Mariela's story...

Hola everyone.

I am Mariela from NPH Mexico. Please excuse my English�those ESL classes are working slowly for me. 

I am grateful for this opportunity to be in front of you. The people who make NPH possible, without knowing us, you have decided to be part of our life. 

I would like to share a little of my story with you.

So, how did I arrive at NPH? One of the most impactful moments of my life was when my father abandoned us, and my mom died from cancer. I was 7 years old. 

My sisters (Anahi) and (Lucero) and my brother, Christian, and I were left with my Aunt Victoria, who was a single mother. She already had 2 children, one who was disabled. I cannot imagine how hard it was for her to take care of all of us. 

I remember the day when she told us about NPH�how it would be better for us there and that she would always support us. I was 8 years old, and I did not understand what was going on, but I was scared. 

When I came to NPH with my sisters and brother, it was so different. There were so many children and the house was so big! 

Time passed and things changed, and after a while, everything was great. I had many friends at school and we played every day. Sometimes, I wondered where my family was and why I was in NPH. 

 

I just wanted to have my mother and father. 

A �normal� family. 

But then I realized that all the people that were around me at NPH, were now my family. They were the people with whom I share a story, share a life, and that no matter what our past is, we are now making a new story, together. 

At NPH, I kept studying and after high school, we all give 2 years of service to say thank you to NPH before going to university. During my years of service, I took care of a group of 50 girls between 9 and 12 years old. It was really hard work � but during this time I learned that even though I was still young, if you act with love you will be an inspiration for others.

When I thought about the university, I had to decide what I wanted to do with my life. 

Where did I want to go? What did I want to do? Archaeology? History? Administration�well, in the end, I chose Dentistry. But why? This is a good story�

One day when I was 17 years old, I did something wrong�though now I can�t remember what it was. As a result, I had to help the dentist at NPH in the mornings for one year. Although I did not like helping at first, I loved helping the dentist so much, that it became my dream to be a dentist. 

I studied dentistry at the university in Monterrey in northern Mexico for 6 long years�and I graduated one year ago, right before I came to Seattle.  

It was not easy, but I did it and now I am Dr. Mariela Jaime!

 

Now I am here in Seattle for the NPH Leadership Institute. Studying, growing as a person, being responsible, and trying to learn how to be a leader in my community. It is an experience that has allowed me to grow personally and professionally, and it has given me the opportunity to share with my brothers and sisters from other countries.

I have chosen to become an inspiration for my younger brothers and sisters, following the legacy of our beloved Fr. Wasson�who founded NPH. I am only a small part of the seeds that he planted and 

I know he is proud of us all. 

When I return to my country, a new stage will begin in my life, where I am going to face the world outside NPH. It scares me, but I know have the skills, values, and family to succeed. 

I want to end by taking this opportunity to say thank you for believing in NPH, supporting me, and being part of my life. Thank you for helping to give us opportunity and education. NPH really transforms lives, and I am an example of that. 

If you have any questions, feel free to talk to me or the other leadership students here. We would love to answer any questions you have. 

Thank you!

NPH is a big and great family! It is where the impossible is made possible...

Below is the testimonial speech Roxana, a pequena from NPH El Salvador and current Seattle Institute participant, gave at the recent Faces of Hope in Bellevue, WA, along with the testimonial her host mom then gave.

Hello!  My name is Roxana.  I�m from El Salvador.  Thank you for coming.  Today, I would like to share about my life.

June 15, 2004. What were YOU doing?  Me?  That was the day I went from being an adult, back to being a kid again.  Being an adult?  What a bummer�I was only 10!

My mom just died from cancer, and Papa?  Well�he just fell apart. My sister and I became in charge of my other brothers and sisters. You see, I am one of 7�I have (Manuel, Joaquin, Serguio) brothers, and (Sulma, Gloria, Maritza) sisters.  I am the second oldest.

Now, you are probably thinking �Roxana must have been scared.� Or, �She was probably worried about what she would do.�  Actually, I was not thinking any of that.  I just did what I had to do for my family.  There really was no alternative.

But, if it weren�t for Rubia, my godmother who was always taking care of us, June 15 would never have been. Rubia knew that we needed help � and she introduced us to NPH.  And I feel like I was born again.  I became part of a bigger miracle with even MORE brothers and sisters.  My brothers, sisters and I were now home.  Because, NPH had taken ALL of us.

I started school again.  Ah-I was SO far behind.  I was only at a third grade level!  After being at NPH, I was so dedicated to school, that I went from grade five to grade seven.  I skipped a WHOLE grade level!

And, I had SO MANY other things I could do:  choir, dancing, riding a bike, swimming. I was SO excited.  And�.the FOOOOOOOD!

I joined the dance group at fourteen.  Out of many girls, Rebeca and I were selected to travel to the US to dance and perform.  We went to Arizona, Seattle, Minnesota and Chicago! It was SUCH an experience! Maybe I even met some of you back then�?

In 2009, I did my first year of service by taking care of the two to six year-olds and working in the sponsorship office. My second year of service, I was in charge of the six to seven year-old girls.  Then, I moved on to the sixteen to eighteen year-olds.  During this ALL this time, I was working on my high school degree! I received my high school degree in two thousand eleven. I was SO proud of myself for finishing.

Currently, given my past experiences, I found my passion in psychology.  Which is what I am studying  in university. So far, thru my studies I have discovered more about myself, and I know that I have grown as a person.  Before getting an education, I didn�t think anything was possible.  Now, thru NPH and my university, I know MANY things are possible. When I finish my studies, I want to take what I learned in school to help other people discover more about themselves, so they can overcome the difficulties in their lives and a achieve their dreams.

Except for my older sister, who has a family of her own now, my other brothers and sisters still live in the home in El Salvador.  They are going to school, doing their years of service, and enjoying all the other things I did when I was there, like dancing, singing, swimming and learning.

And for me?  I am here in Seattle, studying English and leadership this year. It has been amazing so far!  And I can only imagine what the rest of the year has in store for me. This summer I will return home to El Salvador to finish my studies.  My hope is to surpass all your expectations for me, and to become the person I was meant to be.

NPH is a big and great family!  It is where the impossible is made possible. Where dreams can become real. When I talk about NPH, I say �It is MY family�.  That we always help each other. It is not just about each person; it is about ALL of us. For me, NPH is MY everything.

Before I go, I would like to thank Father Wasson for his vision of NPH. It is the best thing I have experienced.

Do you want to learn more about NPH and others like me? I want to invite all of you to please come visit us!  See for yourself what your support can do. COME! Make memories with us!

Thank you for all you do.

******** 

Good afternoon!  I�m Christina Buchholz, and our family has the honor of being Roxy�s host family this year.  There are so many reasons why it�s been such an amazing experience for all of us.  The best part is having another female in a house full of guys!

Our family�s NPH story is a short one so far.  Short but sweet. A short while ago, our youth minister at St. James, Joe Cotton, introduced our Youth Group to NPH.  Joe inspired our Youth Group to take a trip to Nicaragua.  So, off our family went with the group: my husband, our two teenaged sons and myself. We weren�t sure what to expect.  Well, in just 10 days, our family was transformed�it was both eye opening and heart opening.

When we got to Nicaragua, here�s what we discovered: We weren�t visitors.  We became part of the NPH family.  The peque?os made sure we knew this. We also got to meet and get to know the two children, a boy and a girl, that our Youth Group had been sponsoring. They braved sharing not only their haunting stories, but also how they, and their siblings, came to be at NPH. These two children had such desperate backgrounds and yet they, and the other peque?os had clearly come to know a place where they knew they could love and be loved.  Where they were part of a community, rather, a family. A place to trust, to laugh, to learn, to grow, to have hope. That place was NPH. 

With each �hola�, each hug, each memory made together, we sensed the peace and security these children experienced in this NPH home. The volunteers and faculty we met as we visited the casas, classrooms and the clinic were incredible. The dedication and care they shared as they served this community really highlighted how every donation, every sponsor, was being leveraged in the best ways possible for the peque?os.

At the end of our 10 day visit, it was really hard to leave.  It was like leaving home after a family visit. Upon our return to the States, our family couldn�t stop talking about our trip. After only a few months, and countless hugs, unbelievable memories, we decided we needed �more NPH� in our lives.  We had already decided that we needed to go back, and found other ways to stay connected. This summer we will meet another child we sponsor.  We are a home stay family for the NPH students studying in Seattle.  We plan on visiting El Salvador, because if we don�t Roxy might disown us! And we are now part of the NPH NW Regional Board, sharing with anyone who will listen the amazing accomplishments of this tremendous organization and inspiring others to participate.

I�d like to ask you to do me a favor. Today we are learning about and supporting the schools and education programs of NPH.  Now think of your own classroom experiences.  Was it learning to write your name and read in kindergarten?  Was it playing at recess with your friends?  Maybe it was the walk to get your diploma on graduation day? 

Now imagine that instead of being in the classroom every day, you wander the streets.  That instead of playing at recess, you are six, working for a small nibble to eat.  That learning to write or read is not even a remote possibility because the only thing you can hope to learn is where a safe place might be to lay your head down tonight.

I�ll end with one of those transforming moments for our family from our trip.  Our group had just finished an exercise where we were rewarded with pieces of candy.  My husband Dave had his candy in his hands, which did not go unnoticed by one of the peque?os.  He pried Dave�s hand open and boy, did his face light up! Dave handed the two pieces of candy to him.  The peque?o noticed that Dave didn�t have any candy left for himself.  That little boy gave one back to Dave so he too would have a piece. What a generous little heart!

Today, I ask that you show the same generosity as that peque?o. Give so that little boy, and all the other children in the 9 NPH homes, can have a childhood, full of days in classrooms and recesses, too. Give that they may discover that many things are possible, and that they seize those possibilities because of NPH, and because of YOU. I would like to end by saying thank you. It is inspiring to me to be in a room with so many generous hearts. My family and I are thankful that you join us in supporting the mission of NPH.

 

An Open Letter to NPH Volunteers from a Grown Peque?o

By Jonathan, Class of 2016 (in his own English!). This post originally appeared here on The Seattle Institute: NPH International blog.

Dear Volunteers,

I would like to personally thank all of you for your commitment to NPH.   I truly believe that both the children and the great family of NPH are also grateful for you.

I would also like to express my thanks to Vicky who manages all the volunteers that make NPH feel like a family.  Your ability to recruit people to volunteer in NPH and place them in the appropriate country and house as role models for our children who need to be prepared to live their lives beyond NPH is much appreciated.

Our volunteers have the opportunity to share their talents and knowledge while serving children. Often volunteers are highly trained and skilled individuals whom NPH leverages for our children as nurses, teachers, and therapists working in different areas where the house needs, also including childcare.

Volunteers always bring new ideas and different perspectives in order to help improve our family.  To volunteer with NPH is one of the greatest gifts for our family.  Thank you for the things you do for us.  You spend time with us for protection and love, and sacrifice time away from your family, thank you infinitely, dear volunteers.  I just wish that when it�s my turn to support my neighbors, that it is half of what you were within our family.

No matter how much time passes without a visit, or how far you go, you can be sure that on your return to the family of NPH, I [we] will welcome you with abundant love and hugs.

Congratulations for the great time you shared, the hard work, and thanks because this program would not be possible without your generous support.

Sincerely,

Jonathan, NPH Guatemala

 

 

Connecting with former NPH volunteer Bailey (Mexico).

 

Serving together @Jubilee House. (Luisa and Carrie � Guate).

 

Wendy and Stefan (who began as a volunteer too!)

 

Rodolfo and Celson connect with soon to be NPH Honduras Volunteer, Lauren.

 

Joe and Fr. Tom (Guatemala, Mexico).

 

Leaving the Duck!

 

Bowling with former volunteers, 2015.

 

Digyana and Laura, volunteer in Honduras (Casa Pasionista).

 

Former volunters/mentors!

 

Jean Francois with his Godmother, Leah (and Haiti volunteer). They were both glad to re-connect this year!

 

We now have first hand knowledge of what our NPH volunteers go through when they first arrive at our homes!!! Workshop, 2014.

 

Spiritual Gifts with Fr. Reynaldo (Honduras, Bolivia).

 

Vicky teaching, 2015. Vicky and Ethan volunteered in Honduras!

 

Merissa (volunteer from NPH Mexico) and Wendy, 2011.

 

Posadas, 2013. Kara (Honduras), Joe (Nicaragua), Merissa (Mexico).

 

NPH Guatemala!!! Malia, Kristina and Jacinto reminiscing.

 

Former Volunteer BBQ, 2012.

 

Editor�s Note: In October, Vicky, NPH USA International Volunteer Coordinator, facilitated a workshop called �The NPH Volunteer Experience� with the students, in which they learned about the logistics of the program and spent time thinking about what makes a good volunteer for our family.  It was after that day and re-connecting with many former NPH volunteers here in Seattle that Jonathan decided upon this topic for his blog post. Former volunteers in the Northwest have made significant contributions to the beginnings of this program as well, and we are so grateful that your love and support continues after you return �home�!