Greetings from Cochabamba,

Niños con Valor has embarked upon a time of great change—Pedacito de Cielo will be moving to a new house in a little over two weeks, the three girls of Pedacito will be moving into Corazón del Pastor, the new Bolivian and US boards have stepped up plans for future events, and roles within the foundation have shifted in anticipation of future growth. Although this has all happened at once, it provides the foundation with an opportunity to grow and flourish. According to Pauline Kezer, "Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights." As a foundation, we are looking forward to stretching, growing, and reaching new heights.

These changes have brought much anticipation and excitement. Things have been extremely busy—buying paint and equipment for the new house, planning for teams, packing clothes and household items, vacation classes and activities. That said, despite the chaos and mayhem, we still managed to find time to celebrate the special, important moments and milestones.

Peace and Love,

Banner Photo: Lily really enjoying her cake at Marcos' birthday party!

This month, we celebrated two birthdays in Pedacito de Cielo! Mateo kicked off the month as we celebrated his 2nd birthday! He has matured so much in the last couple of months, and is learning both Spanish and English. Mateo can say "ball," "book," and "up!".

Above Left: Getting ready to start the party!
Above Right: Zamora and brother, Bemabe, playing around!

Above Left: Miguel, Victoria, and Lily eyeing the birthday cake!
Above Right: Tía Faella helping the kids sing to the birthday boy!

Above Left: Mateo and his cake.
Above Right: Mateo was so excited about his cake!

Shortly after, we celebrated Marcos's 6th birthday! He is the oldest in the house, and is the example for the other kids. This is his first year of school and he is really enjoying his classes and making new friends.

Above Left: Marcos and his cake! Mmmmmm….looks good!
Above Right: All the kids celebrating Marcos' 6th birthday!

Above Left: Marcos and little sister, Victoria, with their mom and little brother!
Above Right: Piñata time!

On July 16th, Cedro had the final surgery to repair his cleft palate. We were very nervous, as it is difficult to have one of the children's well-being outside of our control. But, Cedro did extremely well and spent only one night in the hospital. He came home and spent a week in the isolation room with 24-hour care to prevent infections and assist in his recovery.

Above Left: Cedro playing outside before his surgery.
Above Right:Cedro after his surgery, looking happy and healthy!

Above Left: Playing around in the isolation room.
Above Right: Cedro reading with Tía Kait.

The girls enjoyed their Winter break, which was extended a week due to a cold front we received. The girls took classes, which included art, dance, music and theatre at a local youth center. Along with classes, the tías and volunteers planned fun activities and outings—trips to the park, playing games, obstacle courses, making bracelets and necklaces. The girls had a blast, and were sad when vacation came to an end.

Above Left: Lourdes practicing before her guitar class.
Above Right: Paty demonstrating what she learned in her art class that focuses on using recycled materials.

Above Left: Valeria, Luz, and Alandra enjoying the huge slide in a local park.
Above Right: Adriana and Jhoselin having a blast at the park!

Above Left: Zamora getting ready to skateboard-she is too cute!
Above Right: Sofia, Abigail, and Alandra enjoying the sunshine during an outing to Lincoln Park.

Above Left: Tía Meghan teaching Paty part of "Swan Lake."
Above Right: Meghan showing Luz a proper plié.

Above Left: Mariela enjoying the obstacle course the girls constructed at the house.
Above Right: Tía Meghan teaching ballet to a group of the younger girls.

Six of the older girls went to see Chino and Nacho, a Venezuelan reggaeton duo, in concert on the 14th at the soccer stadium. Each of the girls raised 50 bolivianos towards the ticket price. They were so overjoyed to go to their first concert, and see the popular duo live!

Above Left: The older girls waiting in line to enter the Chino and Nacho concert with Tia Celia.
Above Right: Despite waiting in line for over ten hours, Elena, Sofia, and Luz were still smiling and excited!

We don't have any major updates this month for out OAT program, but next week we will be traveling to Mizque for to bring some donated solar ovens to 9 wawawasis, provide training on how to use them, and to renovate the 2 school rooms of Pantipampa A. So, look for some great photos and updates in next month's newsletter!

We hope you have enjoyed the stories and pictures from this month! Every month we have celebrations and milestones, updates and amazing pictures to share.

Niños con Valor has begun a new journey, and we are excited to "stretch and grow and reach new heights."

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