Click on the Volunteers link at the top of this page if you'd like to download a Volunteer Application Form and Staff Handbook.

Christina Dawang, Directora del Centro Educacional Familia Feliz, comparte su gozo porque ya hay suficientes voluntarios para ayudar durante este año 2009.  Pero habrá necesidad de voluntarios para el año 2010 - maestros, un mecánico, una enfermera, un agricultor y parejas quienes pueden ser padres de hogares.

Haga clic en el enlace Volunteers en la parte superior de esta página para descargar la Solicitud y el Manual para voluntarios.

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Doinel "Doru" Tartea (Familia Feliz General Director) shares about the progress and needs at this school and safe home for children in the jungles of Bolivia.  A major need at this time is someone experienced in Agriculture.

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We just recently finished a much needed two week vacation (winter break down here), allowing volunteers some rest and tranquillity while the children visited their families. A surazo (cold south front) announced the commencement of classes again, although for a short time, we wondered if there would even be any students on campus to teach classes to! The rain completely devastated our dirt highway, the worst we have ever seen.

As we fought our way into town to pick up the children, we came upon at least 30 trucks and cars lined up on both sides of the road, unable to pass because of the extreme mud. We prayed earnestly to be able to pass, especially so as we had to drive at the very edge of a precipice, squeezing by the huge trucks. The tourists we had picked up on the way in decided it wasn´t very wise to ride with us, and pick their way through the slippery mess on foot. I wish I had been able to video it, as Doru, our director, red as a tomato from concentrating, handled the pressure of driving through it with a weak 4WD whose two front shafts weren´t working. Our poor pickup has been through a lot and is starting to show it!

We finally did manage to pick up the children the following day, making us miss only 1 day of classes. We would like to be able to say we also picked up all the volunteers who were returning, but unfortunately, 3 of our teachers were delayed a week in coming back. God always overrules though, and we received a new volunteer from Guyana – Indira Seegolan, who was able to cover for two of our teachers.

Indira Seegolam (right)

Speaking of new volunteers, God has blessed us with more than one new one. For months now, we have been praying for a married couple to serve as houseparents for our little girls. Our ultimate goal is to place all of our children in separate homes to experience being part of our family. We had a house for our little girls, but no houseparents so I have been caring for them in the big house. Arturo and Damaris Marquez Sanchez, from Mexico, were warmly welcomed 3 weeks ago, and after a couple of weeks to get used to campus, they moved in with the little girls who are more than thrilled to finally be in a family environment! We now have all of our houses filled to capacity with children and parents, which brings our goal back into focus of needing to build another house for children.

Another volunteer we´re greatly delighted to have is Steve Torres, who fills a very necessary capacity as a mechanic and maintenance man. He´s also blessing us with his teaching skills as he introduces the exciting world of social studies to our high school students.

We were joined by an unexpected volunteer during vacation. Jerry Cardoza, another of our volunteers, met an Italian tourist Jonathan Gionata Nencini during vacation, while at the mechanics. They got to talking, and Jerry invited Jonathan out to visit Familia Feliz for a few days. He then joined us on an overnight trip to Ixiamas and when we got back, decided to stay a bit longer to help us out. He has been joining in our staff worships, and Steve loaned him his Italian Bible that he happened to have brought for some unknown reason. He is very excited as he is learning to know God as his personal friend. Just yesterday, he told us that he would stay until the end of the school year in November to help us out. He is now our English teacher for the high school students and adds a helping hand in maintenance and construction. This is now the second tourist who has ended up being led to Familia Feliz as a volunteer, and I´m sure it won´t be the last.

Alejandra, one of our houseparents, also just gave birth to a baby girl several days ago, which adds one more to our staff. Sara Abigail is now a part of a family with seven older brothers.

Exciting progress has been made in the most important department of Familia Feliz – Food Preparation! Faithful Euler, our long time Bolivian volunteer, recently finished building his third brick oven, the biggest one we have had so far. It works wondrously for our traditional Friday night pizza, as well as our weekly breadbaking, saving a lot of propane and providing ash for the agriculture program. In order to save this oven from the fate of the last two, we have built a big roof over it, extending it out far enough to provide us a cooking area where we can cook over wood fire on the occasions when there is no propane available (a not too infrequent event!) Indira has also introduced us to the wonders of soy beans, teaching us how to make tofu, soy meat, and soy cheese, adding a delicious new taste to our pizza and other cooking as well. It provides us with a healthier option too than what is available at the market.

This last trimester has marked the quinceñeras (15th birthdays) of two of our girls here, a very big event as they transition from childhood to womanhood and we celebrated this event with them.

Liesma

Liesma and Ruth have been with us for almost three years and are among the few original girls left since I arrived in April 2007. The girls have grown and matured into young ladies and it is sad to think they will be leaving us soon.

Ruth

Cristina, another of our girls who has been here almost since the beginning, and is now a high school student, preached her first sermon at one of our Friday night church programs. Since 9 years old, Cristina has never been able to speak above a whisper, having lost her voice due to an STD contracted while she was in her home (abuse). Last March, she was operated on by a specialized ENT team who came to the Mission of Hope Clinic in Santa Cruz. Since then her voice has slowly but surely been improving. We are so happy and glad for her. God is so good to His children.

Cristina

A great blessing we received this week as we are finishing off our second trimester is a visit from Melissa Harding and her children (they have been in Santa Cruz working on the legal adoption process of her 7 children). She was only going to be here for the weekend but God impressed her to extend her stay and we are all so glad. Most of this years´ volunteers had not met her before so her stay is a good opportunity for them to get to know her, as well as hear her testimony of how Familia Feliz first started. Plus, we get to remember how much of an avid water-fighter she is in this heat we´re in!

Missy & Kids

Another bit of good news! For those who don´t know yet, Fred Adams, the father of Daniel Adams who volunteered at Familia Feliz last year, undertook the project of building our Familia Feliz website. You can hear stories of our children and volunteers, learn how to apply as a volunteer to Familia Feliz, and get information about how to donate, contact details and other general information.

Thank you for all your support and prayers.

God Bless!

Love,

Christina Dawang
Familia Feliz
(591) 711 230 04
christinadawang {at} gmail(.)com

P.S. Thank you Melissa! (for helping me write this newsletter).

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Voluntaria de Canadá Sara Ross comparte los gozos y dificultades de guiar a nos niños del Centro Educativo Familia Feliz mientras crecen espiritualmente al caminar con Jesús.  A veces los niños se portan mal, ¡pero luego sorprenden a Sara con algo especial!

Video in English – Video en Inglés

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Especially made with love for Sara

Heidi, a volunteer from Paraguay, shares her experiences while serving at Familia Feliz school & orphanage, located in the beautiful jungles of Bolivia.  Heidi is teaching and learning at the same time, as she teaches first and seventh graders, and helps keep an eye on the children.  Heidi was especially impressed when on one occasion she felt sad & discouraged.  One of the girls noticed, asked how she was doing and shared words of encouragement, including Bible promises.  Even though these orphaned and abandoned children have suffered so much, they have Jesus in their hearts and are willing to help others.

Video en Español – Video in Spanish

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Jerry es voluntario de México que ha estado en Bolivia durante más de 3 años.  Empezó como voluntario en Familia Feliz en Febrero, 2009.  Trabaja como profesor y preceptor para estos niños que no tienen hogar y no conocían el verdadero amor.  Pero después de un mes, al ver cómo es una familia verdadera, los niños que antes no tenían esperanza son totalmente transformados.

Video in English – Video en Inglés

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Aleida Barrera Solar, voluntaria de Colombia, es maestra de alumnos de Segundo año de Primaria y Primer año de Secundaria.  Una cosa que le impresionó bastante sucedió al llegar a Familia Feliz después de un largo viaje.  Los niños le dieron una bienvenida con sonrisas, abrazos y besos como si la hubieran conocido por muchos años.  Una niña le regaló una flor.  Aleida dice que los niños son colaboradores y muy misioneros, compartiendo el amor de Jesús y animando a los voluntarios dándoles palabras de aliento.

Aleida is a volunteer at from Colombia.  She teaches Second year of Elementary school and first year of High School.  She was really impressed upon arriving at Familia Feliz for the first time after her long journey.  The children welcomed her with smiles, hugs and kisses as if they’d known her for years!  One girl saw her sitting alone in the back of the chapel and gave her a flower.  Aleida says that the children are cooperative and very mission-minded, sharing the love of Jesus and giving words of encouragement to the volunteers.

A volunteer from Riberalta in Northeastern Bolivia, Carola enjoys serving at Familia Feliz as a missionary.  She has been moved while hearing about the difficult circumstances these adorable children under her care have been through.  Carola enjoys sharing Jesus’ love, and observing how the kids grow & learn to be responsible in this remote Bolivian jungle location.

Video en Español – Video in Spanish

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Jenny Figueroa, voluntaria Colombiana, es Preceptora y “Mamá” de 8 niñas en el Centro Educativo Familia Feliz, localizado en la selva Amazónica cerca de Rurrenabaque, Bolivia.  También es maestra de Primero Básico, y dice que todos los días les viene a visitar una linda mariposa como muestra del amor de Dios.

Jenny Figueroa, a volunteer from Colombia, is girls’ dean and a “Mother” to 8 teenage girls at Familia Feliz Educational Center, located in the Amazon jungle near Rurrenabaque, Bolivia.  She also teaches first-graders, and says that every day a big blue butterfly comes by to visit, which reminds the children about God’s love.