Vanessa adds finishing
touches to
What a great day at Siempre!
With every visit I'm more
impressed with the love and care that goes into raising the children of Siempre Para Los Ninos.
Little things that so many might overlook are tended to with genuine
concern. Vanessa, Pastor
Laundry is eternal when you
have a household with so many kids running and playing. Not to mention
that each child needs a freshly pressed uniform for school every day. Our
workers don't have time to lounge around, even when the kids are in
school. If clothes aren't in the washer, they're in the dryer... when the
dryer can't keep up with the large loads from our huge washer, clothes hang on
the lines outside... and when they're finally dry- they're still not ready to
be put away - at Siempre, everything gets ironed! It's one reason our
kids always look so great!
Bianca, able to smile, as
she irons one more kids shirt... the woman's going for sainthood!
Alexi, one of our more reserved kids
With over 20 kids constantly
looking for love, attention and their own spot in so large a family, it's easy
for some children to be a little less noticed than others. At Siempre,
that's Alexi. He doesn't push himself into the
middle of every conversation. He waits quietly in line when there are
treats. He doesn't fight with the other boys... and he's rewarded by very
often being a little overlooked when we visit. We have to find him.
He may go swing by himself or sit someplace and color. He's not drawn to
the crowd. Alejandro, our director, must have noticed and he recently
bought Alexi a little pet turtle - no bigger than a
half dollar. Wednesday afternoon, Alexi had a
reason to show off, as he carried the little tupperware
bowl filled with inches of water and a little rock, that held his very own turtle.
He walked it among the adults, giving each of us plenty of time to make a big
deal over it and as he returned the container to it's
place he made certain none of the younger children inadvertently spilled the
bowl. A pet to a child is a life time memory. A
small lesson in responsibility. Last Wednesday, for the first
time, Alexi was a star. He stood out in a crowd
of wonderful, noteworthy children, and he was loving
every minute of it. Wouldn't have missed it for the
world.
Doug and Elisa Denton were
with us for the day - that's Doug handing out granola bars
The Wednesdays that Doug and
Elisa join us are special. Elisa speaks perfect Spanish and everyone at
Siempre is drawn to her loving warmth... and their own language. Doug
speaks perfect grandpa- he plans for his trips a week in advance- making
certain he'll have enough "healthy" treats for the kids. He
always starts out by making sure each child gets a bar... but soon everyone has
two or three and they've all given Doug big hugs. They call him abolito, (grandfather), and he loves it. From his
first visit he built a special bond with Abril, the
older girl in the gray t-shirt. She meets him as soon as we arrive.
Walks him to a place to sit, then helps him hand our the
treats. I don't know if she even bothers to take one for herself.
They've built a special kinship and I know they're both blessed by it.
When Abril and her brother Norman first arrived they
had an incredibly difficult transition into life at Siempre. Today, their
confidence overflows. They've come to trust the promise of siempre...
always. And have found peace that is greater then the heartbreak of their
problems. Amazing the good things that can come from a
granola bar.
Our group photo for the day-
the one I'm using
what most of them look like week to week - that's Danny
wanting to dance for the camera
I take several group photos
each week - they're one way we can track our kids across the years. It's
old hat to the children and they're usually up to something and when I get back
to my computer I usually have to sift through several shots to find one that's
usable. That's a good thing. We take pictures of the kids when they
first arrive- normally looking just a little frightened- soon they're feeling
at home and acting the way kids are supposed to act... like kids! It's
one of the greatest gifts we give our children - their childhood. Most
have suffered heartbreak, loss and abandonment that we'll never know or be able
to imagine. They get "too old, too soon." In the midst of
raising these children up to be the great young adults they were created to
become- we long to restore their lost childhood. Because of your support,
Danny can clown around today. It's a priceless gift. I could never
thank you enough for your prayers, love and financial support. Because of
you the doors of Siempre remain open to the lost children of TJ. We're
for the children. Don't forget to keep us in your prayers,
we need them, now, more than ever.
Our first group photo at
Siempre - Danny's first week, over two years ago - he's the one in white and
blue football jersey- in Mickey's arms (Mickey's in the red shirt) - much too
insecure to run and play for the camera
Siempre,
Eric M. Denton
951-689-5806,
office
951-907-9100,
cell
PS
We're
planning our 2007
You can
support a child on
a monthly basis and begin to build a lifetime relationship or support Siempre
Para Los Ninos for a day, week or month.
Without you our doors would close.
To learn how you
can rescue kids in poverty go to siemprekids.org.
Mail your donation direct and Make
checks payable to Siempre
I'm open to
speak to your church, club, group or business concerning Siempre support.
If you'd prefer
not to receive our weekly update, let me know. No problem.
Thanks so
much to those of you
who forward this to your friends, family and associates