Greetings from Cochabamba,

Although the shortest month, February was exciting and fun, but very busy for us here in Bolivia. The staff and volunteers were working hard getting all the school-aged kids ready for the 2012 school year.

We also celebrated Carnaval Bolivian style with water balloons and water guns, masks and wigs, which the kids greatly enjoyed.

And, to top it off, a team from the Embassy Elevation Church in Waterloo, Canada arrived to bring lots of joy and laughter, kindness and love to the homes, as well as the people of Mizque. What an amazing month this really was!

Peace and Love,

This year, most of our kids are school age and attending school, which is a bit insane. The first day always is full of excitement and nervousness, but the best part was watching the little ones head to school for the first time with such excitement and wonder in their eyes, ready to embrace this new stage in their lives. We also had a group of girls entering high school together, which brought nerves and jitters. The year just started, but things seem to be going well and all the kids are enjoying their classes.

Above Left: Tia Faella taking Zaquiel, Manolo, and Marcos to school on the first day! Zaquiel and Manolo were so excited to attned school for the first time!
Above Right: Tia Paty with a group of girls before they head off to the first day of classes.

Everyone was extremely excited about the return of The Embassy Team! Last year, the kids had a blast with them, and they even participated in one of the Quinceaneras. So, we knew new, fun memories were going to be made this year.

The teams spent lots of time at the homes. They did lots of activities with the girls of Corazon del Pastor, including a huge water fight in honor of Carnaval. They also had a day of fun art projects and t-shirt decorating, a hardcore pick-up basketball game, trips to the park, and a Bible lesson about the Good Samaritan.

At Pedacito they did some activities with the boys, including a carnival day with games and prizes and walks in the neighborhood. But, majority of the time spent at the boys' home was dedicated to constructing a greenhouse. The team did an amazing job getting it up and running—it didn't look easy! The boys and staff are definitely looking forward to using the greenhouse to create self-sustainability for the foundation.

Above Left: Too cute--Heather and Victoria sharing a special moment together.
Above Right: Demi signing Justin Beiber songs with Karina and Alandra.

Above Left: Darren and Phill helping the girls in the kitchen.
Above Right: Darren and Johana reading the story of the Good Samaritan before their discussion and reenactment.

Above Left: Janessa and Zamora having a blast together!
Above Right: Tim and Zamora having fun at the park.

Above Left: The girls showing Jeremy some of their art.
Above Right: The basketball game got so intense that ref Demi had a call a jump ball for Jhoselin and Elena. The girls had so much fun playing with the team!

Above Left: Jessica helping Adriana put the finishing touches on her passport.
Above Right: Nohemi was very excited to give Chris his thank you gift!

Above Left: Emily and Tim playing hand games with a group of the girls.
Above Right: What an extreme water fight! Pat and Vanesa battling it out!

Above Left: Pat receiving a big hug and his thank you gift from Lucas!
Above Right: Heather finishing the windows on the greenhouse at Pedacito de Cielo.

Above: The team in front of the finished green house—they did a wonderful job!

Along with the team and a group of the older girls, we traveled to Mizque to visit Quebras, a new community, about an hour outside of the town. We arrived in the middle of Carnaval—water balloons were flying—but we joined in and had a blast.

Once we arrived in Quebras, the kids of the wawawasi did a dance and sang a song to welcome us to the community. Then, we set up the daycare with the supplies—mattresses and art supplies, silverware and dishes, puzzles and tables—the team donated. While some were setting up and organizing the wawawasi, others were playing with the kids. We played with the parachute, painted faces, played ball, chalked part of the concrete soccer field, and talked to some of the community members.

It was a great visit to a new community, and we are hoping to continue helping Quebras in the future. Also, we all had an amazing time celebrating Carnaval in Mizque and relaxing by the river.

Above Left: Heading to Quebras in the back of a dump truck armed with water balloons and water guns—it was tons of fun!
Above Right: A group of children from the wawawai who danced for us.

Above Left: Janessa, Emily, and Sofia, from Corazon del Pastor, painting faces and giving the kids washables tattoos.
Above Right: Tim helping move the donated items into the wawawasi.

Above Left: The team and a few of the girls working on the vertical garden.
Above Right: The finished vertical garden—and it's already growing!

Above Left: Jeremy and Pat getting the solar oven for the community set up.
Above Right: Heather playing with a group of the younger girls.

Above Left: The children of Quebras loved the parachute games, especially the ones involving candy!
Above Right: Some of the kids hiding under the parachute!

Above Left: Darren, who can speak Spanish, chatting with one of the girls.
Above Right: Like this boy, many of the children had this orange tint in their hair, which is a sign of malnutrition.

Above Left: Sofia with two of the little girls from Quebras.
Above Right: One of the wawawasi kids playing with the new puzzles and toys.

Above Left: A group playing with the new blocks and legos.
Above Right: Everything pictured here was donated by the Embassy team—the tables and chairs, the shelves and the mattresses, the cooking supplies and the school supplies. We know these materials will help in the development of these young children.

Last, but not least, we had three birthdays this month!

On the 10th, Mariela celebrated her 10th birthday—a very lucky celebration, indeed. She was excited to enter double-digits, and is closer to becoming a "mediana" (The middle group of girls)in the home.

And to end the month, Alarico turned 2 on the 18th. He was very excited about his cake and celebration with the other boys.

Above Left: Mariela having fun after breaking the piñatas with the team.
Above Right: Alarico loves to play outside and ride bikes!

Ana turned 16 and Manolo turned 5 on the 16th—two birthdays in one day! Ana is now one of three 16 year olds in the house, and is in her first year of high school. And, Manolo was excited about his big celebration, and he entered kindergarten this year!

Above Left: Mariela having fun after breaking the piñatas with the team.
Above Right: Alarico loves to play outside and ride bikes!

Thank you for reading the updates of this month. It was definitely a busy, packed one, but well worth it. Many memories were made and many laughs were shared with the wonderful Embassy Elevation Team. Thank you for all the hard work, dedication, and love you showed the children, and we look forward to your return.

As Carnaval has ended, and we have embarked upon the season of Lent, we pray that the teachings and lessons of Jesus enter into our lives and bring clarity, understanding, and peace.

Love and Peace from the kids, the staff, and the volunteers of Niños con Valor!