Greetings from Cochabamba!

God teaches us so many important values, and it is for us to transmit these values to those we love. In this attitude, Niños con Valor's year has begun. Each month, our two children's homes and our new transitional home, focus on different themes, to remind us of what are the most important principles in order to live a full life, and bring a fullness of life to those around us. In January, Corazón del Pastor focused on "Give and Receive" and Pedacito de Cielo on "Solidarity".

The gift of Giving is the greatest act of love we can with those whom we love and care for. Receiving is what closing the circle; opening our hearts to receive the love of others, ensures that the cycle can continue. In receiving, we provide the opportunity for others to give.

Solidarity with others and assisting those who need it the most, providing a helping hand, a gesture of affection or support of strength, proclaims our unity as human beings, and demonstrates that none is better or worse than another, but we are all one big family.

We hope you can share with us the joy we feel in seeing our children living out these values ​in their daily lives.

Peace and Blessings,

Christmas is a time for family and reflection, and we ended 2013 thinking about the many ways we can improve as individuals, spending time with our NCV family, which makes us stronger and gives breath to new hope for the future.

Our Niños con Valor family is very blessed to receive the love and support from all of you, and we are confident that God will always be with us giving us strength, peace and love to share with each other and our neighbors. Merry Christmas and a happy start to 2014!

Above Left: Diego coloring a Christmas card.
Above Right: Our little "pedacitos" dancing a traditional dance in honor of the birth of Jesus.

Above Left: Our beautiful Christmas tree decorated by Tía Celia with help from the girls of CDP.
Above Right: Teresita dressed as an angel, singing in the Christmas presentation.

Above Left: Someof the girls from CDP presenting a dance number. Above Right: A nativity designed by the children and staff of NCV.

Above Left: Alvaro, our precious baby Jesus.
Above Right: Some bright colored spring flowers.

Above: The children patiently awaiting her gifts - thanks so much to Canadian church, Elevation, for raising the funds to buy all these gifts!

Above Left: Bryssa opening a gift sent by her child sponsors.
Above Right: Victoria, opening her gifts, while checking out those of the other kids :)

Above: Mariela, Kattia, Meteo, Diego, Alayna and Marcos opening up their gifts - such excitement!

Above Left: Bolivian board member, José, with Nohemi and her sister Karina.
Above Right: Mariela playing the piano for everyone, with volunteer and piano instructor Magdalena encouraging her.

Above Left: Tías Lucia, Bicelia and Rosemery preparing our Christmas lunch - thanks to the youth of Elevation for raising the funds for this yummy food!
Above Right: The kids saying a prayer before digging in.

Who ever said that dots, stripes and flowers don't go together? And can't be accompanied by feathers and big hats? That makeup should always match with clothing, and that we should dress according to the season or occasion?

We beg to differ, and believe that our 2014 Moda Loca demonstrated the cutting edge of fashion, full of fun and color, with crazy catwalks and a riot of a good time.

Above Left: Victoria is happy to be dancing with Matt from Living Waters church.
Above Right: Paty and Cynthia rocking their looks.

Above Left: Manolo is his interesting puppy/rabbit/tiger/...
Above Right: Alandra and Karina walking the runway, showcasing the latest fashion trends.

Above Left: Tío Tyson showing off his very upbeat Spring look.
Above Right: Paty, always with her own style.

Above Left: Rumor has it, underneath all that blue, is a Josh Jutzi :)
Above Right: Bryssa and Paty glowing with their signed photos of Justin Bieber

Above: JB's grandmother sent signed photos for all the girls at CDP - they love their Justin!

The three girls with along with coordinator Marcela, looking on as their new home is set up by the Living Waters team.

There comes a time in life in which our girls will all have to move forward in her own way, making decisions on her own, strengthened by the values ​​that she has learned during her time in Corazón del Pastor. The initial transition is difficult, as there is no longer anyone saying, "Time to get up," or " Go to sleep, turn off the lights," yet she must find a way to continue to live in a way that provides sufficient rest, and a continued order in her life.

Independence is an important step, it is our testing to demonstrate whether or not we can walk the path on our own, and if we make mistakes, whether or not we have the courage to recognize them and learn from them, always trusting that God is with us, guiding and protecting us.

The last weeked in January, our three olders teens, Olivia, Sofia and Ana, left their home in Corazón del Pastor, to begin down this new and exciting path. We are so proud of them, full of hope that they will continue to receive guidance and achieve all of their dreams.

Above Left: The Living Waters team connecting the stove in the new SDE apartment.
Above Right: Some youth from Living Waters installing the fridge.

Above Left: Installing and reviewing the light fixtures.
Above Right: It was encouraging for Living Waters team, who have supported our girls for years, to be able to share in the exciting day.

Above Left: The kitchen of the new department.
Above Right: And the living room.

Above: The two bedrooms of the girls.

When one is young, adjusting to change is usually easier than for adults, moving to a new house, switching schools and getting to know a new neighborhood, and this is because they can always make new friends, have new adventures and explore new things in life, and the important thing is that their home is where their family is. Perhaps we are now living a bit further from the city center, but it is a beautiful area, and we are united as a family.

The new Pedacito de Cielo home is the homiest to date, and that brings with it a sense of peace and unity amongst the kids and staff. Praise God for the gift of finding such a special place for our boys!

Above Left: The Living Waters team helping to pack things up in the old home.
Above Right: There is plenty to take with us... and so much to throw out as well!

Above Left: New living room furniture waiting in the driveway to head into the house.
Above Right: And here they are in their new home.

Above Left: The living / dining room.
Above Right: A special space for Alvaro so he can join the boys at mealtime.

Above: Two of the bedrooms in the new house with new bunk beds. Our boys are getting so big!

Above Left: The classroom where the children who attend school do their homework.
Above Right: And this is where the younger boys receive early childhood education.

Above Left: A storage room out back, beside the new tin roof that was installed by the Living Waters team for our outdoor laundry area.
Above Right: The front of the house.

We feel very honored to be able to help those less fortunate than ourselves, not only by providing material assistance, but tools to help them build a better future for themselves.

Mizque is a very poor province, lacking the resources that are available in the larger cities, yet it is very rich in spirit, teamwork and collaboration, with families and communities working together to take care of one another.

Especially now, during the rainy season here in Bolivia, the support the Living Waters team brought to Mizque was so important. In the department of Cochabamba, there are more than 19,000 families displaced by the floods, and Mizque is an area that has been impacted significantly. On the trip, we had to meet with two of the three communities that we were there to work with on a higher open space in the mountains, as there was no way to reach their community centers. Thankfully, everything went very well and the events were fun for all!

Above Left: The team preparing bags of food.
Above Right: Filling up bags to take to the children and families.

Above Left: Sharing with children and youth in Pantipampa A and B.
Above Right: Playing with parachute!

Above Left: Let's see who's the strongest!
Above Right: Painting faces.

Above Left: Cute gifts for the adorable kids.
Above Right: Shy, but curious.

Sometimes, we can get trapped and isolated by technology and city bustle, and we forget that we have an incredible outdoors surrounding us, that we can touch, feel, enjoy, and share with one another.

The staff and children of Niños con Valor went to Pairumani ecopark with the team from Living Waters, leaving the city behind for a day in the beauty of nature. There is nothing more enjoyable than hiking up a mountainside, touching the bark of trees, dipping our feet into the river, and listening to the breeze. We should never forget how these simple things bring important balance and healing in our lives.

Above Left: Abran, feeling the breeze.
Above Right: Bryssa and Felicia on the hike up to the waterfalls.

Above Left: The girls enjoying an ice cream break.
Above Right: Playing in the river!

Above Left: The river...
Above Right: ...and mountains.

Above Left: The beautiful gift that the team left our kids.
Above Right: A very warm hug. You will always be in our prayers -- thank you very much for everything!

A Marathon for Peace

In March, one of our volunteers, Georgia Griffin, who is working with our girls to motivate them to take on more active and healthy lifesyles, will travel to La Paz to participate in a marathon, 42 kilometers long and 3650 meters above sea level!

Georgia hopes to raise funds by running the marathon, which will go towards the purchase of running shoes and bicycles, outdoor activities, and health care costs in our homes. If you want to support her, you can do so by going to our online giving page.

If you are giving online, please select "La Paz Marathon!!" as how to direct your gift using the dropdown menu. If you are sending a check, please indicate "La Paz Marathon" in the memo line.

Above Left: Ariana, Sofia, Georgia, Evelyn and Johana.
Above Right: Hache, who has accompanied Georgia and the girls on some of their bike rides, with Johana and Evelyn.

Above: Active and healthy girls!

We have kicked off the new year with a lot of energy, eager to work to bring our girls and boys the best care possible. Sure, we have gone through many changes already in 2014, but one thing we are certain of is that every change brings with it positives for which we are always grateful. Thanks to every one of you for your love and unconditional support -- may this year be blessed and prosperous for all.

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