Elvin & Mari

We are consistently impressed by the people we work alongside here.  With the amount of energy and love they are able to show us and each other, we often find ourselves wondering, "How do they do it day in and day out?"  Two such people are Elvin and Mari, who are houseparents for the youngest boys at Jóvenes en Camino.  They treat the boys in their care like their own sons, constantly interacting with them in creative, exciting ways.  
Throughout the month of April, Elvin put on a campus-wide soccer tournament, forming the teams with a mix of ages, naming each team according to bugs ('the flies,' 'the ants,' 'the cockroaches,' etc.), and scheduling the games weeks in advance.  He also kept a record of statistics, in order to award outstanding players.
Every team had to find a "sponsor," who would coach them and cheer them on, and 'the mosquitoes' found Mari.  She ends a game as tired as the players are, from jumping around, cheering, and shouting directions to her team.  And at the end of the game she has candy and homemade refreshments for her players. 

The picture below is of Elvin (black shirt) lining up the two teams for The Championship.  He orchestrated the start of the game just like a professional event, and you could feel the intensity from the players, the coaches, and the fans.

And here is a shot of the winning team, 'the mosquitoes,' with Mari as their sponsor.

Congratulations, Los Zancudos, for a great job in the tournament!  And thank you, Elvin and Mari, for your example of love and commitment.

md