Last month we celebrated Ruth’s 19th birthday at Pizza Hut. Ruth was joined by a friend (first on left) that she met at church and her younger sister Lorena (third on left). Ruth has decided on a university for her medical studies and will be starting in August. In the meantime, she received a full scholarship to study English two nights a week at a language institute. Beyond that, she is working part time at the children’s home where she used to live. Ruth is embracing this new phase in her life and we’re quite happy with the progress that she’s made in such a short period of time. Please keep her in your prayers as she works and studies English.

Helen (below) will be joining Ruth’s House this May. She’s currently finishing her high school education and taking gastronomy classes at an institute in the evening. She enjoys baking and hopes to study nutrition next year at a university. Please pray for Helen as she makes this transition from Talita Cumi to Ruth’s House. All of the children who leave the home experience a range of emotions: excitement for more independence and freedom, but accompanied by the anxiety of new responsibilities and the sadness of leaving their friends and aunties at the home. We’re accompanying Helen through the process, but please pray that the Lord would be her source of stability and strength.

I took this picture below of 18 of the 19 girls of Talita Cumi. Within the next 10 years all of them will have left the children’s home having turned 18 years old. I’m thankful to God for everyone who has partnered with Ruth’s House to give these girls a chance to realize their dreams in a Christ-centered ministry.

Life continues on at a frenetic pace at Talita Cumi. The kids are closing in on the end of the trimester at school, so they’re busy getting all of their homework up to date and studying for exams. We recently celebrated Children’s Day at a park where they could play volleyball, soccer and swim in a couple of pools. 

Over the past couple of years a number of you have asked what kind of transition plan we will put in place for the boys. While we will not be launching a transition house for the boys at this time, we do have a project in the works, and I will be sharing the details of that in the future.

In the meantime, please keep Lider in your prayers as he will be the next boy to leave the home this coming September. Lider is gifted in maintenance and construction. Last year he took a course in electricity and he’s currently working in a metal shop. Last week I took him to ROHO Homecenter, which is the Bolivian equivalent to Home Depot. We have a contact there who might be able to get him a job once he turns 18 years old in September.

Thank you!