construction progress

Friday recess

Sunday

Basketball and Shadows

Canela's Pursuit

Canela loves to get attention from the photographer. This is the girl's dorm.

Free Time

The People of Pan de Vida

Click on the picture to get a better view.

Unfortunately, Brenda and I weren't there for photo day.

Auditorium construction

La Pipa Rides Again

La Pipa is up and running again. However, the motor on this '74 model is on its last legs. It's about to go out anytime. So Pan de Vida is currently looking for another pipa to buy.

With its own water truck, PDV only pays $14 for each trip to pick up water, but it was to pay $57 to hire someone else to do it.

Broken down again

La Pipa is out of comission again. There is a water and oil leak.

While poor Pipa is resting, Pan de Vida has hired someone to transport water.

PDV is looking at the possibility of buying a new water truck.

Visitors from Aguascalientes

Aaron, Nayeli, Laura, Rachel, and Duane visited Pan de Vida last weekend.

Aaron and Duane are long-term volunteers at Dulce Refugio in Aguascalientes. They have helped at Pan de Vida as well.

Laura and Rachel are helping for a few months at Dulce Refugio.

Nayeli is a youth leader at church in Aguascalientes.

Feb 19-23 Canada Team

Ann and Jeremy

Ann and Jeremy came to Pan de Vida last weekend for a visit.

They are volunteering at Dulce Refugio in Aguascalientes.

Fixed!

La Pipa.

Pan de Vida's water truck, which holds around 9000 liters of water, was fixed a couple of weeks ago.

Two trips are made daily to transport water to Pan de Vida to fill it's own water tanks.

The water is used to meet the needs of around 110 children and 20 volunteers.

Pan de Vida is located in a rural area and hasn't been connected to the city's water supply.

The Indians

This year they have moved up to a higher division. The Indians have been practicing to prepare for their first game in April.

The Indians use the asphalt parking lot at Pan de Vida as a pracitice field. Their coach is currently looking for donations to pay for uniforms and league fees.

Back left to right (Silvia, Gaby, Celene, Lupita the manger)

Front left to right (Betti, Elizabeth, Paquita, Violeta, Erica)

Not pictured - Marcela, Coach Antonio and teammates apart from Pan de Vida

Athletic program

Football is making a difference in the lives of the children at Pan de Vida.

Pan de Vida director Dionisio Mares said that the children are improving emotionally, mentally and physically through football.

Violeta, a receiver and cornerback says that she has benefited from the demands of physical conditioning and working with others. She also said that it helps her to be motivated in school.
“I like it a lot,” she said.

Abraham, a defensive end and receiver, agrees.

“Football helps you to deal with stress and anger and to focus and excel in athletics,” he said.

Mares said that are three objecitives for the sports program. Pan de Vida wants to use sports to channel anger in a positive way, to involve the children’s home with higher academic institutions to obtain scholarships, and to obtain donations.

The boys, ages 7-15, have the opportunity able to play football in three different age groups through a local university program. The local university pays for part of the fees and coaches and mangers look for sponsers to pay the rest. This year TetraPak, Sika Mexicana, Cal Los Arcos, Caja Popular Libertad, Municipio de Corregidora, Municipio de Queretaro are sponsers.
Those who are 15 and older play football through a football program in San Juan del Rio which provides for transportation and covers all the expenses.

The Teenage girls play flag football through an association in Mexico City. The girls football coach is currently looking for sponsers.

Pan de Vida is also looking to expand its athletic program to include soccer, basketball and baseball.

Boys football

The Wildcats (3 age groups)

7-9 age group (rabbits division)

back row: Celso, Eduardo B. ,Daniel, Eduardo, Ruben

front row: Carlos, Ivan, Guillermo, Angel , Juan Carlos, Saul

10-13 age group (irons division)

back row: Jonahatan, Saul, Jose Luis, Juan, Josue

front row: Jose, German, Santos, Jesus, Salvador, Alan

13-15 age group (Ponies division)


Vicencio and Gustavo, a.k.a. "flaco"

White Wolves

Ages 15 and older

Guadalupe, Sabino, Antonio, Abraham, Julio

2006 flag football champions

2006 girls flag football champions

• Dec. 2006 AJFAFAC Juvenil A championship game:
• The Indians 30
• The Bear Cubs 28
• There were 12 girls from Pan de Vida that were part of The Indians championship team last year.
• The Indians, coached by Antonio Geraldo Tajonal and managed by Lupita Salinas, played in the lowest division against high school and university squads in Mexico City (a 3 hour drive from Pan de Vida).
• They finished the season with a 7-1 record in the AJFAFAC, which is a flag football league for young people. The league consists of 5 different divisions based on playing experience.

Feb 5- Feb 16 Canada team

Cement poured for the floor of the new school office and classroom

bricks laid to finish the school patio

pipe laid for rain drainage, telephone and cable, and for water

Pan de Vida pets

Lika

Canela

rabbits

Toto

Sazu


Lika follows her master, Mary's, the school director, wherever she goes.

Toto, a gift to Justo, the worship leader/teacher, was lost for 3-4 years before being found again. Although friendly toward humans, he killed Sazu's fellow parrot companion Guero.

Sazu is a little tempermental, but friendly and willing to perch itself on your shoulder if you offer it food.

Canela competes with Lika for attention.