Check our our new webiste: http://boliviamissions.org/site/familia_feliz/

• Volunteers Needed for 2010 August 31, 2009
  Christina Dawang, School Director of Familia Feliz, shares her happiness that enough volunteers have come to help this year, but others will be needed for the year 2010 - Spanish-speaking teachers, a mechanic, a nurse, someone who knows about agriculture and Spanish-speaking houseparents. Click on the Volunteers link at the top of this page if you'd [...]
• Informe Agosto del Director General September 7, 2009
  Doinel "Dorú" Tartea comparte acerca de los avances y las necesidades para voluntarios en el Centro Educativo Familia Feliz en la selva de Bolivia. En especial necesitan un agricultor de experiencia. 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 [...]
• August 2009 News August 20, 2009
  Hi Everybody, 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 [...]
• Familia Feliz – Changing Lives August 6, 2009
  See up-to-date happenings at Familia Feliz.  Our volunteers reflect the love of Jesus, touching lives of children and youth who consider Familia Feliz their home and the staff their "parents."  Filmed by Tim de la Torre and edited by his wife Jaymie. [There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog [...]
• A Surprise for Sara July 30, 2009
  Familia Feliz volunteer Sara Ross from Canada shares the joys and challenges of guiding children at the school and orphanage as they all grow in their walk with Jesus.  Sometimes the kids have a bad attitude, but then they surprise her with something special! Voluntaria de Canadá Sara Ross comparte los gozos y dificultades de guiar [...]
• Heidi Comparte Experiencia Conmovedora July 30, 2009
  Heidi Inés Weber Wanderer de Paraguay comparte sus experiencias de voluntaria en el Centro Educativo Familia Feliz localizado en la hermosa selva en Bolivia.  Heidi está enseñando y aprendiendo a la vez, ya que es maestra de Primer y Séptimo año, y ayuda a cuidar a los niños.  En especial a Heidi le impresionó que [...]
• Jerry the Handyman July 30, 2009
  Jerry, a volunteer from Mexico, began volunteering at Familia Feliz school & orphanage in February, 2009.  He serves as a teacher and boys' dean to homeless, otherwise unloved children.  He’s really impressed as he sees the transformation of hopeless kids into loving children when they see for them what a real family is like. Jerry es [...]
• Aleida y Sus Niños Misioneros July 30, 2009
  Video en Español – Video in Spanish [There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.] 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 [...]
• Carola – Misionera Boliviana July 30, 2009
  Voluntaria de Riberalta, Beni, Bolivia, Carola tiene el gusto de servir en Familia Feliz como misionera.  Se ha impresionado al escuchar las experiencias difíciles que han sufrido los simpáticos niños bajo su cuidado.  A Carola le da gozo compartir el amor de Jesús y ver cómo van creciendo y aprendiendo a ser responsables estos niños [...]
• Jenny y La Mariposa July 30, 2009
  Video en Español – Video in Spanish [There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.] 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 [...]

Familia Feliz is in urgent need of two Spanish-speaking teachers:
1 – A teacher for 7th and 8th grades.
2 – A math and science teacher for 9th grade.
Contact Christina Dawang christinadawang@gmail.com

Our present needs for specific volunteers are as follows:

Primary teachers (4-6): must speak Spanish and able to commit 1 year minimum.

Houseparents (3): preferably married couples who speak Spanish and able to commit 1 year minimum.

Mechanic (1): volunteer who has knowledge in auto mechanics and general repairs.

Electrician (1) : volunteer who has knowledge in setting up electrical systems.

Cook (2): volunteers with knowledge in vegetarian cooking

Agriculturists (2)

Nurse (1)

Constructors (4)

Nutritionist (1)

Contact: Christina Dawang at christinadawang@gmail.com
or Melissa Harding at musician822001@yahoo.com

Dear Friends and Family,

I regret that it has been so long since I’ve been in touch. The last couple of newsletters were sent out by my mother when my parents and little sister visited here in May and June. My life has not been boring since then by any means. Actually, I’ve maintained that one of the things I like about Bolivia is the fact that I’m never bored.

One of the non-boring parts came with dreaded realization that I’d been scammed by my lawyer and judge in Rurrenabaque, and although, according to my knowledge, Graciana, my now almost two year old little girl was officially mine in July of last year, the adoption was actually invalid. With Charlie’s adoption ready to be processed, I realized I would have to do it in Santa Cruz. I’ve now been in Santa Cruz since mid June, working on what seems an ever lengthening process, but happy with the knowledge that it’s being done right this time.

In July, God opened the way, including an about to expire airlines voucher, for me to visit home for a few weeks. It was hard to leave my kids, but Sara did a 110% job of holding down the fort for me. It had been nearly two years since my last visit home, and landing at the small Grande Prairie airport, the sweet scent of hay fields hit me. I’d forgotten how good, clean, and fresh Canada smells! Meeting my newest sister in-law and my newest nephew was exciting, but not to be out weighed by renewing the bonds with my siblings and other sister in law, and of course, a lot of other extended family. My ticket for comong back got messed up, and I ended up being able to attend ASI in Florida. continue

Hi Friends and Family,

It`s time that you heard from me again, if for anything just to reassure you that I haven`t died in the middle of the deep South American jungle! So just so you know, I haven`t!

Things are going well. Since my last newsletter, we`ve had two volunteer groups bless us with their presence and help. In March, Miracle Meadows, headed by Aaron Weber, joined us for the third year in a row to help us in the development of our campus. continue

Hi Everyone,

Time is moving so incredibly fast that once again I find myself looking for the last newsletter I sent and it`s dated for September. I`ve had several people asking me what`s been happening down here, so I`ll fill you in.

Obviously, my plans to take a year off have been delayed, as I`m still in Bolivia, but God is in control, and I can see that I still needed to be here. Plans are not canceled, just postponed. However, in the past few months, with the arrival of Laurie Dinges and her family, I`ve had more time to focus on my little family of children, and the results of have been good. We`ve recently moved out of the big building, so we are a little more separated and the kids have really been responding to the family atmosphere. Due to our time in Santa Cruz earlier on, the kids are a bit behind in school, so e`re working during this vacation to catch them up. This gives us more one on one time as well and all of us are really enjoying it. continue

Happy New Years Everyone!

It`s hard to believe that 2007 is now history, but it is. New Year`s Eve I was considering writing out some new years resolutions, but it all of a sudden occurred to me that I was taking the wrong angle. I needed to look back and count my blessings from the past year, so to build my faith for the year to come. One of the things that made the past year significant for me is that I didn`t leave Bolivia at all for the entire year. I have now been here over 16 months since the last and only time I visited home. Blessings included a campus that has sprung up VERY fast. Just a couple of weeks before Christmas, we paid the last payment to our contractor on the construction of our main building. Although our carpenter is not finished, so we still lack some doors and varnishing of some of the wood work, the main part of construction is FINISHED! We were very excited, and I`ve never had a more satisfied feeling of telling the contractor thank you very much for his work and have a good trip back home. God has blessed hugely. continue

Hi Everyone,

As I was looking back to see where I left off last time, I realize that it`s been a couple of months, and it`s more than time to update everyone on how things are going. Some of you are probably already aware from newsletters from other missionaries here, but in case you aren`t, I`ll just briefly fill you in on a few details from July.

At the beginning of the year, we ended up accepting more students than was planned, as the need seemed to be there, and we didn`t have a good system in place for screening kids. The load was just too much, and as some volunteers had to leave, and we didn`t have good long term replacements for them, we decided to do some house cleaning. It was agonizing, but everyone worked together and it really came out for the better. We went and reviewed each and every child`s case again. Some had come on false stories, others situations had changed. Overall, we cut our numbers down to 37 children. We also closed down the day school, then re-accepted the students from the immediate community and have integrated them with our boarding students. It`s working much better, and everyone is handling life a lot easier (I didn`t say easy, just easier!) continue

By Melissa Harding

June is here, actually quite a while ago and we’re looking forward to the end already! I have several reasons for this but we’ll get into that later.

Again, staff are changing and we had to say goodbye to our special education teacher, Genis Suarez, from Colombia. She has severe rheumatoid arthritis and the rough conditions here, including both extremes of hot and cold weather, were just too much. We appreciate the help she was able to lend us while she was here and wish her the best as she returns to her home in Colombia.

Three weeks ago we had the exciting opportunity of welcoming a new baby into the world! A neighbor of ours, who does a lot of our chainsaw work, came to advise Wendy Hall, our campus nurse, that his oldest daughter was in labor with her second child. Wendy went with him and did a check-up and told him to call her again when she was farther advanced. I volunteered to go along, and at 5 am Sabbath morning, he came to call us. We quickly dressed and Wendy grabbed her delivery kit and we drove the pickup up the couple of kilometers to their place. I got the pickup royally stuck in the mud, but we were close enough that we just walked the rest of the way.

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MISSION PROJECT: “FAMILIA FELIZ” Children’s Home
Melissa Harding – Director
LOCATION: Rurrenabaque, Bolivia

DESCRIPTION: “Familia Feliz” is a fairly new project which was begun in August of 2005 with 5 children. The property consists of 250 acres in the jungle and is located about 10 miles out of the town of Rurrenabaque, which is at the edge of the Madidi National Park. Construction was begun on the property in June of 2006, and is still in progress. We currently have running water, some solar power, and several buildings that are almost finished. We have a beautiful view of the jungle and mountains. Our goal at Familia Feliz is to provide a Christ-centered, safe, and loving home environment, a Christian education, and medical/dental care for children who are orphaned, abandoned, abused, neglected, unwanted, or impoverished. Children are placed in family groups of 6-8 children with one or two house parents to care for them. We currently have 56 children.

11 JOB OPENINGS AVAILABLE NOW!

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