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Urgent Needs Journal Help Us Help the Children Shop to Help Adoption Info Casa de Sion Links	Alicia and Salena The best way to explain what we are doing is to introduce you to our first two children. The top photo is of Alicia, 13 yrs old, and Salena, her 8-year-old-sister. It was taken on Alicia's first day at the orphanage. Notice the tears in her eyes. Sarena arrived before her sister. She came directly from the hospital; she had almost starved to death - I mean literally starved to death! She weighed 15 pounds and wore a size two, Her skinny legs could barely hold her weight and she ate only reluctantly. She did not talk much either. The one thing she did make clear was how grateful she was to be in the orphanage. She has thrived under the watchful care of our staff. But some of the damage we suspect will be permanent. Alicia came a week or so after her sister. Although she is 13 she is the size of an eight-year-old. Her growth, too, appears to be permanently stunted. And tragically, she could not count any higher than "Quattro" - four. She also did not know any of her alphabet. The tears were long gone from Alicia's face when Vicki & I visited a couple of weeks after Alicia's arrival; you cannot believe the excitement and gratitude when they unpacked the donated clothes we brought. Blue Jeans! T-shirts with logos! Things our children take for granted were a dream come true to them. "Gracias. Gracias." They both tried on outfit after outfit; they had come to the orphanage with only the clothes on their back. Alicia recognized a picture of Barbie on one of the T-shirts and Vicki bought her a $10 Barbie at a local store. Her reaction is hard to adequately explain: "Mucho, mucho, mucho gracias!!!" Salena took mile-long walks with us and chattered non-stop. Several adults at church commented on the improvements she had made in less than a month. Alicia is now attending school. While public education is free - we must provide transportation, books, meals & uniforms. Many native families cannot afford this and their children are not educated. Serena will need to go to a special school - or we will have to hire a tutor. Even though the parents of these two girls begged the girls to come home, they told the judge they wanted to stay at the orphanage. As you can see they are doing well.
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