Survival Activities at Niños de la Nueva Jerusalén Student Center

Greetings, Northbrook Church! Thank you for supporting the Survival program at Niños de la Nueva Jerusalén Student Center in Morazan, El Salvador. Families are thriving in this community because of your support. This report features a heartwarming letter from a caregiver (pictured above), photos of recent activities and photos of babies who have transitioned to home-based care through Compassion’s Sponsorship program. Please continue to lift up these young families in prayer as they learn and grow in E Salvador.

Survival Statistics at Niños de la Nueva Jerusalén Student Center (July – December 2019)

A Letter From a Caregiver at Niños de la Nueva Jerusalén Student Center

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I greet you with deep fondness in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I hope God is pouring out blessings upon your lives. My name is Alicia and I am 28 years old and the mother of a 10-month-old baby girl named Tatiana. She is my greatest joy and greatest blessing! She enjoys playing with her little cousins, dancing, bathing, clapping her hands and interacting with me. 

I am thankful to God and also to you for supporting this program as it is a great blessing to our community. To me, the most important aspect of the program is that it has helped me develop a deeper spiritual life and motivated me to pattern my life according to the Word of God. Some aspects of this include presenting my daughter to the Lord and the importance of marriage. Other themes discussed in program classes include child abuse awareness, nutrition for babies, and safe food preparation. 

Among the benefits we receive thanks to your support are medical checkups, medication, a monthly grocery basket, a Bible and a toy each quarter to help our babies with cognitive stimulation and socialization. Along with other caregivers and babies, Tatiana and I attend Bible studies and birthday and thanksgiving celebrations. The program also provides classes on entrepreneurship. I enjoyed an entrepreneurship class on baking where I learned how to make various pastries such as pies and donuts. 

I am honored to be a part of this wonderful program. I hope God blesses you for your great love towards those who need it the most. I ask that you please pray for my family. Please pray that the Lord will keep us healthy, continue to provide work to support our household, provide us with food and that the Survival program will continue in our community. I will be praying that God will bless all of you and be overabundant in your lives!

In Christ,

Alicia

Recent Survival Activities at Niños de la Nueva Jerusalén Student Center

Caregivers participated in a Bible study on the armor of God based on Ephesians 6:11. The study focused on sharing the Gospel with nonbelievers and at the end, the instructor asked all in attendance to accept Jesus as their Savior. A mother in the program named Dilmia led the group in a prayer for salvation.

The Survival program emphasizes the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Caregivers were given umbrellas to help protect them and their babies from the sun and rain. Caregivers participate in a variety of classes through the program ranging from health and nutrition education to micro-enterprise training.

Caregivers and their babies participate in a quarterly birthday party that honors those who had birthdays during the previous three months. The celebration included a short Bible study and prayer time for the birthday boys and girls as well as for all caregivers and babies in the program. Everyone whose birthday was being celebrated received a small gift, then the group shared a meal together. Birthdays and other social events are opportunities for caregivers and babies to socialize and get to know each other better.

Trained Survival Specialists measure the length and weight of each baby as part of monitoring their physical development. Using evaluation tools to weigh and measure babies helps track their physical development and ensure they are getting the nutrition needed to thrive.

Babies Move From Surviving to Thriving Because of Your Support

Thanks to your support, these babies have recently reached their first birthdays and transitioned to home-based care through Compassion’s Sponsorship Program. They will continue their growth with the guidance provided to them from the staff at the Niños de la Nueva Jerusalén Student Center a loving sponsor.