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  July 2015 Newsletter  
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When a friend is
A Friend

Good Morning NCV family!

Henri David Thoreau wrote that we should 'let our intercourse be wholly above ourselves, and draw us up to it. The language of Friendship is not words, but meanings. It is an intelligence above language.'

Over 170 years later, "friending" someone has taken on a new meaning, yet true friendship remains something that transcends language. It is found in the time we spend together, the silences, the laughter, the constant support through the joys and challenges. In this month's newsletter we share about how in July, we have experienced this deep friendship in a beautiful way.

Peace and Blessings,
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Indy Image
Hoosier
Friend?
In July, NCV hosted two groups from the US. The first team was made up of families representing University High in Carmel, IN, and we had a blast!

As with all of our teams, this group's time was divided into activities with the kids and work projects, as well as our "reality tour" where we introduce folks to the different challenges facing children growing up in Bolivia's residential care system. As an added blessing, this team included three doctors, who joined NCV volunteer Caitlin to provide free screening to children outside of the city. For the project, we provided some much needed fixits to the medical and dental clinic at Qanchay, a large state home just outside of the city.

As this was the first time to Bolivia for most team members, it was hard for them to imagine that in just 6 days much could be accomplished, let alone relationships formed with the boys and girls of NCV. By the end of the trip, however, everyone was talking about when they could return!

On the final day of their time here, as we spent the morning with the younger kids at a park and the afternoon at a nearby ecolodge with our teens, we witnessed how in just a week the language of kindness, solidarity and love allowed for communication on a level that, sometimes, words fail to reach.
Indy Image Mike introducing the kids to wiffle ball. Indy Image Playing on the swings. Indy Image Decorating 4th of July cookies with Emily! Indy Image Alejo getting some help from Lillian. Indy Image Margaret seems to be doing most of the work for Claudia. Indy Image Lexie and Samuel smiling for the camera. Indy Image Jill and Claudia being silly. Indy Image Nick and Jeff making Diego fly. Indy Image Garrett and Elise getting in some swing time. Indy Image Abigail working on a door for the clinic at Qanchay. Indy Image Evelyn and Abigail hard at work. Indy Image Replacing windows panes in the clinic at Qanchay. Indy Image Look at our teens all hard working :) Indy Image Starting in on the paint job. Indy Image Out at one of the potential land sites for our future project. Indy Image The teens were pretty happy to get to use the machetes. Indy Image The group standing outside the disco bus - fun times! Indy Image Wes and Emily joining in a game with the boys and girls. Indy Image Face painting! Indy Image Elise and Claudia. Indy Image Sharing some laughs and the biggest pizza the team had ever seen. Indy Image The Duncans providing our kids with checkups. Indy Image Abby listening to Bemabe's heart. Indy Image And learning how to carry a child in traditional Bolivian fashion. Indy Image Natalia getting ready to ride the zip line at El Poncho ecocenter. Indy Image Braving the cold water. Indy Image And enjoying the hot sauna. Indy Image Jill brought some crazy sour candies for the kids to try. Indy Image A final photo before the team continued on their travels to Machu Picchu.
 
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Friends Old
and New
What do you get when you combine a 16 person youth and young adult team, an 8 person family team, and 34 NCV kids on vacation? A pretty sweet time!

Our relationship with BelPres church (Bellevue, WA) has been growing since their first group came and visited back in 2008, and it was exciting to have them accompany us as our journey continues. Again, there were lots of activities and projects to keep us busy, and thanks to an extended winter vacation, the group was able to spend more time with the kids than we expected. The youth team stayed on a bit longer than the families, and traveled with our older teens to Mizque to do some work in some impoverished rural boarding schools.

One thing that stood out with the group is that, despite coming from very different contexts, their teens and our teens shared in common that which at the core makes us who we are: faith, values, dreams for the future. After nearly two weeks, our evening goodbyes were a mix of sadness for having to leave, and gratefulness for having made relationships that we hope will last long into the future.
Belpres Image The team arrived and the girls were excited to put on a show. Belpres Image Belpres Image We played a lot of card games, some the kids seemed to invent on the way. Belpres Image Music, the universal language for all teens. Belpres Image The group continued on with the clean up of the land site. Belpres Image Paola, along with Natalia and Cynthia, pulling out a small tree. Belpres Image Dave and Ross installing mesh around the balcony at Pedacito de Cielo. Belpres Image Lucy and Lizzie securing the mesh. Belpres Image Great times, great friends! Belpres Image Ross teaching Manolo how to weed wack. Belpres Image Frank and Matt playing with Fabian. Belpres Image Drew giving a really big push. Belpres Image Dave tattooing Marcos. Belpres Image Eneas and several of the boys wanted tattoos all over the bodies. Belpres Image Like sardines... Belpres Image Painting at Puntiti, where three of our boys attend school. Belpres Image We only see one person actually painting in this picture :) Belpres Image Dana and Shelley sharing a bit of downtime with the girls Belpres Image A bright place for the kids of Puntiti. Belpres Image Out for dinner and live music. Belpres Image Our teens relaxing at the top of Pairumani. Belpres Image Walking to the river along the edge of a mountain. Belpres Image Colin with Bemabe and Victoria. Belpres Image Lucy and Zuleika at church on Sunday. Belpres Image Heading to work in Mizque. Belpres Image Syndey and Shelley building a home for guinea pigs. Belpres Image Angela and Bri setting up for interviews with the kids. Belpres Image Lizzie and Eneas all smiles. Belpres Image Angela sharing a fun moment with one of the boys. Belpres Image The teams' time ended with a time of singing.
 
 
Stepping into the Future: Location, location, location
As we advance in the development of our future Comunidad Niños con Valor project, one of the major components we are analyzing is location. There are so many questions to think about, and we have been visiting a lot of possible land sites to gain a better understanding of what options are out there. Here are key aspects we are considering in our search:
  • Distance. The further we are from the city, the more time required for our technical staff to attend court, and pursue casework in SEDEGES (family and children services) and Child Defense. Distance will also impact the travel of our staff.
  • Transportation. For both the staff and kids, we are looking for something that has access to public transportation, and with roads decent enough to get into town where most of our children's extra curricular activities and medical checkups take place.
  • Services. Access to electricity, water and sewage are essential, and a natural gas connection ideal. Even with a city water connection, we will need to plan for the drilling of a well to meet the needs of a larger family.
  • Schooling. Key to the care we provide is ensuring that our children receive good academic support, so having a couple good options for schooling is key. Children requiring special education support will continue to attend schools in the city.
  • Space. We need land with enough space to build all of the infrastructure that will make up the community, with enough green space remaining to ensure a healthy atmosphere.
Below is a photo of one of the plots of land we are considering.
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Next month, we will share a bit about the importance of integration and empowerment, and how this program will help promote these values on a larger scale.
 
 
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It's a Girl!
We are excited to share with you that, on July 30th, Paulina gave birth to a healthy baby girl - Cristina. In our April newsletter, we introduced you to Paulina, who discovered she was pregnant as a result of a very traumatic home situation. It has been an emotional 9 months, throughout which Paulina has shown an incredible strength and bravery. Despite her age, she has approached motherhood with maturity, and a beautiful bond is forming between her and little Cristina.

One of the most encouraging things to observe these past weeks has been how the family of Corazón del Pastor has rallied around Paulina, supporting her in every way possible. While at times it can be difficult to truly provide a "family" to children in situations like our boys and girls, it is a blessing knowing that they are surrounded by true friends.
 
 
 
Sponsorship Spotlight
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Tomás
Tomás moved to Pedacito de Cielo at the request of the large state home where he had been living. As is the case for many children living with special needs, the additional attention and investment required makes caring for these children difficult, and they often fail to thrive.

Since arriving at Pedacito de Cielo, Tomás has overcome many of his fears, loves to run and jump, and has become a very social little boy.

If you would like to sponsor one of our children, please visit our sponsorship page to learn how you can do so!
 
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Bryssa
Bryssa arrived when she was only 6-years-old, and her life prior to coming to live in Corazón del Pastor was comprised mainly of abuse and neglect. Since joining us, she has been able to gain confidence, and become a great role model for her 4 younger siblings, also in our care.

Bryssa loves to dance and swim, and when she grows up would like to study psychology, and have a house big enough for her to live with her brothers and sisters.

If you would like to sponsor one of our children, please visit our sponsorship page to learn how you can do so!
 
  Programs We Support  
 
All of our programs seek to provide holistic care, as well as integrate children and families living with various physical and mental health issues, including HIV/AIDS.
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Our home that provides care for up to 24 girls who have been orphaned, abandoned or removed from high-risk situations.
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Our home that provides care for up to 14 boys who have been orphaned, abandoned or removed from high-risk situations.
 
 
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We also host volunteers, who fulfill important roles within our programs. Click here to learn more.
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Our transitional program, helping prepare teens for independent living once they leave our residential homes.
 
 
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Bolivian Children Foundation
3716 Nafziger Road
Wellesley, ON N0B 2T0
info@bolivianchildren.ca
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