Its been a month and a half since my last update and everything has been going excellently. Everything has been going so well that its been hard to sit down to the computer, when I've had full energy for everything going on in the program.

SCRAPBOOKING

The scrapbooking has become a favourite part of my program. It took me a while, but I finally printed out some great photos from the Cartagena trip, and the boys have absolutely LOVED cutting the photos and sticking them into albums. A very generous person in Australia named Julie had donated me prepared backgrounds for the photos (which would have taken her and her group HOURS to prepare), so the albums look absolutely fantastic. I think too the process has built my relationship with the kids that much more. I think giving them photos somehow shows them respect and value. I feel that we are saying ''there are things worthwhile in your life'', and for them to be able to sit back and have a record of memories and friends is proving to be very powerful.

Continuing with that theory I have printed large size photos of the kids in activities and have posted them around the room. Our home is starting to look more homely, which was one of my goals for the year.

I have wanted for a long time to expand my scrapbooking program to the girls. It has proved to be difficult though. Firstly, my time is pretty dedicated to the boys. Secondly, I have so many photos of the boys on our outings, but have few photos of the girls (for instance, the girls didn't come with us to Cartagena). I don't know how I´m going to remedy that, but I have some fantastic albums ready to go for the girls, donated by Liz and other friends in Cleveland.

I still lack supplies for scrapbooking. The boys have been given 10 photos each, which they scrapbooked very quickly. If anyones willing to help out with further resources I´d be able to expand the program with the boys.

PHOTOGRAPHY

I continue to take groups of three out to the canyon to take photos. I have been teaching them how to take photos in macro, and how to better place their subject in the screen. Some of them have shown some great talent.

Wii

My father was so kind as to donate us a big screen TV, and with the generous donations of a good friend in the US I now have a Nintendo Wii program. We have only just started, and the kids are just getting the hang of it, but I can see that the Wii is a great reward for those with positive behaviour. It has given me an extra tool in behaviour management, but also some positive recreation for the kids in an often boring institution, so thankyou very much to my generous donors.

COMPUTING

Computer knowledge has been improving. The kids are learning to research using Google and Wikapedia, and helping them with their studies have become SO much easier for me. We have also enjoyed Youtube a lot in our spare time. It used to take me forever to peruse the library to find necessary material (with outdated Spanish resources that I could barely understand); but now homework has actually become an enjoyable activity for me and the kids. I still dream of some more computers, as the two I have don't really suffice for the 75 kids we now have, but I have been totally grateful for the resources we have been given.

PENPALLING

Two boys have received letters of encouragement from far away lands (as far away as the USA and Australia are), and have much enjoyed seeing photos, hearing stories, and being encouraged by their penpals. Thankyou to those two faithful supporters.

FARMING

Last month we purchased two bulls. The idea is for the kids to learn how to farm, and hopefully one day we can follow the model of a US orphanage I know which gives each child a cow when they arrive at the institution. Each child is responsible for their cow, and the day they leave they can sell the cow and use the profit for their next move in life. I'd love for my boys to have SOMETHING when they leave here to at least give them some head start as they try and make it on their own. The program has so far become a hit. The bulls have become the kids new pets, and they have become vigilant in caring for the new animals. We are also teaching the kids to farm vegatables in a garden bed they helped build.

(Trying to be a bit artistic...didnt really work out)

MUNDO NUEVO MUSIC PROGRAM

Most of you will remember that on the weekends I work with my aunties in Mundo Nuevo, a farming community with much need. In 2005, with the help of one of my French aunties and her fundraising efforts, the music program was able to expand to 35 instruments, from a humble beginning of 5 instruments. The children come to our program carrying much hurt, making music a small reprive in their tough world.

Last weekend the band was invited to a state wide competition where around 20 bands competed. We won a clarinet, which is a big bonus to our program, but more than that, 5 children were invited to participate in the state wide orchestra. It is a huge opportunity for them, and a huge testiment to the endless hours of practice and dedication they and their teachers have shown. I felt most proud to see them there amongst the states finest musicians, and one afternoon we enjoyed a marching band festivo around town.

Thankyou to those who supported in the early days the opening of the bakery. The bakery is going well, and its profits benefit the music program and other community needs.

BIBLE VERSES

Thankyou to Bethany Ballenger, who took time to paint bible verses on beautiful backgrounds which she also painted. It has made our room look much brighter, and the messages in those verses have surely hit home for the kids. This last week the boys memorised Ephesians 2:10, and they were most receptive to the fact that we are Gods workmanship, created for good works which He prepared in advance. It was great being able to teach them that they were not created just to pass time here on earth, but were created for a much bigger purpose. Each week we will have a new verse posted around the room, next week we will memorise John 10:10, ''...I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full''

Bethany was only able to make me 3 verses, so if anyone is interested in making some more (maybe with their churches help) please let me know and I´ll tell you which verses I still need made up. Rob, Patricia and Cornerstone, can you please let me know which verses you are making, so we don't have any overlaps?

Something else I'd love to buy the kids is some Veggietales in Spanish. I think Veggie Tales can be a powerful way to convey biblical principles. I can buy the DVD's online, if anyone is interested in helping out.

BIBLE STUDIES

The Ephesians verse also tied in really well to where we had got to in the bible this month. This month we have been reading the story of Joseph, and I was so taken aback by the impact Joseph´s story had on the boys. I think growing up I liked the bible stories, but they usually had little relevance to my life. I don't think I could much draw correlations between Daniel fighting Giants and my relatively care-free childhood. I sort of liked how everyone that teased Noah had to drown, and silently hoped that when I had to build an ark all my school bullies would drown too; but talk about wars and enemies and life struggles didn't really apply to me all that much in peaceful Australia. These kids identify with Joseph being sold as a slave, I know at least one of my boys was sold by his own grandmother to a farmer. These boys identify with being locked in prison for two years at no fault to Joseph; my boys are locked in an institution at no fault of their own. My kids dream big when they see that Joseph stuck out his two years in jail, and through his faithfulness to God the plans God had prepared in advance were fulfilled. I think that was the highlight of my month, being able to tell them to stick it out, and through faith their dreams will be fulfilled. Luis Evelio´s reply ''this is a really good book''.

AMAZONS

During two weeks of school holidays I was blessed by some time away in the Amazons with my good friend Luke. The first day we went to a place called Monkey Island where thousands of monkey live, enjoying them running up and down our bodies eating banana out of our hands. The next day we saw pink dolphins on the river and went fishing for pirañas. We then joined up with YWAM who had planned an outreach to a village. We camped there for 4 nights, and spent some time assisting with the childrens program. On a day off we trekked into the forest with a local hunter, though we only saw some cool birds and some monkeys on our 7 hour hike. We had a great time though, and found some HUGE tiger paws along the path on our way back, only some half an hour after we had passed that way. He was close. Swimming in the Amazon river was probably my highlight. Camping in a room where we found 6 tarantulas was not.

Pirana

Please continue to uphold us in prayer. Through His guidance I am the only spiritual mentor the boys have, and I often feel I lack so much.

I lost 3 boys this month for various circumstances, please uphold them in prayer as they return to very difficult lives.

Please pray that the new 3 I receive will be well chosen.

Pray for spiritual protection in my home. Please give Him praise for the work He has accomplished already with my boys. He has been revealing Himself to my boys and promising them purpose in their lives. He has filled me with joy, peace, energy and wisdom; and has never left my side. Praise to my Father.

Jon Howes

Serving the children of Colombia.