Annmare from The Canadian Children's Shelter of Hope Foundation is a person with a lot of love for the children and especially for those with special needs (she is an expert in this) . She works every day to insure the continued support of our children. Thank you Annmarie for your work, strength and your help.
   Chris Amo is also a mother to our children, both physically and emotionally and she is a great help when Madre Mari goes on vacation. She fills in for her and arrives at 6:30AM, including Saturday and Sunday. She gets the children up, dressed, and prepares breakfast sees that they are clean and organized. She is truly their mother and we are grateful for her love.
   Thank you Chris for your help with the Juana de Asbaje school, the psychologist Francisco (who has contributed free group therapy from his heart) and help with Becas Vallarta (who have purchased uniforms) that were necessary to finish the semester. We also hope that your help will continue.
   The assistance of the Montessori School Casa dei Bambini whose education and training has, in a very short time, transfored our children, David and Maricruz. Thank you Lety, Aracely and Malena for your guidance.
   Benito has true dedication to his work and is surely more than a driver for our children. He cares for David and has incredible patience. Bless you and thank you for all you do for our children.

   This is a good time to become a direct donor to help our adolescents and children. Especially now they need your love and help to continue their education. Chris Amo and Annmerie Haynes are very committed to helping all the children of the Refugio and work very hard for them. It is especially difficult now for both the adolescents and the children.
   They are looking for donors to provide for their continued education. It is particularly important to continue their education in these schools like they have done for the past three years. Secondary schools in Mexico are an open invitation to not continue with their education. David and Maricruz need the help of the Montessori school that has helped them so much so far.
   This is an important project for the adolescents as this is a time of transition for them and they need continued certainty in their lives especially since they do not get that from the families that have abandoned them. They need your help and your love.
   In particular the students that go to Secondary school at Sor Juana receive only 50% of their tuition from the school. They need others to pay the remaining 50%. If you would like to contribute, please contact Chris and Annmarie.
David has Down's Syndrome and Maricruz is retarded and requires help to continue their education in Special Education at the Montessori school.
   Terisita, (at right with the rose) now 5 years old, is an enchanting young child who came to us at fourteen months of age. She was seriously mal nourished and mistreated. When she arrived she was so weak she was unable to sit up. Her parents are incarcerated and she will be an adult by the time they are released. She needs special help and does not adapt well to conventional school situations. She has attention deficit disorder and would respond well to one on one attention she would get from the Montessori school.
   David and Maricruz have made great progress this past year with your help. If you can continue to help, please contact:
Annmarie at annemariehaynes@sympatico.ca
Chris Amo at keithamo@msn.com

   Pastor Moises Godoy from La Fundación Esperanza came to the Refugio and together with our children participated in a wonderful world-wide project. It is called The Art Miles Mural Project (AMMP) and it is a ten-year movement combining the efforts of children and adults worldwide to promote global peace. Each hand and every mural aims to create and express a global voice to develop and advocate art rather than violence, cooperation instead of war and the continuation of life rather than death. Finished projects will tour the world as a mobile exhibition to promote peace and understanding. Pastor Moises will also be assisting us in obtaining books for our library.

   There has been so much going on at the Refugio recently it's hard to keep up. Volunteers put in many extra hours during a two-week school holiday. They have pitched in to make this school break a memorable one. Melissa, on a spring break herself from volunteer teaching of English at the kids' school, donated much of her time to directing interesting craft projects.
   Some of the activities involved petting animals and romping on the lawns, plus a birthday party at El Pinar de Chico Perez a ranch just outside El Tuito; a special fiesta Saturday morning just before Easter; painting on large canvas sheets in the patio; doing numerous colorful hand-made puzzles provided by a school class from Oregon; painting, modeling with play dough, building with blocks, and playing with other toys in the new stimulation room daily; reading in the garden; horseback riding and swimming in the stream at Rancho Capomo near Las Palmas; swimming in the ocean at Lindo Mar, along with complementary Sunday brunch for the children.
    For many of the children, the highlight probably was the circus. Our group probably made up one quarter of the audience. It was a nice small-scale circus, with everything taking place under one big top. The large tigers made a real impression and the clowns were very amusing too, as you can see from the faces of Sol, Madre Chuy and the volunteers. The children's smiles seemed to be slightly overtaken by the seriousness of the moment. I think they were busy memorizing the moves so they could repeat them later. The acrobats, the animal acts and the clowns all lent a great air of excitement to the day.

The children could not take it in fast enough. Even going to the bathroom seemed to be an adventure.
   In the days following the circus many feats of daring were taking place at RISE, but over cement and tile floors, rather than trampolines. It did not however dampen their enthusiasm. Headstands, forward flips, spinning... you name it.
   It was as I said a really busy and happy time for our children. Thanks to all who helped make it possible.