First impressions are important, and having children walk into an inviting room, a place they can call home, sets a wonderful tone for each child arriving at our Sunflower Home. We only have 4 rooms left to sponsor thanks to those of you who have already sponsored a room. Another thanks to the women from Pleasanton, CA and Seattle, WA who have donated their time and efforts to make the rooms cozy like this one. Your $500 dollar contribution buys two bunkbeds, four mattresses, warm blankets, a wardrobe, furnishes the room with tile and paint and a wonderful room for children who have never had a place to call their own.
While moving the boys and girls rooms into the separate dorms we discovered one child who had been sleeping with blankets doubled up on the bunkbed boards for mattresses. When asked, she apparently hadn't been aware of mattresses so had said nothing. To her, having her own bed, with blankets, and a pillow was luxury.

Juan and Delia Guavancho are our Sunflower Parents. Like all good parents they love their children, are concerned about their education, their moral values, and character development. Delia is at the home 24/7 cooking, cleaning and working with the children.
With the influx of the Colibri boys and other new arrivals it has become obvious we need to hire a cook to help Delia. Donating to this cause by clicking paypal link below would be a huge help to Juan and Delia. Thank you!

Chinchero women, dressed in their traditional clothes, shoveling gravel into wheelbarrows was one of the many amazing moments of the Dec. Expedition. Other highlights include:
• New Years Party with games, s'mores, campfire, songs, dancing, fireworks and pizza! It was said by some it was their favorite New Years ever!
• Second dorm completed and girls/boys dorms are now a reality
• Parking lot graveled so it doesn't become a sea of mud in the rain
• Barbed wire fence completely surrounds the orphanage now providing security for the children
• Electrical projects completed, many areas of Sunflower re-wired - a comprehensive electrical plan has been written for future projects and expeditions
• Medical clinic established and supplies completely organized
• New tables, chairs, cabinets and bookshelves for school room, comador and tool room
• Flowers planted along security wall
• Individual tutoring sessions established and strategy games taught

Are these kids cool or what? Thanks to Dr. Gary Chambers, from Las Vegas Nevada, and ER nurses Pam and Rand Whitney, from Seattle WA, for pulling off such a grand event! Yudy, Adriel and Primitivo now have normal feet; their lives changed for the good for the rest of their lives. The top photo shows all three with Robin LaRoy of the Dec Expedition.

The Hogar de Niñas (Little girl's home) in Izcuchaca, Anta is sponsored by Southern Cross. All the girls in this home, currently around 20, have been abused, orphaned, or abandoned and are in the care of two amazing nuns. Our monthly donation is used to help cover the cost of food and other necessities at the home. During the school year the center provides lunch for up to 80 additional children who stop here before their 3 hour walk home from school. While the Peruvian government provides much of the food assistance for this lunch, they still fall short. Donating to the Anta fund would be greatly appreciated as would sponsoring one of the children in this home. This summer we plan on helping them fix their bathrooms which currently are in servere disrepair.

"When people donate their time, they are giving of their valuable heartbeats"

•Gary Aukema, of Chipley Florida, not only constructed a barbed wire perimeter fence on the Dec. expedition, but carefully painted all the girls fingernails with nail polish kits prepared by his wfe Karen.

•Colleen Burns, of WI, and Starr Hall, of So Cal, sent their first official report of Summer School this week. The kids are meeting for one on one tutoring in the mornings, and group activities in the afternoon. We applaud and appreciate all these girls are doing to help educate our children at the Sunflower home.

•"I’m Ali Frey from Acton, MA, and I’m 11 years old. And I’m Melissa Browne and I’m 12 years old. My Uncle, Martin Frey, my Grandmother, Charlotte Frey, and my cousin, Meredith Frey visited the orphanage a little while back. Melissa is my best friend and next door neighbor. We were very interested in what you and your volunteers are doing to help the kids in need. We would like to make a donation of different toys like beanie babies and soccer balls to the kids there. We would also like to give them some books. The kids on the website seem very nice and we hope that the rest of there lives turn out to be the best."

•The following is an email from the Dec. Expedition: " I came as one of the youngest of the group, and was a little nervous. At 16, I have done some service projects and studied Spanish for two years and still nothing could have prepared me for the experience at the Sunflower. The children literally welcomed me with open arms and I came to love each and every one of them. I proudly show off the pictures of the 24 blessed orphans at school as though they were part of my family, and everyone I talk to is excited about the work we did.
As for the group, all of you were so kind to me. With no other teenagers except for my own brother, I thought I would have a hard time connecting. But within the first day I began feeling comfortable around everyone and as work and travel continued I felt like I had taken a trip with thirty close friends. A single individual's pain or happiness affected the entire group, and I loved how each morning we began the day with "Who's feeling sick today and how can we help?"
My first day back at school on Wednesday, I drove through the snow to a heated building full of high school students who will never truly know how lucky they are.... These people will never have to worry about their next meal, or how they will scrape by each year. I couldn't help but feel homesick for a country of inspiring folks who don't take things for granted.
I'm grateful for this experience, and in particular for Leonidas and Van for putting this all together. I will never, ever forget what we accomplished and what is still out there to accomplish. Our final meal together, which ended with tears, laughter, and speeches in the little restaurant with all the paintings, felt like a huge testimony meeting. There was a warmth that filled the room and a connection between us all. I wish everyone many more such experiences and love each and every one of you!!!!!!
Love, Robyn Argyle

•Van and Leo were overlooking the Sunflower home after a full day of activities. People were busy finishing projects, playing with kids, heading for the bus and Leo said, "Why do they do this for my people". We are all family and appreciate all of you being active members with us.