JOSEPH (25) & ERIN (23) - USA We volunteered at Elim from January to March of 2008. We have been to many orphanages but this one was by far the best experience we have ever had. Jeremy and Nilda are very kind and made us feel very comfortable from the first day that we visited. Elim operates as a family. The children all work together to complete the daily chores and mealtimes are always spent as a group. Erin taught the boys English in the mornings and then we spent the afternoons talking with them and just hanging out. The boys are very talented and you end up learning more from them than they will from you. Elim is an incredible project that is changing kids' lives and we feel very fortunate to have been a part of their family. The only problem is that it is way too hard to leave! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- JORGE (24) - Peru My name is Jorge and I give the boys salsa lessons. For me ELIM is just one big experience. Working with the kids is satisfying because in ELIM it’s not only about giving, but also about receiving. A smile, tender look, love, affection and so many more. The kids are opening their heart for you and invite you to to be a part of  their big family. It is really amazing to work with these boys! Soon I will also start giving dancing lessons to the girls and I can’t wait! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- EVA (24) - The Netherlands Hi! My name is Eva and I have worked for a long time in ELIM as a volunteer. I can’t say anything else than: it was the experience of my life. I was mostly in the boys' home. Every morning I gave individual help to two boys of twelve and thirtheen years old. One of them never went to school before and couldn’t read nor write. Day in, day out we practiced but the sad thing was that he just couldn’t take anything in. He has so many psychological problems and can become violent, just because of his past. Amongst others he was sexually and mentally abused. In march he started night school because they don’t let him in at regular primary anymore because of his age. He will soon  get psychological help also so hopefully he will be making some progress. The older boys are busy learning English. Constantly they come with questions and want to learn new things. There are volunteers who are giving group lessons but I was more supporting one to one basis. Also very nice! Besides the serious part, there is also a lot of diversion. The boys have so many talents and they really want to teach you some of their skills. I learned how to make bracelets,  how to play guitar and zampoña and yes: I developed my "I don’t have any feeling for football-talent" J And while doing all these activities you’re not only having fun  but your Spanish is also getting better. The boys like it also when you organize them something. For example,  I cooked with them, we made apple pies, I took them to a football game and with other volunteers we organized a horror night. Believe me, it’s touching your heart to work with these boys and to "hang out" with them. Their happiness, theirs smiles,  the spontaneous hug that they give you. Each of them had to go through so many, sad and bizarre things, but luckily they are now on the right path. They are going to school,  are intelligent, inquisitive, studious , are looking forward to a positive future and are enjoying of all the attention they are getting. My message is clear I think: ELIM is an incredible project and working with the children is amazing! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- LISA (??) - Switzerland I got to know about Elim, over the internet. It was very uncomplicated to join Elim for about two months and it was definitely worth doing it. What did I do in Elim? Very simple, I spent my time with the children: Playing soccer, learning and showing tricks, teaching mathematics, listening to their life stories, learning from them, telling my story, making friends. I learnt a lot from the children. All of the children have their own story, most of the time an incredibly sad one. But then, they find a new home in Elim where some of them get love for the first time in many years. They have found a new family where they have changed, with God's help, their characters for the good. Jesus died for their sins and for their bad behaving and the child accepts that gift. What I am most impressed with is that they even learn to forgive their family who sometimes hit and abused them badly! What can be observed is that the children only make progress in their personalities and social behaviour, when they can accept Jesus' gift of forgiveness, when they forgive themselves and those around them. That was the biggest lesson I learnt in Elim. Being able to forgive is life changing! Thanks to the kids for their honesty, openness and happiness.   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Christelle (35) - France/UK I spent nine weeks in the accommodation above the girls'home and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time there and was very hard to leave them all. I was only supposed to be there for 6 weeks!! I really enjoyed the fact that you are above the home as you are always welcomed with a smile or always have someone to have a chat with, even if you had limited or hardly any Spanish which was my case to start with! This was the best way for me to learn, especially words or expressions that you wouldn't learn in class. I did take Spanish lessons on a daily basis and was then able to practice it with girls who were also more than happy to correct me or teach me new words. The girls were on school holidays when i arrived in January 2008 so we had to organised activities for them, mainly in the afternoon as they had their chores in the morning (doing their washing, help prepare the lunch etc..) I sometimes helped them before going to my lessons. In the afternoon, we had activities like painting, card-making, modelling, bracelet making etc.. which they always thoroughly enjoyed. They also loved face painting and to my surprise, so did the boys!! About two weeks near the end of my stay, the girls went back to school (around Mach time) and every morning, I was getting up to accompany them to school. It was nice to see them being happy to have someone to go with them. I also went to the boys in the afternoon and there I would talk to them or play various board game they would have. It is also nice to go there as they are very welcoming and it makes you feel really appreciated. You feel very much at home in both places and it is hard when you know you will have to leave them but at the same time, you know that they are in a happy place and someone else will come and will bring hopefully some more joy and love. Spending time at ELIM was a really rewarding experience. I will always remember this place with fondness. They have given me so much love and appreciated the things I did there even if most of the things I did was being there and spend time for the children.