Archive for 30 June 2010

April – June 2010 Newsletter

30 June 2010

Introducing Corazón de Esperanza

This past spring, a group of men and women in the U.S. who have a heart for Hogar de Esperanza began Corazón de Esperanza, Inc. This public, non-profit charitable organization has been created to raise financial support for the orphanage, continue to help advance our programs, and to raise awarness of our growing needs. Please consider giving to our ministry through Corazón de Esperanza. You may donate online, sign up to give monthly donations online or send a check to Corazon de Esperanza, PO Box 4354, Gypsum, CO 81637. Our needs are greater than ever and we are thankful for Corazón de Esperanza partnering with us. Visit them online for information on their board of directors and mission. www.corazondeesperanza.org

Felicitaciones, Liz and Obal!

March 16, 2010 our director, Liz Bernuy, gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Mateo. Liz and her husband, Obal, are overjoyed with their new son and we congratulate them and pray for God’s blessings upon there life. Liz has worked with the orphanage for over 6 years and continues to dedicate her time and love to the children of Hogar de Esperanza. Congratulations!

A Child Looking for Love

Abraham is an easy child to overlook. He’s quiet and sometimes shy. But it doesn’t take much inspection to realize all he has to offer as a person. In art, he’s creative and skilled. In basketball, he has no difficulty nailing a shot off the dribble with a hand in his face. He can throw a football as far as our green space will allow. Yes, in his quiet way, it is clear Abraham is a child of exceptional talent and is just one of our many children who are praying for a family of their own.

Amazing Volunteers Return Home


An amazing group of young men and women made up the long-term group of volunteers we had in 2009-2010. The children and staff said goodbye to many of them in the past few months as they traveled back to their homes in the U.S. and the Ukraine. John & Lori Foster, Lena Blagodarna, Becca Burlington, Nikki Hansen, Courtney Chappuis, Susanna Davenport, Mateo Bednarsky, Bekah Rust, and made a tremendous impact on our ministry. From painting, teaching art, serving in the kitchen, doing laundry, tutoring, teaching in Escuela de Miller, working with our jewelry program, teaching English, gardening, fixing anything that broke, working with our water system, being door-man, mentoring, taking pictures and serving by loving our children every day – these volunteers gave 100% by sacrificing their way of life to serve our kids. We are overwhelmed with gratitude for these wonderful volunteers. Please pray for them as they return home and re-adjust to their own culture. Visit their blogs to learn more about their time in Peru.





Please join us in prayer as we tell our story and pray for churches and individuals to partner with us. May God continue to meet the needs of these precious children.

Que Dios les bendiga,

Board of Hogar de Esperanza

March 2010 Newsletter

31 March 2010

Sofia finds her home

Sofia spent many of her 8 years living on the streets of a small mountain town near Otusco, Peru, a town which boasts of no electricity or running water and sits just a few hours from Trujillo. Her birth mother is mentally handicapped and was unable to care for Sofia, her brother, Jose Luis – 18 months, and her sister Luz Consuelo – 11 years old. Before coming to the orphanage last January, Sofia and Luz Consuelo had never been to school. But now, the two girls have been involved in summer programs and have started learning their alphabet, numbers and basic skills and this month, Sofia began attending the Escuela de Miller. This shy little girl quickly changed into a smiling face who has made countless friends

School Time


It’s March and that means pencils sharpened, shoes shined and clip-on ties de-wrinkled. It’s school time. This year many of our students are going to school outside the orphanage, and they are all excited to be making new friends. That leaves only those children that need extra special help in the Miller School this year, freeing Miss Aly to pay them the attention they need. For Easter, many of the children in Colegio Betania acted out The Passion, with our Abraham in the lead role.

Director’s Assistant

Carmen Adriana Alcantara began working as the assistant to the orphanage director, Liz Bernuy, 9 months ago. She is gifted in organization and is a wonderful blessing to our administration team. Carmen encourages those around her through scripture and prayer and is a constant reminder of God’s faithfulness to use each of us in different ways. Carmen is married with two sons; David, 21 years and a student at UPAO, and Adrés, 17 years who has just finished high school.











Que Dios les bendiga,

Board of Hogar de Esperanza

February 2010 Newsletter

28 February 2010

Going Home


Caroline shows Maricielo a picture she
took of her younger housemate
during the photography summer program.
 

Over 17 different summer programs were offered to our children during January and February. This year we were blessed with many gifted volunteers and workers who created and implemented many of these summer programs. All children participated in tutoring, sewing, Bible study, theatre, card making, reading and service projects to the community. They were also given the opportunity to sign up for elective programs of their choice. These programs opened a new world to many children, giving them experience in art, playing the violin and guitar, yo-yo’s, choir, creative writing, basketball, gymnastics, soccer and photography. We are proud to be an example throughout Trujillo in regards to the programs we provide our children. A big thank you to the volunteers and workers who helped make these summer programs a beautiful reality!

Muchas Gracias!

Samantha Smith has given the past 17 months of her life to the children and volunteers of Hogar de Esperanza. In August of 2007, as a volunteer, Sam took the position of Volunteer Coordinator and has done a great job meeting the needs of the volunteers, groups and children. Sam was an integral part of refining this position, bringing in new ideas and helping to bridge the gap between the staff and volunteers. As she leaves the orphanage and begins new adventures in Chiclayo, Peru, we pray that God continues to work through her. We will miss her greatly and continue to be blessed by the work and time she dedicated to our ministry.

New Floors for our Chapel

Through the kind donations of a few individuals, we were able to redo the floor of our on-campus chapel. Previously the floor had a thin carpet that had been damaged by flooding, molding and 4 years of daily use by 40 children. Through these donations, we were able to put in durable and beautiful tile that will help us use the room for a variety of purposes, including chapel, children’s programs, trainings and special services. THANK YOU for helping us keep our facilities in great condition to serve the children of Peru.


Please continue to pray for the children that have left our orphanage for new beginnings and for the new children that have recently come to call Hogar de Esperanza home. Thank you for your love for this ministry.



Que Dios les bendiga,

Board of Hogar de Esperanza

January 2010 Newsletter

31 January 2010

Going Home

Deisy leaves with her sister, Janet,
to reunite with her family.

It’s always a mix of emotions when children leave Hogar de Esperanza. We’ve had plenty of experience with those emotions over the last month as several children have left to reunite with their families. Deisy and Janet; Maria and Jonathan; Pedro, Rosario and Brisa are all now with their families. Volunteers and workers are sad to see their little friends leave, but happy to see them reunite with their families. It’s tough to know what’s best. The children all long to be home, but we know they won’t have the same opportunities in terms of education, activities or living conditions. We just pray God’s blessings on them as they leave our hands.

Cooking is Her Ministry

Where most orphanages serve the same menu of rice and beans each day, Filomena takes pride in creating menus that include some of Peru’s most savory and popular dishes. Filomena has been the head cook at the orphanage since 2004 and says, “Cooking for the children is the way I serve God. I am happy when they like the food I make.” She is always looking for ways to save and bargain so the children can have a variety of fresh vegetables, fruit and meat. She shops weekly and feeds over 70 people 3 times each day for a little less than $700 per month. Filomena is the mother of 3 grown children and lives in Esperanza with her husband, daughter and young granddaughter. She commutes by bus over an hour each way to and from the orphanage and is an active part of the Baptist church in Esperanza, where our younger children attend services each Sunday.

Summer Camp

Paul is one of the many children at our orphanage that enjoyed the benefit of going to summer camp. Twin Lakes Camp is offered to many of the community members in Trujillo, as well as the children of Hogar de Esperanza. The children spent their days swimming, horse-back riding, playing soccer, participating in team building activities and learning more about God’s love for each one of them. We are grateful to Twin Lakes for providing our kids with this experience!









We pray your year is full of new beginnings and that God’s love would permeate all that you do. Thank you for your continuing support and generosity to this ministry.

Que Dios les bendiga, (May God bless you)

Board of Hogar de Esperanza