school reg.

Headed to register the kids tomorrow for classes!

These are the grades the kids will be in this year!
Linda 6th grade
Bryan and Pamela 5th grade
Antonio 4th grade
Jackson and Cindy 3rd grade
Ana, Jose, Daniela, and Fernando 2nd grade
Reina, Sisi, and Katty 1st grade
Nohemy and Maryuri Kinder
Also Doris will be attending school this year. They want her to interact with kids of her age. So she will probably be in 5th or 6th grade. She will not be able to complete the work but she will be able to interact with those in her class.
Then Rosy will be in 2nd grade at Manos Felizes!
We also still have Doris, Sisi, Reina, and Maryuri in Teleton taking classes.

Be praying as the kids start a new school year. It always makes for things quite busy here at the house, but busy sometimes is a good thing!

roller blades

Daniela
The kids love their roller blades that they got for Christmas. Rosy, Ana, and Daniela all received a pair. Although all of the kids are sure to get their turn in on the roller blades. Some are catching right on and others fall down over and over again but they get up and try again and again and again. Here are some picture of the girls enjoying the roller blades.

Ana trying to keep her balance

Sisi

Sisi, Ana, and Daniela

Katy

Houses

Fernando had about 5 pieces of wood and was determined he was going to make himself a house. This is about as far as he got!

The kids this week have all worked hard on building their own playhouses. Brayan started one morning trying to figure out how he was going to build a house. After much work he finally had him a card board house. Of course all of the kids wanted in the house with him and there was not enough room. So everyone else started trying to make their house. Only two of the many houses are still standing.
After the two houses were finished side by side one another. The decided one would be the girls play house and the other the boys playhouse.

The kids are so creative and they had so much fun doing making their houses.
They went to the trash and found every scrap of cardboard they could and then they went to the old fire pit and found old nails. They went over the hill to collect rocks and sticks and before long they had their playhouse finished!
The part that is so scary in all of this is that this is how some of the houses really do look like in Honduras. This is the reality of how many people do live.

The girls play house

building

The girls in the boys playhouse

Brayan very proud of his playhouse

the girls

The girls are loving their new roller blades they got for Christmas! Everyone else is jealous and wanting to know when Christmas will be here again so they can all have a pair! They've got a long wait ahead of them!

Soccer

Linda

playing soccer

Denis and Dorian helping tie the netting on the new goal

The kids decided to use some old parts of some stuff we had here at the house to make goals to play soccer.

From the old trampoline the kids took the frame and turned it on its side to make two goals. Then they had an old goal and the frame was broken so they took the netting from it and put it on the frame of the trampoline to make two goals.
All of the kids got new soccer balls for Christmas! Gayle helped put some stuff for the kids together and had it sent here on a container! The kids loved being able to get their own soccer balls. Now they have all the more reason to go play with their new soccer balls.

As most of you already know soccer here is huge! Most of the kids love playing! Now they're loving playing all the more with their new goals and their new soccer balls.

Game nights

Game night is one of my favorite nights! I love to play games, as do most of the kids.
While in the states one of my friends bought toss across for the kids. For those of you who do not know what it is, it is tic tac toe with beanbags.
The kids love it!!!! So thank you Durbins!

Sisi picking up the beanbags

Ring around the Nosey
The kids even talked me into playing

Brayan and Antonio

Doris running around chasing everyone with her elephant mask upside down

Linda with toss across

Linda and Jackson

Linda and me

Some more Ring Around the Nosey

Katy no using your hands!!!!

Eventful!

This past week was our first full week back in Honduras. The week held lots of unexpected events.

Dorian had planned on going to Nicaragua for a week to help there in the church. He and some of the youth group headed out on Monday morning. When they got the border he found out that some of the papers of the youth group had were expired and were unable to pass the border. So plans to go to Nicaragua abruptly came to an end and were back here in Santa Ana that afternoon.

Then on Tuesday Dorain headed to town with those who had to go to the dentist appointments and those who had Teleton appointments. He had 8 of the kids so he took the van so there would be enough room. Shortly upon leaving Santa Ana he realized that the gas light was on and he didn't think much of it and he thought when he got to Teguc he would put gas in the van.
When he arrived in Teguc I recieved a phone call saying he could not find the keys to open the gas tank of the van. Then I remembered the Reina told me the other day while we were gone she had found some keys in the washer and hung them up in the kitchen because she did not know what they were for. Sure enough those keys said fuel on them and were the keys to the gas tank of the van. Although he was in Teguc with eight of the kids, Sandra, and little gas. And I was here at the house with the rest of the kids and the keys he needed.
So he said he would try to make it home and hope he had enough gas. Luckily he made it home with the kids!
Upon arriving here at the house he asked who had touched the keys and we came to find out the window of the van was left down one day and one of the kids climbed through the van window and got them out! Oh there is always an adventure with this many kids!

Then on Thursday just as we were getting ready to eat lunch some man showed up with an clip board and said he would like to talk to me. Well he told me he was from ENEE (which is the elec. company) and he was here to turn off the elec. What?!?! He told me we had not paid one month and he was here to cut it off. Well I assured him that we had the money for the amount he told me we owed and I told him we would go to the bank and pay it that same day. He told me there was nothing I could tell him that would make him change his mind. He was here to do his job and that was to cut off our elec. So he said he would go and cut the elec. because that was his job but if we wanted it turned back on we could find someone and pay then a coke and ask them to reconnected it after he left.
It was a little tricky but we got it reconnected that afternoon! Boy oh boy was I thankful that the lights came back on before the evening. Always when there are no lights it makes 17 crazy kids!
The problem was we had not received our bill for the past month and we were waiting to receive it. We came to find out our neighbor had found our bill on the groud and had picked it up and was going to give it to us. Although she put it up and quickly forgot to give it to us until she stumbled across it that same day in pair on old pants.
Your bill is printed on a small piece of paper and taped to the gate. Well ours gets taped on our front gate because that is where are counter is. So easily someone could rip it off, the wind could blow it away or just who knows what before we get the bill.

So lets hope this week is a little bit more uneventful!

Josue

Embroidering

The kids are so proud of their work!

Sisi

Brayan

Antonio

Pamela

Linda

Ana

While out of school they kids have been working on embroidering pillow cases. Embroidering is something that all of the kids have to learn to do because in school it is required of them. They usually have a project that they have to complete for a grade.
Dilma has taught them different techniques and been very patient to work with each of the kids to finish their pillow case.

Most of the kids have finished theirs and they are so excited to show them off to everyone.

Some of the kids have even got the idea of selling them in our Casa store.

Happy Birthday Jackson!

Happy 9th Birthday Jackson!

Brayan

Please take a minute today and say a prayer for Brayan. He is just really struggling with this whole being away from his momma and family. He has been having a hard hard time being away from them and understanding why he is here at Casa and such lately.
My heart aches to see him like this. Just please pray for his heart as it aches.

Honduras!

We made it back to Honduras Tuesday afternoon. It is quite cold here. In the 50's with lots of wind! So the cold weather came back with us.
Although it feels so good to be back home and with the kids!

I will be sure to get everyone updated with how things are here at Casa soon.

Honduras

Tomorrow is my last day here in Ohio for awhile. We head back early Tuesday morning to Honduras. It has been wonderful to be here with family and rest and relax.
I have missed the kids and everyone there in Honduras. As I have said many times it would be easier if our worlds were just a little bit closer. It is always bitter sweet. I am ready to be back but not wanting to leave so many that I love.
I am sure I will hit the ground running! Marc and Terri have been with the kids while we are in the states and they leave the following day after we get back to go to the states. So we will have a lot to go over, hand off, and talk about before they ahead off the next day.
The kids are starting back to school supposably this Friday for a few weeks to refresh before the new school year starts. It is sort of like summer school. Then in February they start the new school year. Hopefully this year will be a better school year for the kids and more consistent in having classes.
Please pray for Casa and the kids there by name. They need your prayers. They have a lot of hurt and junk deep in their hearts. They need their names taken daily before our great BIG God.
Today has been a tough day at Casa so I hear. So thank you, thank you, thank you, for your prayers for all of these children.

Snow Snow Snow

This is how everyone is feeling about the snow alreadyhere in OH/WV! Everyone keeps telling me they know why we are getting all of this snow. They know that I have prayed hard for lots of snow while we were home. So everyone has told me it is time to stop praying for snow.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow.....

I got what I have been waiting for, SNOW!!
Dorian has jumped right in and helped shovel the snow, go sleigh riding, and even build a snowman. His first snow I am sure will not be his last!

~Ana~

Happy 9th Birthday Ana!!!

Dec Update 2009

December 2009

Happy New Year! We hope that you all had a wonderful New Year and Christmas with your family and friends.

Most of Decemeber we spent in Ohio with family and friends. It was a great Christmas to be home with family and friends. It was a lot of firsts for Dorian, he was able to experience snow, opening gifts, cold weather, Christmas cookies, Christmas lights and the list could go on and on. I think he loved it, I sure loved being able to be here for Christmas and experience it with him.

It has been a wonderful time to catch up with friends, sleep, rest, and relax! Our time is coming to an end here in the states. We miss the kids and our family there in Santa Ana. It would be much easier if our two worlds could be closer together. I hate that Dorian's family is in Nic, mine here in Ohio, and then our family in Honduras!

We also brought in the new year here in Ohio. We are excited to see what God has in store for our marriage and ministry. Four children this past year now have a place to call home because they were brought to Casa de Esperanza, and many were baptized this past year and became part of the church in Santa Ana. Lives are being changed little by little. We want to thank all of you for your support and encouragement.

Be sure to check out the new church blog Dorian has started. www.santaanaministryhn.blogspot.com
Updates on the work in Santa Ana church will be posted on the blog.

Happy New Year!
Blessings~
Dorian and Karen Guido

Sign Lanuage

Learning to sign a song together

Even Terri got called on to sign in front of all us

Manos Felices has been very generous and while the kids are on break they have been coming to the house once a week in the afternoons to teach all of us sign language. It has been a huge barrier for all of us to talk to Rosy. She is for sure one of our strong willed children and sometimes we would like to be able to communicate clearly with her.

The kids all at times ask me how to sign certain things and we have to pull out the sign language book and look it up. Rosy is not so helpful at wanting to teach us. I think she thinks can get away with more things when we can not communicate with her. We still find a way to get our point a crossed.

I know I have learned a lot more signs to help me communicate with Rosy. Hopefully the staff and the kids have learned a lot more too.