Ramirez Children

A New House for the Ramirez Children

Over the spring of 2009 the Ramirez children’s mud house collapsed in the rains. Through Project School Supplies and many generous donations, Ellen has built a new home for the children, who lost their only guardian, their grandmother, earlier this year.

The house is now complete and they are no longer sleeping on a mud floor. Thanks to Ellen’s generosity, the children now have foam mattresses to sleep on for the first time in their lives.

Ellen with Alexsander, Isaias and Maria

Thank You Letters from the Children:

From Alexsander:

Dear Friends

Thank you for the money that you gave us for the house! I am really happy… really really happy with you! The best part is our floor because it is very beautiful!!!

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From Isaias:

I want to say thank you for your help and for your support. Thank you for your kindness and your help. We love you a lot!!! I love the house and never imagined living in such a wonderful home!!!

Thank you all my dear friends. I loved being able to help build the house with my own hands. I am very happy to have a beautiful new house. Thanks to Ellen and to all my dear friends.

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From Maria:

Hello. How are you, my dear friends? I would like to tell you that we love you all very much! We love you and thank you very much and give thanks to all our dear friends who have helped us and helped us with our house. I am really really happy!!!

Thanks to Ellen and to all of you!! You are my friends and I have kisses for you all!! A kiss and a hug for all my friends who have helped. I hope very soon to get to meet all of you.

I want to tell you that Ellen has been my second “Mama”. (Ellen´s note: I am crying here with Maria now.) I love her very much and with Ellen I am very happy!!

May God Bless you all!!

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How it all began ~ a letter from Ellen ~ Oct 2008

Okay, I have to write about these kids because I saw them again today and I am just filled with love!!!

They came at 6 am this morning to deliver firewood from their village Llanetios… about a hour and a half hike down the mountain (and up the mountain… even worse)

They are orphans, Isaias 15 and Alexander 12… their parents died quite a while ago and they live with their grandmother who is ailing and their aunt Maria who is 17. Isaias had to drop out of school to work after his parents died. He cannot tell time but he can read. Alexander still continues in school. I gave them each a book today and they were so joyful. Then I gave them raisins (neither had seen raisins before and when I explained that they were dried grapes, they asked me ¨”what were grapes”?)

These kids are so magical and I am so attached, but Isaias is extraordinary!!!! He glows! And I swear when he smiles, or when I hug him, angels fly out of his body and just hover around with glowing joy and energy. For me to say something like this is quite a leap of faith, folks, but I cannot describe it any other way. It was love at first sight when they came to our house to deliver firewood. I could not take my eyes off of their dirty , sweating faces and beaming smile. I gave them water… it was an incredibly hot day and they were delivering wood in the hot sun all day.

Now we are friends… or should I say family!! I cannot get to Llanetios as often as I would like, but they do come down to deliver frijoles and firewood and we visit here in town. The family is desparately poor and live on beans and tortillas and sometimes a chicken or an egg. When i visit them they always prepare a whole meal for me… probably their whole ration for the week. When I arrive, Maria runs or slides down the hill screaming my name with her arms waving in the air… she too is an orphan living with grandma. She is a young adult and teaches pottery to tourists who manage to make the climb up that way. She is always smiling.

I had been away for several weeks and Isaias apparently came by my apartment almost every day and was saddened (as he told me yesterday) to see the door was always closed. Finally yesteray we met up… I saw his horse and recognized it before i could find Isaias… and then suddenly there he was, running toward me with his usual huge grin, yelling “mucho gusto mucho gusto mucho gusto!!!!” My heart leaped out of it´s cavity when I saw him and we hugged a gazillion times. We arranged for me to visit (if torrential rains allow) next Sunday.

Today when he and Alexander arrived I inivited them in but the only had a few minutes before they had to leave to arrive up home for church. But I managed to stuff them with peanut butter sandwiches (they had never seen peanut butter, or sandwiches for that matter, but did have peanuts before.) I showed them my piano and Isaias began to sing… and guys, you should have heard his voice!!!! I had shivers!!!!!

So I followed along playing church chords on the piano while he sang and I have to say… I am ready to die now. I have fully lived!!!!!!

This is just so extraordinary, guys… I just had to write about it. I spend most of my life searching and pushing and fighting and struggling… and here in a matter of moments I can find such extraordinary peace. It blows me away!!!

Love to you all!!!! Ellen

An update from Ellen ~ May 2009

Thank you so much for your donations… we are almost there… just another $400 and we have a house!!! I plan on buying them some foam so they will no longer sleep on the floor!

The rains have all but caved in their current mud house, but it looks like a couple weeks and they will be inside and warm and dry.

They are so grateful to all of you who have helped and tell me to say “thank you and God Bless you.”