El Amor de Patricia

Family, Newsletters

“El Amor de Patricia”

By, Nancy Alexander

Plans Underway to Help Guatemalan Orphanage…

My husband, Steve, and I were touched as we watched friends adopt their little girl, Aven, from Guatemala three years ago. This country along with their “new” orphanage, “El Amor de Patricia” (The Love of Patricia) need help! We have not known exactly how God wanted us to help until now. We feel very strongly that God is leading us to increase awareness, and to raise money for “El Amor de Patricia”, an orphanage which is run and operated from donations of others.

El Amor de Patricia (The Love of Patricia)

PLANS NOW IN MOTION FOR FUNDRAISER: “El Amor de Patricia”

I want to tell you just a little about our friends we met through the Internet, Jim & Andrea Cockrum. Jim Cockrum is VERY well known as an Internet Marketer, Leader, and Teacher. You can type “Jim Cockrum” into Google, and you’ll immediately see how often his name comes up. When I started my “online” career, I purchased a book “The Silent Sales Machine Hiding on Ebay” from Jim. This was the BEST thing I ever did! I learned so much from him. I found out right away that he was a moral, Christian, and trustworthy, man who had the type of Internet business that I wanted to strive for one day. My goal was that my business, one day, would begin to have the kind of reputation that his business has earned.

As a “newbie” in Internet Marketing, even the easiest of tasks were not easy for me. I read his book many times; I studied his book. Finally I was able to successfully implement one of his ideas into my own business. This idea greatly affected my traffic, and my sales! I sent Jim an email thanking him for his book, his ideas, and the way he obviously ran his business — with God at the helm! Within a few days, I received an email back from Jim wanting to know if he could give me a call. Of course, I said “yes”.

That was a very encouraging and inspiring call from this “well known” Internet Marketer (or guru, as some would say)! It was a call that literally changed my business. Before I knew it, I was highlighted in one of his newsletters which goes out weekly to over 100,000 fans ready to devour his honest, down-to-earth ideas, suggestions, and business insights. I received coaching from Jim along with many suggestions which helped me grow my own business to be one of importance.

I learned that I do have something to give others far and above the wreaths I was selling at the time. After fighting fibromyalgia for so many years, I could encourage, inspire, and train many women who wanted and needed a business. It had to be a business they could run from home as they dealt with health issues. I began filming how-to, instructional DVDs on wreath design, writing e-books, and now have a membership site, www.BestOfNancy.com, with my partner, Linda Joseph. I could not have done any of this without Jim Cockrum’s help and encouragement!

Aven Cockrum: A Precious Little Girl From Guatemala With “Smiling” Eyes

As we grew to know and appreciate Jim and his family, Jim announced that he and his wife Andrea were adopting their fifth child, Aven. Aven, who is their third adopted child, was coming from Guatemala. Steve and I watched with interest and admiration as the Cockrum’s moved to Guatemala for over 3 months so they could spend more time with their sweet little one before bringing her back to the United States. This is when we developed our interest along with a desire to help the children of Guatemala. As this new orphanage was opened and licensed, we found it was operated only on donations, we knew it was time to do something.

My husband and I kept up with the adoption process as the Cockrums posted updates about all they were going through completing their adoption, and bringing little Aven home. As we did, we learned more about “El Amor de Patricia”. It is located near where Jim and Andrea Cockrum adopted Aven, in Mixco, Guatemala…about 20 minutes from Guatemala City. Most of these children will grow up with the orphanage being their “forever” home because adoptions in Guatemala have now been stopped by the government. This orphanage is different from the “government owned” homes. This one is run “family style”, which is so wonderful for the children! There is one Guatemalan family that resides and runs the Hogar at all times! There are many “helpers” but the kids have one main family unit to turn to. This way, they learn about love, parental authority, and family as a result. This is something so many orphanages DO NOT teach!

The director of this orphanage is Tamara Hillstrom. She has moved bureaucratic MOUNTAINS to get a non-profit orphanage set up since adoptions were shut down. She has a true PASSION for the orphans of Guatemala, and has adopted three daughters from there as a single Mother. The orphanage is named after Tamara’s mother, Patricia, who was a fairly renowned philanthropic patron of those in desperate need. Her daughter learned from the BEST! El Amor de Patricia has received approval from ALL levels of the Guatemalan government and is now receiving babies on a daily basis. These babies are coming from hospitals, and from people who are “finding” babies and bringing them in.

Below, you can see pictures of some “little ones” who are in the orphanage today!

Newest Little “Angels” arrive at “El Amor de Patricia”

Our hearts have been touched;

God has begun a work in us…

SO…I AM VERY PROUD TO ANNOUNCE: THE PLANS ARE NOW IN MOTION FOR A

FUNDRAISER FOR “El Amour de Patricia”!

We had mentioned to Jim on a couple of occasions that we wanted to do something to raise money and awareness for this very special orphanage. So, Jim and I, along with my partner, Linda Joseph, recorded a planning session/conference call last Monday.

It is time to raise much needed funds and awareness for this very special place for children who cannot be cared for by their parents in their own homes. The children in this country are born into EXTREME POVERTY! Over 75% of its people live below the poverty level. So many times parents just simply do not have the means to care for a child. They do not believe in abortion, so they give birth to their babies and try to care for them.

Soon after the birth, many of these mothers realize they cannot care for their newborns. Many are abandoned on the doorsteps of someone whom they think will take care of their babies. But, unfortunately, others are abandoned in locations where they cannot be rescued and cared for. They are left alone to die in horrendous circumstances!

Tamara Hillstrom & her Mother Patricia

El Amor de Patricia survives on donations. They also use these donations to help children in their surrounding area, not just those in their orphanage. The staff of the orphanage uses donations from people like us to help those in the surrounding community. For instance, a large majority of the children in this area do not have mattresses. “El Amor de Patricia” has already delivered some sets of bunk beds to several families after raising money for them stateside. Usually one mattress will sleep 4-5 kiddos…smile – with lots of “sleepovers” after the staff delivers bunkbeds!

THIS IS WHERE WE CAN HELP!

We are working on a section of the recording that can be used in promoting this fund-raiser. Jim, Andrea, and myself, along with many others want to get the word out to as many people as possible, to our lists, to our friends, and whoever can and will help us raise this much needed money.

We are still working on all the logistics such as sales pages, product pages, and more. People are already donating their products and services to be sold or auctioned off during a week long period (date to be announced soon). We already getting promises of products such as special numbered prints by Andrea, DVDs which teach floral design, and Instructional e-books from me, and Internet marketing books and courses from Linda Joseph and Susan Whitehead. I will be donating a HUGE $400.00 wreath to be auctioned off by Jim on eBay!

So, if you have any products or services, you would like to donate, please let me know as soon as possible. We are putting together the products page right now which will be sent out to as many people as possible.

For More Information on Donations, or to Make a Pledge:

Please contact me: nancy@LadybugWreaths.com!

If you have a product you would like to have Jim auction off for you, please let us know.

And, others may just want to make a donation.