Greetings from Cochabamba!

Life teaches us that we need to educate our hearts; we need to teach our hearts acceptance and patience in every area of our lives, learning to respond to the many emotions we experience in a way that encourages and strengthens us and our relationships.

This month our hearts went on a bit of a roller coaster ride, sharing in the joys of welcoming new and old friends, celebrating the birthdays of children and staff, while at the same time having to say some sad goodbyes. Our hearts remain strong, treasuring all the beautiful memories that were created by time spent with special people in our lives, from here in Bolivia and abroad, and we look forward making new friends and sharing new experiences in the future!

Peace and Blessings,

Welcome BelPres Youth!

It is so exciting when God brings people into our lives that so full of love and life, as was the case with the youth mission team for BelPres Church, from Bellevue, WA. Like a soccer team, 11 "players" came to share and serve alongside our staff and children, with no need for substitutes, as the team came full of energy, easily accomplishing the activities and projects they had planned.

Of course, like any soccer game, there were some minor injuries, including several players who missed a few events here and there due to the dreaded traveler's tummy. In the end, however, all kept in good spirits, regained their strength, not abandoning the team nor the game, and shared an incredible time with the girls and boys of CDP and PDC.

Over the two weeks that the team was with us, they were able to rebuild our vertical garden, paint the CDP playground, install and shade mesh over the CDP patio, paint the stairwells in both homes, as well as share a lot of fun activities with all of our boys and girls. Unfortunately, just as every soccer game comes to an end, our time with the BelPres team also finished, but our game was one in which we all won, sharing in the victory of making new friends, sharing happy moments, and say "see you soon" in place of "goodbye", believing that sometime in the future, we will be blessed with the chance to meet again, and have a new game!

Above Left: Melody, Kevin and Abran playing in the park!
Above Right: Lucas donning the Super Hero mask he made with the team.

Above Left: Playing on the swings.
Above Right: Melody, sharing a fun moment with a couple of the PDC daycare girls at a local park.

Above Left: Adding a special touch to the house... Kenzie and Gus along with Alexis.
Above Right: Kevin with Diego, decorating the house.

Above Left: Pastor Colin with Bemabe.
Above Right: Candace with her new little friends.

Above: Candace and Shelley working on the vertical garden.

Above Left: How many BelPres youth does it take to paint a slide :)
Above Right: Collin and Andrew connecting the shade... Be careful!.

Above Left: Kenzie, together with Tía Maritza, helping the girls make some tie-dye t-shirts.
Above Right: The BelPres team posing outside Strike Bowling with a group of girls from CDP.

Above Left: Candace and Nohemi making bracelets.
Above Right: Karina... playing with bubbles.

Above Left: Jumping rope - looks like fun Kevin!
Arriba Derecha: All the single ladies... :) Dance was a constant presence in CDP.

How Sad it is to Say Goodbye!

We are blessed to receive people from different parts of the world in both Pedacito and Corazón. At times, language can present a challenge, but smiles and actions speak louder than words, and the relationships that are formed impact both child and volunteer in a precious and lasting way.

In July, we had the joy of receiving Victoria, a young high school student from Miami, who spent some of her summer break with our boys. Despite being young, her love and kindness were abundant, and she worked daily with our kids, supporting our staff, helping the kids with homework and taking them for walks. Victoria -- we wish you a safe journey back, and pray you take with you in your heart all our little "pedacitos".

We also welcomed back Megan, who had been in Bolivia helping in the homes so long, that she has become a part of our family; as she says, she has a "pedacito de corazón" of all the children. She was visiting us after nine months in the U.S., to share stories and partake in new adventures with the staff and kids. Megan returns with a part of all of us in her heart, as she will always remain in ours.

We love you lots Tías Victoria and Megan, and will be waiting for your return with open arms!

Above Left: Victoria giving Bemabe a great big hug.
Above Right: Manolo working on a "goodbye" project Victoria planned for the boys..

Above: Megan at her goodbye party with the girls of CDP.

We also had to say goodbye to the BelPres team, hoping that they took the best of Bolivia with them, having shared our culture and our food, and most of all our hearts, as we know that they definitely planted seeds in the lives of our children, that with the warmth of love will grow and bear fruits now and in the future.

Above Left: Nathan with Zaquiel when he was given his signed t-shirt.
Arriba Derecha: Tearful goodbyes with some of the girls at the airport.

Ending the month of July, we had perhaps our saddest of goodbyes, yet at the same time a celebration, as Raeka, like a daughter and sister to the staff and girls of CDP, who was one of the first little ones to enter Pedacito de Cielo, and who later moved on to join the big girls at Corazón del Pastor, returned to live with her family on the second last day of the month. Although we were sad to think that she will no longer be with us, we rejoice that her family has been working so hard over the past 4 years to improve their situation, so that they can now receive her with much love. Raeka, may God bless you always, and come back to visit us soon!

Above Left: Raeka with her mom, brother, sister, and NCV social worker Sonia.
Above Right: A final photo with her CDP "sisters".

Back to School!

In Bolivia, winter vacations arrive at the start of July, as temperatures drop and the number of children catching colds and flus increases. During the coldest 2-3 weeks of the year, the children stay home, reinforcing their studies or participating in an extracurricular activity.

Just as July was a month of hellos and goodbyes with volunteers, we also said goodbye to the cold and we say hello again to our school friends as classes started back up. Our boys, girls, and teens were excited to get back into the swing of things, having packed their backpacks and readied their uniforms the day before the first day back.

Here are a couple photos of some of the kids, before entering class:

Above Left: Pedacito walking to school.
Above Right: Bryssa, Evelyn, Adriana and Vanessa in their school dustcovers.

Mizque: What an Adventure!

For many, this was the first time traveling to this beautiful community, and from the moment we climbed into the bus the fun began. Five hours out from the valley of Cochabamba is Mizque Province, which is famous for its chirimoyas, its pacayas, its aromatic honey, cheeses, peaches, and grapes.

Accompanied by the team from Belpres, volunteer Megan, 6 girls from Corazón del Pastor, and a team of NCV staff members including Tyson (International Director), Paola (Director of Operations), Marcela (Sendero de Esperanza Coordinator) and Andrea (Pedacito de Cielo Psychologist) we set off on a journey of adventure, community and service. Sixty km (37 mi.) out of the town of Mizque, up a bumpy and winding road, is the community of Pantipampa B. This community is made up of more than 50 families, whose children attend the only school for the community.

The team put the final touches on the wawawasi (daycare) for which they had send funds in advance to repair, pouring cement floors in three rooms that previously were simply dirt floors, and installing tin roofs to replace the leaking and unsafe straw roofs. One of the rooms was a small, 14 x 14 foot room, which provides early childhood education to 18 children, 0-4 years old. Another was the teacher's "house" which, just a few month's ago, was in such disrepair it was also home to all sorts of insects and a snake! The final room was for older students, who attend primary school. There are 32 students that divide themselves between two classrooms, one for grades 1-3, and the other for grades 4-6. We were able to equip both levels with educational materials, as well as cleaning supplies and cooking pots and utensils.

Also, thanks to the 2012 alternative Christmas gift catalogue offered by BelPres, funds were raised to fill 40 individuals school packs for the children of the primary school. It was a great experience for the youth group to be able to hand out these gifts in-person on behalf of their church.

Families from Pantipampa B make great efforts to be able send their children to school, knowing that they also need their children's help with their crops and livestock, and that often cost of purchasing school supplies goes beyond their meager family budget. Many children want to continue their secondary education, but there is only the two-class primary school in the community, so children must walk long distances to the nearest community offering secondary education. Tin Tin is the closest, but is a journey that requires them to leave home early in the morning, walking more than 10 miles, yet the children are eager to learn. We will continue to find ways to support communities facing extreme poverty like Pantipampa B, so that future generations will continue to gain more opportunities.

Above Left: The wawawasi materials donated by the team.
Above Right: The team from BelPres squeezing into the daycare room for a group photo.

Above Left: Colin and Kenzie joining in a battle of tug-of-war with some kids and teens from Pantipampa B.
Above Right: Nathan painting in the wawawasi.

Above Left: Playing with the parachute.
Above Right: Sharing a meal prepared by the women of the community.

Above Left: A little girl from the community - what a smile!
Arriba Derecha: The same girl, receiving a bag of school supplies purchased through last year's BelPres alternative Christmas gift catalogue.

Let's count the candles!

In Pedacito de Cielo, we celebrated five birthdays in July! Álvaro, Mateo, Zaquiel, Manolo y Marcos all celebrated their birthdays! They ate a lot of cake, jell-o, went crazy playing outside in the yard, and in general had a blast. It's hard to believe that Mateo is already four years old--despite his small stature, he's been growing in so many other ways. Marcos, our oldest boy, feels much more mature now that he is an impressive 8-years-old.

While our birthday celebrations are usually filled with joy and carefree happiness as we celebrate another year of growth and accomplishments for our children, Alvaro's 2nd birthday was one filled with both a deep gratefulness for the miracle of him living to see his second birthday, but also a mix of frustration and hope as we watch him struggle every day.  Due to his chronically poor health situation, Álvaro is unable to celebrate like other children, and for him, each day, birthday or not, is another day that will bring more pain and discomfort. While it pains us to see him unable to   blow out the candles on his cake, let alone eat it, a nor participate in games or play with balloons like his peers our hearts are filled with love and gratitude as we sing to him and hug him, and tell him how much we love him. So to all five of our boys who had birthday's this month--we say with much love "Happy Birthday"!

Two of our incredible tías also celebrated birthdays in July!

Paola, or as everyone here calls her, "Tía Pollo" (Aunt Chicken), is our Director of Operations, responsible for managing all of our financial resources, as well as for raising funds here in Bolivia. She celebrated her birthday on the road to Mizque with the Belpres team, and perhaps the best moment was being able to sing to her at the ruins of Incallajta. Happy Birthday "Tía Pollo"!

Finally, on the second last day of the month, our beautiful Tía Carolina celebrated her birthday. Carolina is the nutritionist for our homes, and is also the nutritional "mother" of CDP and PDC, who not only feeds our children with diverse and healthy recipes, but also with love, which is the essential condiment for developing children. Happy Birthday Tía Carolina!

Above Left: Eneas blowing out the candles for his litte brother, Álvaro.
Above Right: Abran enjoying his jell-o.

Above Left: Manolo playing outside with some balloons.
Above Right: Mateo getting ready to dig in!

Above Left: Eneas taking the first bite of Álvaro's cake, as Álvaro is held close by where he can share in the moment.
Above Right: Marcos enjoying his delicious cake.

Above Left: Tía Paola before biting into her cake... be careful!!
Arriba Derecha: Tía Carolina sharing a moment the morning of her birthday.

An ancient Chinese legend tells of a wise teacher who asked his disciples to identify: what is the most satisfying thing in life? Some said a happy marriage, others, good health. There were many answers, but after each one was given, the teacher announced that none had given the correct answer. The most satisfying thing in life is to see a child walk alone, with confidence, after having shown her the way.

Our childen are our mission... and we exist for them!

Peace and Love from the Children, Staff, and Volunteers of Niños con Valor.