Talk about Amazing Parents

Every weekday, this bus picks up some 30+ kids and adults so they can be a part of Shri Guru Sankalpam.  All of the riders have some sort of mental (and sometimes physical) disability.  The amazing thing is that this "school" (quotations because it is much more than that) was started and is run by parents who donate their time and resources so that their child and others like them can have a decent life in a society that would outcast them.  This bus was donated by the State Bank of Hyderabad and is, of course, driven everyday to each home by one of the parents.

I can't even begin to tell you all of the amazing things they do there, and with very little resources.  And there is so much love from all the teachers and caregivers (almost all parents who donate their time), to all of the children not just their own.  I was in awe of their selfless service.  They teach them, they do crafts, they do occupational therapy, physical therapy, they have prayer time, and the list goes on.

Such overwhelmingly sweet spirits and joyful hearts.  So happy we got the chance to serve these children of God.

To read about HELP International's projects at the school, you can read more here or here.

Tippy Tap

Our own tippy tap to go along with the latrines we are building in the slums of Hyderabad.

Teaching the kids how to use it.

The widow that will be the recipient of the new "Soilet" and this hand waching station.

The girls that made it happen, showing off their clean hands with the kids that will now have a better chance at living disease free.

Cell phones and TVs, but no toilets

Sad, but true.  We visited a community the other day to assess the needs for a type of latrine we build and for a clean water project we would like to pursue.  It is termed "the slums", although it is more on the outskirts of the city and the communities are actually very well organized.  But yes, there were actually sattelite dishes on top of little shacks.  But it was very clear that the need was there for what we have to offer.  This news clip describes the desparate situation: 

The first "community" we visited had 300+ families.  They have been there for about 3yrs.  There are one or two latrines that individual families have built, but that's it.  The have to pay 12 rupees (30 cents) for about 5 gallons of "potable water", although it is not anywhere near safe to drink. Some of them are starting to build homes out of cement and brick, which will be done bit by bit as they can afford it. 

The next area, adjacent to the first, has been there for 7 years, so the living spaces are a little bit more permanent, but the same situation exists.  Most resort to using the jungle-ish area some 100-200km away to go to the bathroom.  This community has electricity (sort of) and LDS charities has put in a few wells for water that are being well utilized, but still 98% of the people do not have a toilet or latrine.  And usually if they do have a latrine/septic system, they say they only use it for "emergencies" because it is so expensive to have it cleaned out, which has to be done about every 6 months.

Hopefully, in the next week I will have good news to share about the actions we are taking to help these communities.   Since this visit, we are already breaking ground for a "Soilet" (which I will write more about when I have pictures) and are making plans to build more wells like this one:

All so we can help these kids grow up healthy with a better chance at life.

1 month is short, 3 weeks is long

Next week, we are going to Denver to see my littlest bro graduate from HS.  The week after that is Corbin's last week of school and our big fundraiser yard sale.  That same weekend is camping for Memorial Day.  And the next weekend, my whole family is coming in town for Corbin's baptism.  Just a few days later (which is 1 month from today) I leave for the other side of the world.  One month is very, very short.

Where am I going?  Well, in case you missed this post, or you didn't get it, I'm going to the 7th largest country in the world, geographically speaking, and THE most populous democracy in the world . . . India.  And I will be gone for 3 weeks.  Three weeks is a long time to spend traveling and living in a quasi third world country and three weeks is a very long time to spend away from my boys - all four of them.  It's a good thing I love what I do and that I have a husband who is so supportive!

If you're wondering exactly what it IS I do, you can check out the HELP International website.  As a board member, I will be doing the administrative site visit to check on our India team of volunteers and their projects.  Here's a little taste of what they did last year (pause the music at the bottom first):

Where in the World

Can you guess where I'm going this summer? 

Here are your clues...

I will be working with this anti-trafficking organization and this microfinance institution, among others.

I may wear something that looks like this:

And celebrity sightings may include these two:

If you haven't figured it out yet or want to find out more, click here.

A Snapshot, with more to come

Since it is really hard to do anything with pictures here and since I hardly have anytime to sit at the internet cafe, my blog posts and updates have been lacking.  Sorry.  The last post I did was actually from a friend´s house who is here working for the US Embassy, so that was relatively easy, but I don´t think I´ll have that luxury again, and soon I will be home and then I will have all the time in the world to write and put pictures on. :)

So here´s a quick briefing on what I´ve been up to, besides riding buses and taking cold showers. And of course, when I get back you will get the full description with pictures, but until then you will just have to wait and wonder.

--We taught Square Foot Gardening in a rural community.  This included gathering rocks from the river, digging, and getting really sweaty and dirty.  The women who came to the demonstration were to go home and set up their own garden and if they did, we promised to bring chicken wire and seeds next time we come.

--We teach English classes on four different levels.  This will help them get better jobs and give them a leg up here in the city.  Our advanced class is being trained to continue teaching the classes after we are gone for the summer.

--We work at an "orphanage" that is kind of like a foster home.  It is for kids and teens who have been taken out of bad home situations, who were abandoned or some were pulled off the streets.  It is supposed to be temporary (2 mos) but many of them have been there for over 6 mos and some are there indefinitely.  The director there is amazing.

--We partner with an organization that does visual testing, provides glasses, and surgery if necessary.  It is very similar to what I did in Uganda last year, but they do these outreach travel clinics everyday, and they are very good at it.  We are also working with this organization to create some educational materials.

--We work with a special needs orphanage doing recreational therapy, communication boards and other activities.  I have been there a couple times, but it´s been years.  It was an interesting experience.  I´ll have to write more later.

--We are working with the biggest children´s hospital in Central America to re-do their signage, which has been incomplete and ineffective for years.  It will include a system of symbols and colors since so many people can´t read.  We also volunteer their, playing with the children and doing small tasks.  Some children are there for months and have no family nearby.

--We work with Habitat for Humanity helping at the work sites and we are also putting together a basic first aid training program for the site managers.  This will include putting together first aid kits for each site and showing them where to but the materials so they can keep the kits updated.

--We volunteer with an outreach dental program that does cleanings, fillings and sealants in schools and communities around San Salvador.

--We will be teaching basic business classes with a game called the BEST game with an organization that gives micro loans and wants to move more into the social development realm.

So this is obviously brief, and I promise it will be much more interesting with pictures, but just wanted to let you know what I been doing here!

Oh, and PS you can click on the links on the side if you want to see more of what HELP International is doing this summer.  There are some amazing things going on!

Tomorrow's the Big Day!

And yes, I am sitting on the computer when I should be packing or sleeping or something like that.  Actually I am pretty much ready to go and I don't leave until 1pm tomorrow, so hopefully I can hang out and have a nice morning with my boys before we head to the airport.
So, since so many people give me that "smile and nod" look when I tell them I am going to El Salvador, I thought I would give a little bit more info.

El Salvador is the smallest and also the most densely populated country in Central America. It borders the Pacific Ocean between Guatemala and Honduras. 90% of Salvadorans are mestizo (mixed Native American and European origin).   El Salvador is only 1% indigenous.  There are very few Native Americans due to the  the deliberate massacres in 1932 which the Salvadoran military murdered somewhere between 20,000 and 30,000 peasants, and the recent civil war in which tens of thousands of Salvadorans fled to Honduras and Guatemala. 

El Salvador has some rainforests, but those are being depleted by farmers.  Though some are now protected.  It has several rivers and lakes, some of which are enclosed in volcanic craters and some of which are man made.  El Salvador has a tropical climate and beautiful beaches.  Because of the recent civil war (ending in 1992), the tourism industry is just beginning to grow.  El Salvador is definitely an undiscovered gem.  - That's my shortened version, if you want to read more, click here for wikipedia or here for the World Factbook.

As far as what I will be doing, you can check out this blog and get some idea.  And hopefully I will be posting regular updates very soon . . .

Wish me luck!

One month from today

I will be on a plane to here:

That's Central America, in case you couldn't tell.  El Salvador is roughly the size of Massachusetts and has beautiful beaches.  But I won't be going there for a vacation.  Remember when I went to Uganda last year?  Well, I just found out a couple weeks ago that I will get to do the same thing this summer in El Salvador.  So you're saying, "What is the 'same thing'?  What do you actually do?"  I think I often assume that people know what I do and what I love, but just in case you've been left out of the loop...

I am on the Board of a non-profit called HELP International, which trains volunteers to do community development and humanitarian service in less developed countries.  This year, in addition to El Salvador and Uganda, we are also working in Thailand, India, Fiji and Belize.  Volunteers will be there May thru August and my job is to visit their projects, support the Country Directors, give them advice (if I have any), and make sure things are running smoothly.  I also get to meet with our in-country partners, as all our projects are done in conjunction with a local organization, making what we do more sustainable.  For an idea of some of the projects, you can click here, but it really varies every year depending on the abilities of our volunteers and the need of our partner organizations.

The last time I was in El Salvador was in 2005, a memorable trip for two reasons:

One, I got to take my brother Mark with me.

eating conejo (I'll let you figure that one out.)

starting the ground for a pig pen

door-to door mosquito abatement program

us with the other volunteers

And two, I was the absolute sickest I have ever been in a foreign country or maybe ever, and it was all thanks to this baby, pineapple strawberry liquado froma street vendor.  Yes, I broke the rules one time and it was really good, but I paid dearly.

We'll see how the trip goes this time.  But I am very, very excited.

8th Day of Thanks&Giving - Modern Conveniences

I have been reading my grandma and great-grandma's journals and I recently read a book that was set in 1906, and it got me thinking about all the things that make my life SO much easier. Honestly, how did they survive? . . . computers, phones, Internet (how else would I be able to tell you all the details of my life?), stove/oven, washer & dryer, microwave, refridgerator, disposable diapers, vacuum, dishwasher, power tools, digital cameras, video camera, printer, copy machines (I actually have an old activity book that says "get a blank paper and trace this picture" - can you imagine?), flushing toilets, furnace, fast food, mass transit, airplanes!, batteries, electricity, and on and on. There are so many things that my great-grandma, who is 100 yrs old, didn't have growing up or when she was raising her children. Although it could be argued that some of these things have bogged us down, made us lose touch with our families, or made us not rely on each other like we should, I am still EXTREMELY grateful for how they have improved my life.

I did a post already this year where I highlighted the work that HELP International does in building adobe stoves in less developed countries (click here), you should read this to understand some of the reasons why this is SO needed. Can you imagine having to cook ALL of your meals over an open fire - inside a hut, while caring for your children? That also means that you or your kids must collect wood, or some other type of fuel, and cut it EVERYDAY. I think of all the development projects I have done, this is definitely one of my favorites. Mostly because it has the most immediate short-term and long term effects on so many different areas. It improves health, saves money and time, and it is so cheap and simple!

There are many, many other organizations building all different versions of these "fuel efficient stoves" throughout the world. This is because the same thing is seen in impoverished countries around the globe - poor health from smoke inhalation, burn accidents, malnutrition, deforestation; the list goes on and on. To help you understand, here is a story from one such organization called Mercy Corps:

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo, for short) has suffered from years of conflict. A recent escalation left hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs) living in large, barely habitable, camps. In the three territories where Mercy Corps operates — Goma, Rutshuru and Masisi — there were more than 850,000 displaced people living in thirteen sprawling IDP camps by the end of 2008. These camps were all located on the border of Virunga National Park, one the most threatened World Heritage Sites in the world. Not only is the park a bio-diversity hotspot but it is home to the last vestiges of the mountain gorilla. The Park was already under severe pressure from local population growth before the IDPs arrived.

When displaced families use traditional food preparation techniques, which typically consist of an open cooking fire, the daily firewood needs for each IDP household amounts to seven kilograms of wood per day. For the total displaced population in the area, this translated to a total daily need of over 900 tons of wood every day.

The fuel needs for these cooking fires was not only causing severe deforestation in the National Park but the collection of fuel wood in unstable areas was placing women at risk of rape and murder by some of the remaining rebel soldiers.

Thanks to funding received for this project, Mercy Corps has been able to construct 20,000 fuel efficient stoves for IDP families. The introduction of these stoves, together with training in improved food preparation techniques, has had a dramatic effect. Not only has firewood consumption been reduced by around 50 percent, but the use of the stoves has improved the security and health of women and their children. It has also reduced CO2 emissions by an estimated 24,000 tons to date.

Some of the IDPs are now beginning to return home. Many are intending to construct fuel efficient stoves in their home villages and Mercy Corps will be providing ongoing support in this transitional period.

Check out these other links if you are interested in learning more:
Darfur Cookstoves
CHF International
Stove Team International
Escorts Foundation
Lorena Stove powerpoint - this is a really good informative description of how this type works and why they are important

Nothing to do with Thanksgiving

My friend, Kate, tagged me this week on her blog. This means I HAVE to answer the questions. hehe. Actually, it's kind of funny because I was literally just thinking that I haven't been tagged for anything in awhile and I thought "Maybe nobody likes me anymore" and then I thought, "No, it's probably just that the 'tagging' fad has passed and nobody does that anymore". But low and behold, I find myself sitting here thinking about actually posting these. Crazy, I know, I think I have several other "tags" that have fallen away in my drafts that I never completed - so sorry to all my other friends, it doesn't mean I love you any less. :)

1. What were you doing ten years ago?

Riding the roller coaster of "Marriage Year One". (Also, going to UVSC - finally half-way applying myself at school; living in a duplex in Provo; working for a rich lady who did business in the middle east; rollerblading all the time; going to physical therapy for a car accident I was in; still writing wedding gift thank you notes; wearing 3 sizes smaller than I do now; watching movies in the middle of the day; eating out at least 60% of the time; playing with my dog, zip; and other things that newlyweds do often . . .)

2. What are five things on your to-do list?

My "weighing on my mind" to-do list:
1. Go grocery shopping - I have been doing the "quick trip" for like two weeks now, but it is time to make some meal plans and get some real food (but oh how I hate taking 3 kids!)
2. Plan my Thanksgiving themed preschool for next Tuesday
3. Finish putting together the budget and other logistics for the Board/Donor trip I am proposing for HELP International (the non-profit I work with )
4. Finish all the family Christmas gifts I am making before I leave for Denver on Dec. 3
5. Keep up with the 12 days of Thanksgiving on my blog that I "promised" to do

My Life To-Do List
1. Write a book
2. Get a post-graduate degree
3. Visit every continent multiple times (except Antarctica - I think just once will do)
4. Be one of those people where others say, "Now she has alot of experience, you should ask her."
5. Be a REAL social entrepreneur, change lives and inspire others to do the same

3. What are snacks you enjoy?

I think I am like most women - depends on my mood. For the sweet stuff: really good chocolate chip cookies, fudge covered oreos, brownies, creamies, these triple chocolate blondies that I make, and pretty much anything that has chocolate or caramel and NO nuts. If I'm in a salty mood: cheetos, plain original pringles, and chips and salsa (or queso). And of course, occasionally, when my kids are watching, I snack on apples, bananas, yogurt, or carrots. And I don't know if this counts as a snack or a staple, but I love me a good Mountain Dew - any time, any place.

4. What are the places you have lived?

In order: Englewood, CO; Provo, UT; Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, TX; Denver, CO; Provo, UT; Ogden, UT; Provo,UT; and now I (semi-)permanently reside in Spanish Fork, UT (sometimes referred to as "Spanish Fark")

**When I first read this, I thought it said "What are the places you have liked?" . And I think that's funner, so I think I will answer that too. Of course, I think I have liked everywhere, so I will just list my favorites - just in case you are wondering where to go on your next vay-cay.

In no particular order - London; Switzerland; Guatemala; Russia; Iguazu Falls (Brazil); Yellowstone National Park (& Montana in general); South Dakota; Washington DC; Hawaii; Uganda; Seattle & Portland; and of course, I love Denver and Kingwood.

5. What are five things you would do if you became a billionaire?

In this order:
1. Pay off all my debt
2. Hire a really good, honest, morally sound financial person
3. Make sure none of my siblings or my parents are drowning in debt (unless it is by their own stupidity, then they will get no help from me whatsoever)
4. Figure out what amount I need to live on
5. Spend lots of time deciding which charities I love most and use the rest of the money for me and my family to travel, teach, serve, etc.
(oh, and my husband and I will continue to work so long as it is doing something that we love)

My five friends that have now been TAGGED (and will be monitered closely): Sarah B., Jennifer J. (you can do it after you recover from this month's blogging), Emily M., Janae R. and Krystal R.

Gettin' dirty

In Uganda, as in most developing countries, women cook indoors or semi-enclosed over an open fire. Obviously, this poses a great health threat to her, as well as the children she is likely caring for at the same time.

One solution that is spreading around the globe is called Adobe Stoves, or Lorena Stoves, or I'm sure there are other names for it. I helped build stoves in Guatemala as well and think it is one of my favorite projects because it is simple, cheap, can involve the recipient, and it has such a huge lasting impact on the entire family. Cooking over an indoor open fire is equivalent to smoking how many cigarettes a day? Anyone? (Click here to find out.)

Part of the stove project this year was actually doing assesments of the stoves built by volunteers last year. So far, we have seen fairly good results. Women are using less fuel, which saves money and time. The stoves are more efficient, which means they can cook more than one thing at once, so the meal is ready sooner. One local told me that one major problem is that meals take 2-3 hours to prepare over a fire, and many times children will fall asleep before they eat, thus contributing to the malnutrition problem that already exists. He also told me that women are more likely to boil their drinking water like they should now that they can have more than one pot going at a time. In our interviews, many mothers said they saw an immediate reduction in their children's health problems, saving them even more money on the costs of medicine - and can you imagine the long term effects! No wonder the life expectancy is so low if everyone is smoking before they can even talk.

So the day I was there, we worked on a couple different stoves that were at different stages. Each time you do a step, you have to let it dry for a few days, so it is a process. But it is so inexpensive. And the real plus is that they locals easily learn how to do it and can then in turn, teach their neighbors. We put a chimney on two of the stoves, which means they will be ready for use the next day. Exciting!

We also worked on a large stove that will be used to feed children at a boarding school. The volunteer women are literally cooking all day long to feed the 100+ children a little bit for each meal. This is where they currently do all the cooking.

It was a challenge to build a stove big enough for those huge pots, and I think this will be a first for us, so hopefully it works. (This is our volunteers showing how much room we need for the pots.)So the foundation had been built previously and the day I was there, we were working on filling and forming it with bricks and clay.

The good part about these stoves is that most of it is made with free or easily accessible materials - homemade bricks, banana stalks, dirt from ant hills (yes, they are huge), clay, etc. For this particular project, we had to collect the clay from a local stream bed, which was just a quick jaunt through this squishy, enchanted forest. A couple of men dug it out, put it in these difficult-to-manage bags and we assembly-lined it back to where we could put it in a wheel barrow to walk it over to where we could mix it. It was good to get my hands dirty, well and my feet, and clothes . . . It was good. I was glad I wore bugspray. And yes, in Uganda, the women wear skirts or dresses everyday, no matter what they are doing. Hence, we do too.

Eye Camp

The first project I got to participate in was one they called "Eye Camp". One of our amazing volunteers had worked hard for weeks to put this together, and this was the first day of it. How lucky I was to be there! We (as in HELP International) partnered with an organization called Sight Savers to do a series of outreach eye clinic days in various small villages around Lugazi. I think there were a total of 14 over about 8 days. It was free to anyone who came and they received vision testing, glasses and/or medication if necessary, and some were approved for surgery which will be provided at Kawolo hospital by Sight Savers doctors. Most of the surgeries were for cataracts, which is easily treatable. We will be providing the transportation to and from the hospital and food for them while they are there.

Simple, yet totally life changing for these people. I can't believe how many of them had been living with extremely poor vision or couldn't see at all out of one eye or both. Also, many of the people suffered from severe allergies that could be helped by a simple bottle of eye drops. I wondered how long they had just simply dealt with these things. Most of these people cannot afford the 25 cents for the bus to the clinic, let alone the cost of a doctor's visit.

Waiting for their turn . . .

When we arrived there were people who had been waiting since 7am. By the time we got started more and more were gathering. That day, we ended up screening over 130 people. When I left Uganda, our volunteers had helped over 1000 people and had 70+ surgeries scheduled. I was so proud of the time, effort and collaboration that went into this and glad that I could participate for the short time I had.

Why is he pointing?

A couple weeks ago, Corbin and I participated in this "Cultural Celebration" fair at our church. It was really pretty cool. I helped do a booth for Guatemala. I put together a slide show and we had lots of yummy food made by some wonderful Guatemalan ladies. Corbin really enjoyed going to all the booths, trying the food, etc. I was impressed, we have quite the variety of backgrounds and experience in our little community. Along one wall, they had these chalk map drawing that one guy did. They were really cool.

photos by Corbin:

All of the above pictures are pretty self explanantory, but the big question is, What exactly is Corbin pointing at and why???

Hopefully you can tell what continent it is, but since you probably can't read it, even if you click on it and enlarge it -he is pointing at Uganda. Why you ask? (Or maybe you have already guessed) Yes, I am going to Africa! Por fin! (oops, guess my Spanish won't get me very far there) Finally! I will be going for two short weeks this summer with HELP International, the non-profit development organization I have been working with for a few years.

I will post more details soon (when I have nothing else to write about), but for now I wanted to share my excitement! This is not for everyone, I realize, but I have been wanting to go for the last three years, and it is finally going to work out! I can't wait!

And you thought YOU were a young mother

Another HELP story . . . better pull out the tissues.

One place HELP international works in El Salvador is the CIPI orphanage. CIPI, which stands for "Centro Infantil de Protección Inmediata" (Center for the Immediate Protection of the Youth), houses orphans and young mothers. HELP volunteers have spent many hours preparing activities, visiting the orphans, teaching life-skills, bringing them books, etc. An especially meaningful project was a support group HELP established for the young mothers at CIPI. Some of these mothers are as young as eleven, many of them victims of rape. They live at the CIPI with their babies temporarily, until they can find support from family or be prepared to live on their own. The mothers enjoy spending time with HELP volunteers, because of the non-judegemental love and encouragement they provide.

2008 volunteer, Stephanie Blood, had the opportunity to serve these girls and said that it was an unforgettable experience. “The girls were so sweet. They took care of each other and each others babies and shared everything.”

She and other volunteers planned weekly activities and taught valuable life skills including: infant care, nutrition, empowerment, and goal-setting. One day they had an activity with fruits and vegetables where they taught the girls the importance of healthy diets. Afterwards they made faces with the fruits, vegetables, and peanut butter. Another time, they planned a day of water balloon volleyball. HELP volunteers took care of the babies while the girls played.

Stephanie says, “Sometimes it was good to give the girls opportunities to just have fun and be girls which was so great for them because they have had to deal with so many huge responsibilities at such a young age.”

Of all of the activities they did together, one that stood out to 2008 volunteer, Whitney Smith, was square-foot gardening. It gave the mothers a sense of accomplishment and a skill they can use for the rest of their lives.

"We wanted the young mothers to feel like they owned the project, so we helped gather the supplies, showed them what to do, and let them do it,” said Whitney. “They were so excited and really worked hard! The girls dug out a spot for the garden, sifted sand, made a rock wall around the garden, put in posts, tied string to partition the garden into sections, and planted and watered the seeds. It was really fun to see the girls succeed."

The gardening technique uses one-third of the water and land and produces three times the yield of traditional gardening. Using this method, the girls have a way to grow vegetables for themselves and have excess to sell in the market.
The most important thing volunteers did there may have simply been talking to these young mothers, offering them love and support and letting the girls know that somebody cares about them. Stephanie said of her experience: “I wish I had stayed longer. I would wake up every morning thinking ‘I can’t believe this is my life right now!’ Every day you wake up ready to serve and just see what you can do for other people. It was the happiest I had been in years!”

HELP Story of the Month

Remember the organization I work with - HELP International? Well, here's our little PR story for this month. I don't know if this story will have he same meaning for you as it does for me, but after having worked at this orphanage several times over a few years, I feel like I have seen some of these kids grow up and it just drives it home that they really will spend their entire lives in this institution. I am so glad that we have volunteers there year-round now. I have seen the difference it makes! Enjoy this little feel good story . . .

While most newlyweds are saving up for their first house or spending money on extravagant honeymoons, just four months into their marriage Sam and Laura Webb spent their summer volunteering at Hogar del Niño, an orphanage for disabled children in El Salvador with approximately 140 residents. Not only were they not paid for their work, but they also funded their own travel and living expenses. “It was worth the money,” Sam says. “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and this was the perfect time to make that sacrifice.”

Sam and Laura spent three months living in a small house on the orphanage property, teaching classes and playing with the children. Every day was filled with planning and activities. Though the activities may seem simple, Sam and Laura put thought and effort into every activity. “The hardest and most stressful part was the planning,” Laura says. “We had to come up with new and fun activities all the time.”

They planned multiple activities each day. In the mornings they played games with children with severe disabilities, afternoons were spent teaching classes to children with only moderate disabilities and every night was play time. While working at Hogar del Niño, Sam and Laura organized talent shows, glamour shots, a trash bag fashion show, a hunt for Bigfoot and pirate day—just to name a few. At first Sam and Laura were worried about coming up with new ideas, but soon realized the children did not care if they repeated activities. They were happy to have people to play with them. As Sam and Laura soon learned, a little love and attention went a long way at Hogar del Niño. For instance, something as simple as a hand-me-down bicycle is all it takes to make the dreams of a child come true.

For Roberto, a resident of Hogar del Niño, the nuns found him a bike for his 16th birthday. Although he did not know how to ride the bike and it was pink and purple, he immediately named his it the Speed Racer 6,000 and refused to let it out of his sight. He spent all day walking his bike around the grounds. Eventually training wheels were added to his bike so he could ride. He announced to everyone before pedaling away, “Watch out, I'm going to increase my speed!”

“You'll never meet more fun kids,” Laura says. “They are well cared for, but the orphanage is understaffed so the children rarely get personal attention.”

The Hogar del Nino Orphanage in El Salvador was founded in 1986 by a Catholic priest named Padre Vito Guarato. It currently serves as a home for 138 persons with physical and mental disabilities. Residents of Hogar come as babies or young children and stay there for the rest of their lives. Unlike many orphanages in Central and South America, the Hogar is a safe, clean, and loving environment for the residents. However, the orphanage caregivers have their hands so full caring for the physical needs of the residents, that they cannot plan activities or spend time with individual children. Before HELP International partnered with Hogar, many of the residents spent all day every day sitting in their wheelchairs. For this reason, HELP International teamed up with Hogar del Niño in 2006 to send volunteers to live and serve in the orphanage.

“I gained a love for people with disabilities and more understanding of a whole different culture and had fun doing it,” Sam says.

To read more about our work at Hogar del Niño visit their blog at http://hogarproject.blogspot.com/ or click here to learn more about the program and how to get involved.

Stories from the field

Remember this post I did awhile ago describing my connection and work with HELP International? And at the end I said stay tuned for stories? Well, this one isn't a total tear-jerker, but it is a heart warmer. So as you prepare to dress up your children and allow them to go out at night filling sacks with a ridiculous amount of candy, think about the kids on the other side of the world . . .

Our work in Africa:

As 2008 HELP volunteers got to know their community in Lugazi, Uganda, they were astonished at the conditions of children with disabilities. There were almost no resources for families of these children to turn to. And, because many villagers believed that disability is caused by witch craft or sin, parents feared to seek support amongst each other. Because of this, children with disabilities were left undiagnosed, malnourished, and hidden from the community.

In partnership with a local organization called, Hope for People with Disability, HELP started a support group for 5 mothers and their children with disabilities. As these mothers began to bring their children into the community to associate with each other, families with similar circumstances were excited to join. In a few weeks the group grew to include 33 families.

Every Thursday, families would meet to learn topics from effective communication to nutrition. HELP trained local caregivers to visit families of children with disabilities. They would visit each family once a week to set goals and encourage family bonding. In accordance with the goals set and achieved by families, HELP International was able to place 3 wheelchairs, 4 walking aids, and 6 mattresses with children in the group.

Even more exciting, HELP volunteers were able to partner with a non-profit health clinic, called Cheshire Home, which treats children with disabilities. HELP volunteers coordinated with local leaders in Lugazi to arrange for Cheshire staff to visit Lugazi for a monthly outreach. Now, all of the children have been diagnosed and their families have been given instructions on how to better care for them.

A volunteer who helped head this project recounted a particularly profound experience he had with one of our group members, Sam:

"Sam suffers from hydrocephalus. He is also blind and has no ability to walk due to severe deformities in his legs. Sam is very poor and his family cannot afford a new wheelchair for him to use. Through our home visits, Sam has learned how to crawl. As a result of reaching this goal, HELP was able to provide Sam with a new wheelchair customized to his body and conditions. Now, Sam can crawl to his new wheelchair, and use the wheelchair all by himself, giving him the freedom of mobility. One thing I learned from Sam: In America, we see the wheelchair as a form of confinement, but in Africa, the wheelchair sets someone free."

A Little Excitement

So there are two things that I am excited about tonight, but first I have to tell you that it is after 10pm and my 2 yr old has been awake in his room since 8:15! He just came down and said "I just need somebody to talk to." I said "no, you need to get in your bed and go to sleep." He says, "When I'm six can I play with friends?" "Sure, now go get back in your bed. Do I need to tuck you in again?" As we're going up the stairs he says "We forgot to do my homework." Silly kid. Earlier he came out and told me that his teeth were loose and I needed to pull them out. (Corbin lost his first tooth tonight shortly after I tucked them in the first time, so I sort of understood that one.) I told him they wouldn't fall out until he was five to which he excitedly replied "I'm five, Mom, I'm five!"

So onto what I am really excited about:
One, the new HELP International website is now up and running. It is not perfect, but it is much better than the old one. Just in case you forgot, HELP is the non-profit organization I used to work for and now serve on the board. Check it out and get a little glimpse of what I do and what I love.
Second, my neighbor (and other friends) finally convinced me to join the rest of the female population and read Twilight. So that is my plan right now. I am going to go get a bowl of ice cream and start reading. Those who know me know I am not really one for non-fiction and especially not the lovestory, vampire type - so we'll see. But since I really want to see the movie and nearly everyone I know is obsessed with this series, I guess I better see what all the fuss is about. I'll keep you posted.

PS when I started writing this post it was 10:10, so reading was my plan, but since then, I tucked Cody back in twice, switched over the laundry, fed Colton, put him back to bed, and talked to my husband who is at work, so now it is 10:55 - and I am SO tired. So I think I will read for as long as it takes me to eat my ice cream and try for another day.

I know you've been wondering

20 YEARS AGO . . . I was
1. Partying at the Houston Marriott (where Dad worked) for Mom's surprise 30th birthday and probably new year's eve.
2. Losing my younger brother at the Houston Galleria
3. taking picnics to the park with my friend and pretending I was homeless

10 YEARS AGO...I was
1. Dating my soon to be hubby - who took me shopping for my birthday
2. Failing out of almost all classes at my first semester of college
3. Working at Club Omni as a bartender (where I met my husband!)

5 YEARS AGO...I
1. graduated from BYU with a degree in International Studies, Latin American Studies Minor
2. had a baby during finals and walked at graduation while he was still at the hospital
3. isn't that enough?

3 YEARS AGO...I was
1. living in a two-bedroom duplex that we owned in Provo.
2. working at HELP International
3. Taking my brother to El Salvador and my husband to Guatemala and Belize

1 YEAR AGO...I was
1. hiding the fact that I was pregnant (because I was still in the denial phase)
2. driving Corbin 25min each way to preschool everyday so he could go to BYU
3. finally getting used to having two boys

THIS YEAR... I
1. had my third baby boy
2. have been doing an experiment on the effects of long-term sleep deprivation
3. became a blogger!

YESTERDAY...
1. Went fishing and picnicing at Spring Lake (I'll post pics soon)
2. Enjoyed having my husband home for an entire day and didn't get dressed until 11 o'clock
3. made to-die-for caramel brownies and hosted book club at my house

TODAY...
1. finally put up Halloween decorations with Corbin
2. returned the breast pump I had rented (pointless since Colton refuses to take a bottle)
3. ran errands (5 different places), including grocery shopping, with 3 boys - yes, I am crazy

TOMORROW...
1. Pick up my brother, Mason, at the airport at 8am
2. think of something fun to do with a 16 year old, a five year old, two year old and a baby
3. take a nap (ha, ha)

NEXT YEAR...
1. celebrate 10 year wedding anniversary by going to Africa
2. start a Masters program in either Non-profit Management or International Development
3. be done breastfeeding!

I think this was a fun tag, so if you want to do it, I TAG YOU!

HELP

So you may be wondering why I fell off the grid for awhile, or maybe you didn't. But it has been quite awhile since I posted anything. Amid other activities and constantly trying to wrangle my three little hooligans, I participated in a planning retreat for the non-profit organization of which I serve on the board of trustees. It was really amazing. I love being a part of it. For all you blog stalkers out there who have been reading about my boys and know very little about me, I started working for HELP International about 4 and a half years ago. I took a hiatus after I had Cody, but they couldn't live without me so I agreed to go back. It was the absolute best job for several reasons; 1-I could make my own hours, 2-It actually fit with my degree, and 3-I was truly passionate about what I was doing. Before I had Colton, I decided I wanted to direct my full attention to my family, so they voted me onto the Board. Now I just get to be a part of the good stuff without having to worry about the day to day junk. So now you are asking "what the heck is HELP International anyway?"

(At this point I just have to make a side note: Do not attempt to look up their website, it is quite pitiful and I am somewhat ashamed of it. We began creating a new website several months ago and in the interim - supposedly 2-3 weeks - had a volunteer put up this basic website. Well, in the world of non-profit, some things just get pushed to the wayside and for us, this year, the website was just one of them. However, the new one should be up and running around the middle of next month - so I will give you the go ahead when it is okay to check it out. Until then, you will just have to read this blog for what it is.)

So back to the original discussion, HELP International is a non-profit organization started 10 years ago by a group of ambitious college students and one crazy professor. The goal of HELP International is to assist the poor of the developing nations to improve their quality of life while developing competent student and community leaders for tomorrow's continued fight against poverty. HELP focuses international development and social entrepreneurship. Formally, the mission is to provide a life changing experience through service to the poor. We accomplish this by recruiting and training college-age volunteers who then work to achieve sustainable development with our local partner organizations in Uganda, Guatemala, or El Salvador.

The following are accomplishments of this summer alone:

• 65 homes visited with personal health instruction
• 170 graduates form English training courses
• 190 graduates from business training courses
• 500 graduates from teacher training courses
• 420 stoves built with cement and chimneys supplied
• 600 people with access to new square foot gardens
• 3 school rooms constructed
• 6 showers constructed for HIV/AIDS positive individuals
• 1 playground constructed
• 1 chicken coupe constructed
• 1 pig pen constructed
• 1 computer lab constructed with 4 computers donated and installed
• 3 libraries constructed with over 1000 books donated
• 100 school kits donated
• 100 hygiene kits donated
• 3 wheelchairs, 2 standing frames, and 1 sitting frame donated to children with disabilities
• 6 mattresses and covers donated to needy families
• 1000's of hours spent with orphans, street children, disabled kids and adults, teen mothers, and other abandoned children
• 89+ social entrepreneurs created, young adults from up and coming generation who now have a better understanding of their world and the difference that they can make

I know that alot of these are just numbers, but all of these numbers have faces - individual faces of people whose lives were changed this summer. I am so proud to be a part of this organization and hope that I can continue do serve and work to alleviate poverty for the rest of my life.

Stay tuned with a box of tissues for the real-life stories that go with all these numbers . . .