31 Days 31 Faces: Julio

Meet Julio, a fourteen year old boy at Kaya Children. He likes Kaya because he is able to live in a house and be with his friends. His one wish is to be with his family. His favorite activities are playing soccer, volleyball, and basketball.

31 Days 31 Faces: Beymar

Meet Beymar, a ten year old boy at Kaya Children. He enjoys learning at school and likes doing homework. He also likes to play soccer, basketball, and video games and likes to listen to music. His favorite food is fish. He admires his older brother because he thinks that his older brother is a very good brother to him.

31 Days 31 Faces: Milton

Meet Milton, a fifteen year old boy at Kaya Children. He likes playing baseball, basketball, and soccer. He hopes to become a professional soccer goalie one day and admires the Argentinian professional soccer player, Messi, because he is great at handling the ball on the field. His favorite foods are pork and chicken. He enjoys dancing.

31 Days 31 Faces: Omar

Written by Eunice Lim, a volunteer who worked with Kaya Children down in Bolivia two years ago.

Omar’s first day at Kaya’s school was also my first day volunteering in Bolivia at Kaya, but I didn’t know that then. All I knew was that there was this little 8 year old boy who had the most adorable little face but also worked up a storm, never listening to his teachers and calling me “China” (Chinese girl) no matter how many times he got scolded for it.

“Me llamo Eunice, y soy koreana!”

(My name is Eunice, and I’m Korean!)

“China!”

(Chinese girl!)

Sigh. Would he EVER learn?

Only a week later, I was in love with him, writing in my journal:

“omar. oh, omar!! the newest addition to kaya, he’s only been around for a week, like me. the youngest boy of only 8 years old. he. is. SO. cute. TOO CUTE. for some reason his little face is always so dry, i’ve gotten into a habit of putting lotion on his face every morning. “oOooOo” he squeals each time, squirming with joy as i put it on. has anyone ever put lotion on his little face before? as adorable as this boy is on the outside… oh!! how much he tests my limits, and does NOT listen to his teachers. but whenever i get angry with him... he gives me this adorable smile, and envelops me in one of the warmest hugs ever. how can i be angry with this tiny boy who was living on the streets just a week ago? whose first instinct is to fight, because that’s how you survive? who does not know respect or rules because he’s never been taught? i can’t. oh, omar . this same rowdy boy has fallen in love with the songs of praise that i have taught the children. when I start singing songs even during break time, he sings along with me, holding my hand, memorizing the words better than most of the other older kids. omar. how did you dig so deep into my heart?”

I was in Bolivia for a month. Within one month, I saw a boy change from an unruly brat to… one who still struggled with anger and sharing and listening, but one that showed me how capable he was of loving, and how much he simply wanted to be loved. When another new boy joined and started to call me “China,” Omar yelled at him, telling him it was rude and that my name was Eunice. He learned all the Christian songs I taught the kids, and sang praises to God on his own.

Omar… I am thankful to say that he is still at Kaya, still growing and learning exponentially. And I pray that those praise songs that he used to sing will forever ring true in his heart… and that he will grow to have a real relationship with his Savior, Jesus Christ as he grows up to be an upright man thanks to the mentors and love that he is able to receive at Kaya.

Please help us continue serving the children of Bolivia. Learn more about the Kaya Challenge:http://www.firstgiving.com/kayachildren.

31 Days 31 Faces: Icaro Jonathan

Meet Icaro Jonathan, a thirteen year old boy at Kaya Children. He loves learning math in school. He enjoys wrestling, playing the game Jenga, and learning how to use the computer. His favorite foods are Chocapic, a chocolate-flavored cereal, and salchipapa, a dish that consists of hot dogs and french fries. He wants to be a police officer when he is older.

31 Days 31 Faces: Eddie

Meet Eddie, a thirteen year old boy at Kaya Children. He loves playing soccer and wants to be a goalie when he is older. When he is not playing soccer, he enjoys playing video games and learning how to use the internet. His favorite foods are fruits.

31 Days 31 Faces: Raul

Meet Raul, a fourteen year old boy at Kaya Chilren. He loves playing soccer because it is a lot of fun and wants to be a soccer player when he is older. He admires Carlos Tevez, an Argentinian professional soccer player. In addition to soccer, he likes to swim and play baseball. His favorite foods are chicken and fruit.