El Sauzal News

  Extra! Extra! Read all about it.

I’m delighted to announce that the new Orphanage DVD is now available.  It features a three minute presentation about the work of El Sauzal.  It was created to give people a feel for who El Sauzal is and what they do.

There are several special features on the DVD.  It has the story of Viviana, a girl who came to the Orphanage at age one.  She grew up, graduated college and left at age 26 when she got married.  There are also slideshows with photos of the children, Orphanage and Mexico.

If you would like a copy (for free!), email me at Patty.Meadows@elsauzal.org.  I’d be happy to mail it to you. 

Thanks!

Nursery nanny Maria, a woman with a warm heart

The El Sauzal Orphanage is a safe haven for wounded and abused children.  But I often forget that it is also a place of safety and shelter for some of the workers as well.

Let me introduce you to Maria.  She has been the nanny for the nursery children for several years.  To say that she loves babies is an understatement.  When very young infants are new to the Orphanage, Maria cares for them in her own room at night.  She gives the babies the maternal love and bonding that they desparately need.

Maria has told me her story a few times.  Before she came to the Orphanage, she had a job at a manufacturing company.  She lived in employee housing with her three little girls.  When the company went out of business, she ended up with no home, no money, no job - just her daughters to care for.  At a very low point, she found a Bible and prayed that God would help her.

Then she heard about El Sauzal.  Here she has a job, a place to live, and the things her children need.  She doesn’t need to worry about their food, clothing, and education.  Her job is not easy; she works twenty-four hours a day, for six long days each week.  On her day off she recuperates and spends time with her children.  It is not a job that many of us would want, and yet she is very grateful for it.

When you help the Orphanage, you’re not only helping children.  Others, like Maria, are thankful for your support.

Maria’s beautiful daughters Lupita, Alicia and Yulie

    Floyd Hoffman, Maintenance & Facilities 

Do you dream of making a difference? 

Last night the El Sauzal Foundation, Inc. held its quarterly board meeting.  One of those reporting was Floyd Hoffman, an experienced contractor from Auburn, Washington.  Floyd first visited the Orphanage two years ago.  He stayed a week, designing and building a large garage.  The trip was moving to him; he returned last summer for another week of work.  He had only been in El Sauzal for a day when he approached us with his dream.

He told us how he had been thinking for several years of how to use his building skills.  As he approached retirement, he was wondering how he could invest in the lives of others in a meaningful way.  The first trip to the Orphanage piqued his interest.   Now he was ready to commit.  He volunteered to take on the daunting job of organizing the maintenance and planning of the Orphanage grounds.

In January, Floyd drew up blue prints of the entire Orphanage property.  Now he is contacting visiting groups, organizing them and the work projects they’ll be doing.  He is working with several other skilled men who have previously volunteered at the Orphanage.  Working together with the Orphanage leadership, they have big plans for the grounds.

We can’t wait to see where their dreams take them!

   Floyd and an Orphanage helper 

21-year-old Ramiro is looking forward to his prospects

When do you ‘kick’ children out of the house? It is an age-old question that parents have wrestled with for years. Do you know when kids leave the Orphanage? It may be different than you would guess.

Right now there are three kids at the Orphanage that are 18 years and older, one being 21-year-old Ramiro. He is currently studying refrigeration engineering. He told me proudly last summer of his job prospects once he graduates. I am not sure when he will be leaving the Orphanage, but he will be ready to be on his own when he does.

Last summer, 26-year old Viviana got married. She lived at the Orphanage from the age of one, until she was married. She had graduated college the year before…and still she wasn’t ‘kicked out’. As a matter of fact, she spent late nights leading up to her wedding reminiscing with her ‘family’ about her childhood at the Orphanage. I did the same thing with my Mom before my wedding.

Fourteen-year-old Jaime

This morning on the radio, there was a campaign for World Vision, to help ‘Last Chance Children’.  The radio station Spirit 105.3 described the kids this way:

Last chance kids are 10, 11, 12, or even 13 years old who have not yet been sponsored. These pre-teenage kids are at a vulnerable age and having a World Vision sponsor could set them on the right path into adulthood.  Most likely missing out on things such as educational opportunities or perhaps much needed medical care.

I love the work of World Vision.  Their headquarters are in Federal Way, Washington, close to where I live.  I’ve had several friends who work for them, and others who donate through them.  Their message on the radio was moving, discussing how important it is for children at this age to have a chance.
 

We have a lot of kids this age at the Orphanage, like Jaime; as a matter of fact there are thirteen kids or so that are ten or older.  Most of them will spend the rest of their childhood at the Orphanage.  As I thought about what World Vision is offering their ‘last chance kids’ – educational opportunities and medical care – I am happy that this is what we give our kids, also.  And as one of the commentators mentioned today, this shouldn’t be their last chance; it should be the start of their lives.