A BIG Christmas surprise ! A fundraising run brought in over $ 9000 to build a custom industrial size refrigeration room. To keep the food from rotting. This will save us at least $ 1000 per month in food purchases. Best investment ever !

A real Christmas dinner in our courtyard.Donated by a family from nearby Salinas. Turkey, chicken, potato salad and sweet dessert.It was a heartwarming and filling evening.

As soon as we started music classes, the girls wanted to have their own rock band. They called themselves the YOKO BAND. And their first concert was on Christmas eve. You can watch the video on our 'Links' page.

When these two sisters asked Danielle and me to be their 'Godparents' at their first communion, we did not think about our own religious beliefs. Of course we said 'Yes'. They have no real parents to turn to. We just wanted them to be happy.

One professional projector and sound system, a white wall, and a delighted audience. Our first movie night. Ice-cream at the intermission. This has become a bi-weekly tradition.

This weekend we took care of the current food drive that was needed to keep the kitchen staff happy at the orphanage. I gladly paid the bill of just over $ 2000. Little did we know what this week would bring us. The earthquake gets personal….

Last night, our house started to shake violently for about a minute. We were in the middle of dinner. We do that every Saturday for kids from the orphanage. EARTHQUAKE ! Within seconds everyone was outside. Shaken but not panicking. Brave girls. This

My class room. It's at least 32 degrees Celsius/ 90 Fahrenheit in here , but I'm the only one sweating. Next week it will be outside again, when the roof of the patio has been repaired. Because guys with hammers and nails have no rhythm.

Another beautiful rendition of our traditional Christmas celebration. Our very own Santa is one of our expats who stops shaving every September. So the beard is real. The outfit is customized according to our climate.