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Keep up to date with what is happening in NCV on our blog. You can also catch up on previous newsletters here. Enjoy!
If you are in the US, you can either send a check made out to "Ninos con Valor" to the address below, or use our Groundspring online donation page.
Niños con Valor
c/o Karen Mitchell
PO Box 223
New Hampton NH 03256
For instructions on donating outside of the US, please visit our donations page.
We know that God loves kids too, so please keep us in your prayers, using these updates as a bit of a guide on what is happening, or by writing us here. We send out weekly prayer requests to those who join our prayermail list. We really appreciate the support!
If you have any questions regarding our work, or would like to make some suggestions, please send us an email.
Greetings from Cochabamba, Bolivia!
I've been reading this book, Butterfly in Brazil, I'm not sure how it came to be on my bookshelf. However it ended up in my hands, it's been a part of the message that God has apparently needed to send me in various forms. That message? The everyday matters. The seemingly small things of my day might just be the start of something amazing, but if I'm not willing to participate in the ostensibly mundane, the great will never come to fruition...
The author of Butterfly in Brazil, Glenn Packiam, presents the concept that the butterfly effect principle can and should be applied to our daily spiritual lives. We can often feel paralyzed by not knowing where to start, or find ourselves in a holding pattern, waiting for that big promise or calling God has for our lives. But Packiam proposes that when we are willing to start doing small things consistently, that is where the opportunities for larger service, more extensive ministry come or that tiny act, that one small flap of the butterfly's wing, we thought went unnoticed sparks a chain reaction, the end of which we never get to see.
Left - Sisters, Adriana and Sofia at the Mother's Day program at school.
Right - Raeka helping the tias fold clothes.
How does this concept apply to our work, our dreams, our future here at NCV? Just a few days ago I was having a conversation with Paola, our administrator, about an important aspect of our work that I think we can easily forget as we focus on meeting the daily needs of our children. That work is breaking the cycles that our children have been a part of for an unknown number of generations.
Our children come to live with us for different reasons, but the majority of them are in our care because their parents could not take proper care of them, which could be anything from severe poverty to abuse to abandonment or any mix thereof.
Above - The older girls helping out Annika at her open house. The girls made some wonderful desserts to sell.
While I was preparing a recent staff training on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, I got to thinking about how many of our children could be affected, and then thought about those whose parents or histories I knew, and wondered how many of those parents were also victims of that cycle. How far back does it go? Children with FASD struggle with impulsivity and consequential thinking are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol and become pregnant and/or be incarcerated at an early age. Those elements in our children's histories are very common. How many of these parents are also victims of the cycle? Unfortunately, the percentage is high.
Left - Paty working on a handicraft homework assignment.
Right - Manolo playing with Tia Evelin.
It can be heartbreaking and depressing to think about the thousands of children here in Bolivia that are caught in these cycles. But I am hopeful about the work that we're doing; every day striving to instill in them the importance to be exactly who God designed them to be. That's where I think our focus on one child at a time is so important. Our kids receive individualized attention because they are individuals, each with their own plan and purpose, and we all work together to help each one fully live out their potential in all areas of their life.
We are, without a doubt, transforming lives. The manner in which we are able to transform these lives comes from many different connections from all over the world, hundreds of people, not even realizing that they are connected, coming to together to make this work possible.
I'd like to share the story of Bryssa to help bring to life just how many people have chosen to take small steps that have enabled her to already overcome so much. She is definitely one of our shining examples of the wonderful transformations we see in our children after living with us for just a short while.
Bryssa's early years were that of a third generation street kid, living a life that was full of poverty, violence, instability, and if not direct sexual abuse, definitely an exposure to inappropriate images and experiences for a young girl. Both her mother and grandmother are known to have untreated psychiatric issues which have most likely been the cause of self-medicating with drugs and alcohol and leading to their life on the streets.
Left - Valeria and Lourdes when they were still living at Casa Petirrojo.
Right - Lourdes and Valeria just last week at the Mother’s Day program at school.
So Bryssa arrived to our home a malnourished, wild, provocative little girl. Her hair was very unhealthy, she had major food issues which included stealing from the kitchen and the garbage and eating whatever food might have fallen on the floor during a meal. She had never really been to school and had difficulty sitting in a chair for more than a few minutes and was very impulsive and hyperactive.
Bryssa is now a happy, healthy girl who has learned how to play like a little girl, have good table manners, do her chores with a positive attitude, and interact with adults appropriately. She is a hard worker and has made major strides in school. She is still impulsive and hyperactive at times, but she can also be found playing quietly with other girls or sitting on the couch reading a book.
Left - Mariela after just having arrived at CDP.
Right - Mariela now at age 8, she's almost as tall as her older sister!
In between these two times, obviously there were some major interventions that occurred in order to be able to see such a dramatic change. What happened? She had a group of loving staff that patiently gave her the support and structure that she needed in order to learn that she didn't need to steal food because we would always have enough food in the house for every meal, how a little girl should dress, how to show love appropriately, that she didn't need to steal things in order to get attention, how to take care of herself, how to sit properly in a chair, how to use a fork the right way, how to share, and the list goes on.
She had a psychologist who helped her process her past and plan for her future on a level that she could understand. She had a social worker and director who were fighting for her best interests in social services and making good choices for her future when nobody else could.
Left - Mateo right after being released from the hospital, even the preemie clothes were big on him.
Right - Mateo is now one super chunky and super sweet baby!
There were a multitude of individual volunteers who took extra time to show her attention and love, and helped her learn how to have good relationships with others. They played countless games, read books, colored pictures, and helped with homework. They made her feel special and important. Then there were all the teams that came to the home and provided lots of fun memories, crafts and special activities all the while sharing the love of Jesus with her.
She had her sponsorship family supporting her with their prayers, letters of encouragement and financial support. They made sure that she had a safe place to live, birthday and Christmas presents, and clothes and supplies for school amongst other things. Her sponsors made her feel special, having people who were caring for and focused on just her.
Left - One of the first, and hard-earned, pics of Nohemi smiling.
Right - Now she likes to ham it up in front of the camera.
She had children giving their offering in school chapel and Vacation Bible Schools that made it possible for her to have things like school shoes, new books, and a van to be able to get to church, parks, and special activities.
She had people faithfully praying for her and any needs or struggles she had in her life.
She had donations from churches, civic organizations, grants, and generous individuals that made it possible for all her basic needs to be met as well as to have access to excellent medical care, computers, and be able to go to the movie theater and even go on vacation.
Left - Olivia and Camila during their early days at CDP.
Right - The two of them, looking quite grown up, hanging out downtown.
This list literally includes hundreds of people whom have had a direct positive impact on the life of this child. It would not have been possible to give Bryssa the environment in which she can heal from her early years and get the support she needs for her future without all of these people. Bryssa didn't have one miraculous person who came in and made everything better, she had an amazing group of people providing for her, loving her, and supporting her; many of those people were very far away but were willing to take those small actions that have arrived here in Bolivia with a great deal of power and which have had immeasurable impact upon the life of Bryssa.
Many thanks to you whom have been a part of this team! For those of you whom would like to be a part of this amazing group, there're many things you can do. Visit our website or write us directly at info@ninosconvalor.org to find out how you can be included in the ever expanding Niños con Valor family. You never know where that one act, gift or trip might take you!
Peace and blessings to all,
Kimber Setzer
Coordinator of Training and Teams
So come be a part of the family!
Left - Sofia after having just arrived at CDP.
Right - A greatly transformed Sofia out with friends in the city center.
If you're interested in sponsoring Sofia or one of our other children, please go to our website, www.ninosconvalor.org, and click on Sponsor a Child, where you'll learn more about the sponsorship program and have the opportunity to sign up for sponsorship.
If you do not have internet access, or would prefer to send a check, please write to the following address:
Ninos con Valor, c/o Karen Mitchell
PO Box 223
New Hampton, NH 03256
We're excited to welcome our new staff this month! Dr. Walter isn't new to our newsletters, but we're glad to be able to officially announce him as part of the NCV team. He'll be working with us part-time and will be providing much needed frontline medical care to our children and overseeing the nursing students that we have supporting us in the homes. He's also going to be working on creating a network of primary care doctors as well as specialists who are willing and able to work with HIV+ children. We're not only so grateful for his own personal medical knowledge but also for his connections in the medical arena that are enabling our children to get the best care available.
Left - Dr. Walter enjoying a moment with Alexis.
Right - Maria, with Manolo and Marcos.
We also have a new tia at Pedacito de Cielo, Maria Isabel Colque Guzmán. She's in charge of all the nutritional needs of the children; she's done a great job learning a completely different type of menu, and is even quite adept at using the solar oven. Maria is eager to learn all that the foundation has to offer and is enthusiastic in her approach to all she does. We think she makes a wonderful addition to the PDC team.
* All names have been changed to protect the children's privacy.
If you are interested in supporting us financially as we continue to invest in these children, in their futures and in our own, please visit our web page to learn how.
Peace and Love from the kids, staff and volunteers of Niños con Valor!