Hola a todos,

Well, we hope you all haven't forgotten about us. It has been a long time since we wrote, I think the last newsletter was in January!! Please forgive us.

I suppose you are all sick of hearing about how hectic life is, but what can I say, it is the truth! There never seems to be a time when we are wishing that we have something to do. Everyday brings with it a new set of challenges and with the normal, heavy demands of each day, it is hard to fit everything in.

Before I bring you up to date on the progress of the children, I want to inform you of the recent marriage of our son Aaron Skuse to Guadalupe del Carmen Arrevillaga Talarico on the 22 nd April 2006.

Guadalupe (Lupita) is the sister of Ana, who is married to Rohan, our youngest son.

Lupita looked absolutely beautiful and Aaron, so handsome and the happiest I have ever seen him.

Moacir, the eldest here at the refuge, was a groomsman and little Lupita (8yrs), the flower-girl.

We also took ten of the older children with us and they all looked gorgeous!

The ceremony was lovely at the church with Lupita taking her vows in Spanish and Aaron, in English.

As the bride was walking down the aisle, (little) Lupita who was in front, with a basket of white rose petals, was completely overwhelmed and with the biggest smile, walked down the entire aisle forgetting to throw the petals on the ground!

Everybody thoroughly enjoyed the Mexican style reception complete with Mariachis and dancing that ended at 3.30am! Honestly, when the band stopped, we asked, "Why has the music stopped so early?"!!

During the course of the night, while I was dancing with one of our boys, I got 'elbowed' in my left eye. Instantly, like on a cartoon, I had a huge lump that required ice and for the following two weeks I desperately tried to hide a very large, black eye which was almost impossible! I looked like I had been beaten up and believe me, it was very humiliating but, I survived!!

All the children had a wonderful time at the wedding and lasted to the end, and then, slept the day away.

Aaron's cousin Jay, who is the same age as Aaron was also married on the 22 nd April in western NSW, Australia. Jay and Fiona were in our thoughts and prayers and we wish them, all the best for a wonderful life together.

Over the last few months a lot has happened here:

We now have a new port called Puerto Chiapas which will host the occasional cruise liner. This is hoped to create work and bring money into the city, but from the look of things, the first ship didn't seem to create much improvement along those lines.

There has been a lot of road-works going on, which is amazing. Two roads look quite attractive. These roads were upgraded to impress the visitors from the ships, to take the guests on tour to a 'finca' (coffee plantation) in the mountains.

All the houses along these two streets now have brightly coloured, painted house-fronts, but if you look past the façade, down the laneways, you can see the real Tapachula.

In our area, the attractive, cobble-stone road in front of our house, has now been covered with bitumen which has created a huge problem with speeding vehicles. Where once, the children where able to play football (soccer) on the road with the little ones riding their bikes and scooters on the footpath, the corner we live on now hosts many accidents. The walls of our house, as with most homes in Tapachula, go right to the footpath and many of the cars involved in the accidents have landed on the footpath where the children once played.

This house is extremely hot, as it is made of cement and heats up throughout the day, but now, because of the so-called 'improvements' we are unable to escape outside for a short relief.

Some local news;

Last week, two federal police who live in Tapachula were assassinated on the same day in different locations. I don't know the full story but I imagine that they would have been involved in some drug related crime. One of the two, had a lovely house at the beach, just a few doors from where we visit on Sundays.

At the end of January, a diplomat from the Consulate of El Salvador in Tapachula, whom we have helped a lot and who has visited our house on numerous occasions, was caught for people trafficking. The diplomat, apparently charged $1200 US for each person that he helped smuggle into the country.

We found out a short while ago that two of the ladies that we had working for us, one from El Salvador and the other from Honduras, have husbands in gaol/jail for people trafficking. There is apparently good money in getting people illegally to the United States but the risks are great.

We know a number of people who have successfully entered the US illegally, though some, thought that they would die while crossing the desert.

Recently in Chiapas, a semi-trailer, loaded with illegal immigrants was involved in an accident where eleven people were killed.

The tragedy of the people who lose their lives, or limbs, when they fall off the train while making their way to the United States has diminished slightly due the fact that the trains are still not going through Tapachula from Central America because of the damage done during Hurricane Stan back in October last year.

We recently visited the refuge, where a lady, Olga Sanchez and her family, look after victims from the trains. They still have twelve people who live there who are recovering from loosing legs or arms when they fell or were pushed off the trains.

The immigrants travel on top of the trains or between the carriages while trying to make their way to the United States of America. The trip is long and tiring and at times the travellers fall asleep and fall under the wheels of the train or a branch of a tree will knock them off but the threat of the Mara Salvatruchas is the most dangerous as these people attack, rob and push people off the trains.

The refuge is now situated in a new building a little further out of town. This has created some problems for them also as now they don't seem to get as much help as they had before. We went there to donate clothes that had been donated to us but were too big. As we looked around the new premises, they took us into a room that had a mountain of clothes in plastic bags.

Their intention is to sell the clothes to support the refuge but they don't have anybody to do this work. There are no 'second hand shops' that I have seen so this idea would be a good one but it will need someone to set it up and get it running. This will then create jobs for the victims of the trains.

If there are any people out there who would like to help in this area, such as volunteers, write to us and we will then pass the information on to Olga.

When I asked how much help they were getting, they said that there were only three, Olga, her sister and their mother. The patients had to wash floors and generally clean the best way that they could, a lot to do for people with no legs. Most of the patients are men.

We have been very fortunate to have a number of volunteers come to help. At the moment we have three girls from Norway and a couple from Australia helping with the children. What a great relief to have volunteers. There presence is invaluable. The children get so much more attention and improve in so many areas.

Owen, a volunteer from Wales, has been teaching English in a local University and has been helping us on Sundays but now has a job in the British Embassy so will be leaving us. It will be sad to see him go. Another volunteer, Katie came down from the US with her surfboard and spent a month with us.

Each volunteer brings 'a gift from the heart' and leaves an impression on each and every one of us. Thank you all so much for sharing your lives with us, we appreciate it so much.

A few weeks ago, a number of our children went in a 5km fun run at Playa Linda. This sort of activity is not supported very well but on this day a number of dedicated runners rose before the intense heat of the day and participated in the event. A few very serious runners who were from the military came in first and then to our surprise, Moacir (17yrs) ran past the beach house where all the children from the refuge were waiting and yelling in excitement . He did really well considering he didn't really train up for the race. Moacir's brother, Merril followed and then Jose. All the kids and volunteers who entered did really well. Owen, the volunteer from Wales, said, that by two thirds of the way through the race he was ready to give up, until he heard the screams of encouragement from all the little ones waiting at the fence!

The highlight of the day was little Carlos (7yrs), who completed the run without any help and without training other than playing football on Saturdays.

Alan takes most of the older children and little Carlos to a football field every Saturday afternoon to play soccer, it has become a tradition. They play for a couple of hours and they all come back exhausted, including Alan! That night we have no problems with getting them to sleep!

Our Sundays at the beach are looked forward to each week. It's amazing that we do the same thing every week but we never get sick of it. It is so refreshing to be outdoors enjoying the sun, surf and sand, and even though we have 30 children, it is still relaxing.

Recently we had another donation of surfboards from Ryan Roberts of Noosa, an ex-volunteer, which we are so thankful for. The children have improved so much which is so good to see and every week they gain more confidence.

We still cause a stir when people see us. Last week a prominent man from Tapachula saw the kids out on the boards and came over to talk to us about it. He told us that he was very impressed as he grew up being told never to go out in the water, that it was too dangerous. Amazingly, he had never heard about us so started giving us the 'third degree'. He said that there had been a number of organisations that were involved in selling children, especially just over the border in Guatemala, and wanted to make sure that we were not doing anything like that.

Most of the children are doing well in school. Moacir (recently 17yrs) has completed a 16 level English course at Harmon Hall English School, getting the highest results in his class. Owen, the volunteer, commented that Moacir was better at English than some of the English teachers at the Uni where he works.

Moacir also passed an exam set by the University of Michigan.

Moacir is from Nicaragua and is doing his senior at an open learning school but up until now he hasn't been able to sit for exams as he doesn't have a Mexican visa called, an FM3. Today we lodged his application for the visa on the grounds of his studies and next week we should know if they will approve his application. Please pray for a positive result of this.

Many of our children have started school years late and it hasn't been easy for them. We have a 14yr old in grade 2 and she struggles. Learning to read at such a late stage is hard but she is coming along slowly. Others, like Marina, who is 13 years and in grade 5, are doing really well. Marina dropped out of school for a couple of years and was working as a cleaner in a brothel.

She is doing so well now that she is receiving a 'beca' grant, next week, 800pesos which may end up being an annual grant while she studies. This will help to buy all her school needs.

Carlos 7yrs, has had a perfect score for the year, all tens, but didn't qualify for a 'beca' because a child from our household had already received one!

Surprisingly, Angel 7yrs, did really well also. Angel has very poor concentration and is very mischievous, actually a bit of a terror!!

Bruno is now coming along after struggling for years. Things are beginning to click for him. He is 14yrs and in grade 4. Bruno had a horrible childhood and suffered terribly.

We have recently put Bruno, Leonardo (14) and Roxana (15) into a computer course that they are thoroughly enjoying.

We have had a little trouble getting Roxana (15yrs), into a secondary school because of her age. I went to one high school and when they told me that Roxana was not eligible to enter because she was too old, I got really defensive and told them that she is Mexican and she has the right to an education. This 'rule' is discriminating and only encourages kids to be on the streets. Roxana finishes grade six this July.

We finally managed to get her into an afternoon school. Afternoon schools aren't the best as the hours are shorter and all the 'not so bright' children go to these schools.

Roxana recently celebrated her 15 th birthday. 15yrs is a very special birthday in Mexico. Even the 'poor' have a lovely celebration.

We took Roxana to a shop in Centro, Tapachula and bought her a lovely pink, after five dress (which was not expensive) and bought her some new shoes. We did her hair and painted her nails and then, Alan and I and our son Rohan, took her to a beautiful restaurant where she felt like a princess.

Rosario's 15 th is in June so we will combine the two birthdays with one fiesta.

All the children, except for the little ones, have been receiving dental treatment. It is so good to know that they have all been attended to.

Three of the children that we had here have gone back to their family. It was very sad to see them go but the welfare dept. thought it best that they be reunited with their family. We have heard from the local police where they live, that two of the children are still suffering abuse.

We received a new boy recently. His name is Jose Luis and he is 10yrs. Jose Luis has told us that his father left them years ago to go and live in the US. His mother died two months ago and he was living with his 15 year old brother who was working and trying to take care of him.

He is a bit of a handful but hopefully in time he will settle down.

Little Sam, 2 years is doing so well. He has such a cute nature and everyone falls in love with him. His eye, that was operated on, has turned slightly again so we will have to take him back to the eye specialist and see what can be done.

Juanito, who is in the third level of Kinder, is such a cheeky little boy. When we received him I remember commenting to Lenore Boyd, a volunteer here at the time, that he was a 15 year old in a 4 year old body! He was always coming out with comments that were beyond his years. He had obviously seen and experienced too much for his young years. Juanito still does and says things that make you stop and wonder.

I would like to share with you a cute thing that he said a short while back.

When the children need to be punished we send them to a wall where they have to reflect on what they did, like 'time out'. This day I found Juanito standing at the wall and asked him, "Oh, are you being punished, what did you do this time"? and he answered; rolling his eyes, shaking his head and sighing, "I did nothing more, than draw on the wall!"

The completion of the new house has been delayed due to waiting on the government to issue our tax receipts. Hopefully we will have these documents soon.

It is now the 14 th May. We hope all you mothers out there had a lovely Day.

Mother's Day is celebrated on the 10 th May in Mexico. This year the children came to our little room, in the early morning, singing 'Las Mananitas' with Jose and Merril playing the guitars. It was so sweet, so special. Moacir brought me breakfast in bed, something I have not had in all the time that I have been here. These are special memories with special kids and I love them so much and I am so thankful for the opportunity to share my life with them.

Well, it is time to close. Thank you to all who have written to us. Please forgive us if we haven't answered your mail. Sometimes I don't get to the computer for weeks and poor Alan has to try and keep up with the correspondence with his one finger typing!

God bless you all and thank you so much for your wonderful support. Don't forget to check the web page for updated photos: www.lovelifehope.com

Our love to you all,

Pam and Alan Skuse.