going-away party for them! We ate some delicious ice cream and just celebrated the lives of these two precious girls and their time here at Esperanza. It was a lot of fun!

During the going-away party, we also got a chance to pray over Nancy and Yanneth. I was amazed as I watched every person in Esperanza (including EVERY kid) stretch out their hands to bless the girls as we were praying. It was at this moment that I realized that Esperanza truly is a family. Kids do not come here to just live and eat and sleep - they come here to be a part of something greater, to be a part of a family that loves them and sincerely cares about them. What a blessing that is, even if for a short time, children get to come here to Esperanza to be a part of this family and loving community!

Though we were all very sad to see Nancy and Yanneth go, we know that the Lord is sovereign over their lives, that He is taking caring of them, and that He has good plans for them! We certainly will miss them, though. Please join us in continuing to pray for Nancy and Yanneth:

update from Brad

2010-04-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

Hi! My name is Brad Everett. I am a student from Taylor University and have been studying abroad here in Cuenca since the beginning of February. Being a business student, I have been working as an intern here at La Esperanza for the last several weeks - and it has been amazing! I have been working to organize storage rooms and other parts of the house, to create inventories for food and other house supplies, to create a schedule for the volunteers, and to help with the marketing, communications, and financial branches of La Esperanza. It has been a lot of work (and I still have a lot to do!) but it really has been a great experience.

One of the things that I love most about working at La Esperanza is just being with the kids. Sometimes they come into the office and want to sit on my lap while I´m typing on my laptop. Other times I´ll be walking to the kitchen to get some coffe and three or four of the kids will jump on me and ask me to go play with them outside. There never really is a slow moment here in the house, which makes for a really fun environment to be working in. I´ve also really enjoyed getting to know Paola, Chio, Bachita, and Nancy - the ladies that work here full-time. These women are amazing. They have fully dedicated their lives to the well-being of the children at La Esperanza and it is incredilbe to see how hard they work and how much they love the kids.

So here´s just a short update from me. We are so thankful for your continual prayers and financial support. Without it, we would not be able to do our work of living out James 1:27, which says:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.

Video de La Esperanza

2009-09-23T08:21:00.000-07:00

August News !

2009-09-22T13:01:00.000-07:00

We now have 22 kids at our home. Lorena (9), Rachel (8), Jazmin (7), were the latest to arrive at La Esperanza. The authorities had to take the girls away from their mother, who appears to be a paranoid schizophrenic and is very aggressive. She had been telling the girls for many years that everyone was out to get them and they arrived in a high state of anxiety. These girls have been emotionally affected by their mother. They miss her but are starting to understand that she needs help. We have 3 new beautiful girls who have gotten over their original fear and are now very happy to be with us. They will be starting school again soon and love going to the church and Sunday school.

Lorena, Jazmin and Rachel

During July and August, we received 3 new darlings - first, Diana, age 10, It was such a blessing to see how fast Diana adapted to the house. She is so loving and has a beautiful smile and has found new best friends in Christina and Nancy. Little Nancy, age 3, and Yaneth’s age 18 months, parents are mentally handicapped and weren’t able to take care of the girls. Their mother abandoned them leaving them in the care of her physically handicapped father. Their grandfather was taking care of them, but child protective services found him caring for them while highly intoxicated and Yaneth had been bitten on the face by a dog. They were both malnourished when they arrived. It’s so wonderful to see how lovingly the other kids received the new girls. We are all one big happy family. God is good. He is faithful to His Word. He promises to set thesolitary in families in Psalms 68:6.

Bachita (Beatriz) and Ruby felt called by the Lord to join the team at La Esperanza. Bachita was widowed a few years ago, when her husband died of cancer. They moved to Cuenca from Loja and are working very hard caring for the children. They have become part of the family. The kids now have 3 "moms"- Paola, Chio and Bachita. Ruby is an excellent big sister and a wonderful example to the kids. What a blessing.

Paola, Ruby, Chio and Bachita

More Help

2009-09-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

For two weeks during vacation time, a group of youth from our church came every morning to minister to the kids. Both the youth and the kids were very touched and the youth left totally transformed. It was such a great help to have them. They all have come back to visit and many have become volunteers.

Sponsor’s visit

2009-09-22T12:49:00.000-07:00

Bill Kleckner, Kevin’s sponsor came to visit him. Kevin was super excited to meet him, he said: "My uncle is here visiting!" Bill took him and the other boys from the house to the mall to watch a movie. They had an incredible time and can't wait until he comes back.

July News!

2009-07-09T19:35:00.000-07:00

As we reported last time, La Esperanza now has full government approval and is doing great, with 16 kids and a new staff member, Beatriz (Bachita). She and her daughter Ruby moved to Cuenca from Loja to work with us. Both of them are a great help. Chio, the mother of the first 8 kids has been amazing. She has the anointing of a mom and treats each of the 16 like her own. Tia (auntie) Paola is doing a fantastic job administrating and taking care of the kids, with the help of Bachita and Ruby she’ll be able to dedicate more time to planning, fund raising, communications, and general administration. We’re all sad to see Rachel leaving for the summer, she’s been a wonderful help. She moved into the children’s home for the last month and is the official big sister. The kids are really going to miss her. The kids were so upset when she said goodbye, on her way to the bus station, that they all had to have a cup of chamomile tea!

(Please come back baby Rach.)

We’re all one big happy family. On father’s day I got 16 gifts that the kids made in Sunday School! Last Saturday we celebrated Daniela’s Quinceañera (15th birthday - coming of age - party). I was honored to be the dad giving a toast and having the first dance with Daniela.

A couple of weeks ago Rachel, Ricky and I decided to take the kids to Baños (the hot springs just outside Cuenca). I was wondering how much it was all going to cost me when I happened to bump into Silvana, the publicity manager from our radio station, and she arranged for us to get free transportation in a brand new tour bus, free passes to Baños and a snack at KFC. The Lord is good. Many thanks to Silvana and Family Radio. The kids had a great time. Being dunked, thrown in the air, taught how to swim and being saved from drowning was a wonderful bonding experience.

Each one of these kids has a heart breaking story. Many of them were abandoned, left to live on the streets, most were physically abused and all of the girls 12 and over have suffered sexual abuse. What a blessing it is to see them responding to the love and care; participating in devotions, singing and serving in the church. Some of the kids have been through other facilities and couldn’t adapt; they’re doing great with us and the authorities have taken notice. There are lots more kids out there who need our help. We want to reach out to as many as we possibly can. Our current facility has been approved for 20 children; we might be able to extend it to 25. Right now the limiting factor is $$$. Would you please join with us? We need and appreciate your prayers and support.

Having some fun

2009-05-30T15:37:00.001-07:00

Jorge and Fabiola come every week to have a home church with us.
They have been so faithful and sweet with the kids!Fernando, Jordi, Jesi and Christian ready for bed.The kids on an outing, at a nearby hot springs, with Pastor John.

New children!

2009-05-30T15:14:00.000-07:00

If you were counting kids in the photo of the last entry below this, you may have noticed that there are some new faces. We have been blessed in receiving our first 3 kids, Carla, 13 years old, Nancy, 11 years old and Jose, 7 years old.
After being with us for only 3 days, Carla ran away. The next day the government brought her back. She has been with us for a month now, making the decision herself, and we can see many changes in her. She is helping with the smaller children and is fitting in well.Nancy is a sweet girl. She is shy but affectionate and shares her beautiful smile. She and Cristina are best friends now.
Jose is a brave boy and full of tenderness, but sometimes a challenge. He has come from an aggressive background but is learning to do all things with love. All of the kids are working with him, showing him the ropes, and welcoming their new brother.
All these things and many more show us that in God everything is possible. During all this time we have been witnesses of His love, His mercy, His power and His miracles. Within the next week we will receive four more children!!! We are excited, because every child who comes to La Esperanza is a blessing.

We are LEGAL!!

2009-05-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

After the long process of dealing with the government and tons of paper work, the government has given us the approval to start receiving more kids. We were well on the way, when the new president eliminated the former ministries that monitored children and their care. It took a while to reorganize, but our prayers have been answered and we are very thankful to God for this.

So much help!

2009-05-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

But he said,
things which are not possible with man
are possible with God.
Luke 18:27

We have had lots of volunteers and helpers these past few months. In February Bob and Danielle Myer came from Maine to help out. Ed and Amy Joy, also from Maine, came in representation of Lakeview Presbyterian Church with a generous donation. This helped us with a lot of different needs that we have had since we started the childrens home.- - -

Joy Sunde, a friend from Minnesota, also came to help. She was here for 3 months. Her parents and church have donated a playground set for the kids which should be here soon. We can't wait!

Luke Owsley, a student from Taylor University, also was able to help out this spring. The kids enjoyed their time with him.

Eduardo Carenzi is an exchange student from Italy that was living with the same family that Luke is living with. He was a big help in the month of April and fixed us some authentic Italian meals!

- - -

We have had different groups visiting this spring too. CCC Atlanta came to visit and donated money toward the bunk beds that we needed. They helped us organize parties and left several gifts for the children.

- - -

Service International from New York also spent time with us, helping paint and doing some minor repairs and upkeep on the house.

They were able to paint the entire house, do some plumbing work on the bathroom and also did some gardening.

They were a great group to work with.
- - -

The April GHO team visited us while their medical mission team was in town working at the foundation clinic in April. They sent 2 people over at a time to help serve lunches and learn a little about us each day they were here.

We appreciate SO much all the help you all have given us! As you have seen, since starting with just about nothing, slowly but surely the Lord has inspired so many to give what they could- their time, their love for the kids, their resources . . . and it is all coming together better than we could have ever planned. Like we said in the beginning : things which are not possible with man, are possible with God

Birthday Party!

2009-05-30T13:39:00.000-07:00

On April 11th, Franklin (in the fireman hat) turned 13. We threw him a little party here at the house. All his friends came to celebrate with us. He is doing well in school, and is very helpful as the oldest 'man' in the house.

Helping the community with our lunch program !

2009-05-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

Since April 1st we have been giving free lunches every weekday to children in need, working with a program provided by our local city government. The number has grown to 40 hungry mouths since then. We are also helping these children with medical and spiritual needs. Our oldest kids love to help serve lunches for those children, who are now their friends.

Our Kids

2009-03-12T14:28:00.000-07:00

Daniela (14 years old)

Franklin (12 years old)

Cristina (10 years old)

Kevin (8 years old) Jordi (5 years old) Jessica (4 years old)

Fernando (2 years old)

Cristian (1 year old)

Answering a call

2009-02-17T10:30:00.000-08:00

The abuse, exploitation, and abandonment of children has been a phenomenon present in human society throughout history, in industrialized as well as developing countries. In spite of the progress made in recent decades this situation continues on an alarming scale.

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;

maintain the rights of the poor and opressed.

Psalm 82:3

"La Esperanza" Childrens Home is responding to this call, going beyond covering the basic needs of the children under our care. We give them a family environment which provides them opportunities for physical, emotional and spiritual restoration. Moreover, we seek to empower the biological families of our children, helping them in their parenting role and enabling them to restore and heal the family.

Our first home, opened on July 15, 2008

Currently we care for 8 children, all siblings. They came with their mother, Rocio, escaping from an abusive father. When they arrived, they had many physical, emotional, and spiritual problems. But now, thanks to God and help from wonderful people, we are overcoming every obstacle.

Please pray for God’s provision of furniture, bedding, appliances, dishes and the plethora of items we will need to make this house a home.
Pray the authorities will take the father’s crimes seriously and detain him accordingly.
If God moves in your heart to participate financially, please send your tax deductible checks to Family Health Foundation- and note "for La Esperanza", the address is on the side bar.

We welcome and appreciate your prayers and support!

La Esperanza

Vacation

Volunteering

Scouts

Urgent plea

Juan Pablo, Henry, and Miguel

New House and Government support

Javier and Jose Camas

New Staff

19 NEW KIDS

Two new beautiful girls

Christmas party and New Years

Carmen Chuva

Nancy Aguilar

Tuba Children and Mother

Looking at opening our second house

Different Help and Donations

Juan Carlos Estrada

Nancy and Yaneth

Back to School

A Call We Couldn't Leave Unanswered

The Tuba Family

Daniel Moreira

Swimming lessons

School will be starting soon

Carlas Sweet... 15 =)

Father/Daughter Dinner

Diana's Departure

Missiones week at Verbo

Guest Visits

Summer Bible Camp

We had an incredible summer Bible camp!!! Our dear friends from Glorious PresenceChurch come to spend an incredible week with our kids.

Some of our biggest challenges so far

Nancy and Yaneth are with their new family

Our dear Fernanda

Water System

New Staff

Volunteers

Going-Away Party

update from Brad

Video de La Esperanza

August News !

More Help

Sponsor’s visit

July News!

Having some fun

New children!

We are LEGAL!!

So much help!

Birthday Party!

Helping the community with our lunch program !

Our Kids

Answering a call

We had an incredible summer Bible camp!!! Our dear friends from Glorious Presence
Church come to spend an incredible week with our kids.