christmas letter 2011-12

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C A SA VI VA 2 0 1 1 C HRI STM A S LET TER

December 2011

Dear Friends and Family,

This is an excing me of year. We may not have the tradional cold and snow in Costa Rica, but we have

reworks and tamales accompanied by streams of cars driving up into the mountains to look for cypress trees.

Roadside stands sell lights and Navity stables, and everyone looks forward to spending their aguinaldos a

required extra months salary that oods the Christmas economy.

As the year comes to a close, we want to takea moment to celebrate with you both the

highlights of 2011, and outline some of the

challenges ahead for 2012.

Let the Doors Swing Wide

Christmas is a me when we open our doors,

when we look for the light in the window,

when we turn toward home and seek our

closest family and friends. We exchange

gis within our circles of community and

open our doors to pares and gatherings.We celebrate with food and drink and

special treats.

In many ways, the Christmas season denes the work of Casa Viva our desire is to connect

children in need with the life of real families. Children need the inmacy of family and community. They need

tradions and rituals and celebraons. Children need to know that unique sense of home. They need to see

the light in the window and know that if they knock, the door will swing wide and they will be welcomed inside.

This is the invitaon of Advent opening doors, making room, sliding over, adding a plate to the table,

extending a kind welcome. Two thousand years ago, a young couple entered a bustling and noisy city with

nowhere to go and they only found closed doors at every turn. Finally, an innkeeper led them to an openstable door. A baby boy was welcomed into the world that night, and Hes been knocking on doors ever since.


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Stories Worthy of Celebration

A door opened for a girl named Mariana last week. Her story is

parcularly signicant because she was the rst child placed through

our third center in Alajuela. While we dont yet know whether

Marianas story will end with a reunicaon to her own family, or a

declaraon in abandonment for a possible adopon, we do know this

tonight Mariana will sleep safe and be cared for by a family who has

been preparing to love her for months.

While Mariana is a recent placement, Ricardo had been living with his

Casa Viva family for two years when nally a permanent decision was

made in his favor. Were grateful to God for the kind judge who

allowed him to be adopted by his Casa Viva family. His case represents

one of our greatest struggles this year navigang the delicate nature of

pursuing permanent decisions in the best interests of children.

In Ricardos case, he was declared in abandonment and an adopon

decision was made. Juliana was dierent. She had lived in her CasaViva home for fourteen months when the day came to return her to

her biological mother, who was sll working to organize her life. Our sta and the family gathered around the

table and prayed as we always do. We thanked God for being faithful so far to intervene on Julianas behalf.

We commied her to His care. We trusted that God would connue to act in Julianas best interest. And all of

us cried, but none more than the Casa Viva mom and dad

who had loved on Juliana day and night, all those

months.

Every child has a story, every story is unique. Mariana.

Ricardo. Juliana. Doors opened on their behalf,

and we are so grateful.

Favorable Winds of Change in 2011

Ten men and women have been gathering around a

common table this year. Joined by three Casa Viva sta,

they are taking the next step in naonal leadership for

Casa Viva Costa Rica. In 2011, we crossed the halfway

point. More than 50% of the funds that nance CVCR are

coming from Costa Rican sources remarkable! The

naonal board has been charged with making the program

more and more Costa Rican every day, with pursuing

naonal self-sustainability, and with engaging churches,

families, plus the state and civil society to seek family

soluons for children.

Weve seen the winds of change in our relaonship with

the government as well. As local ocials come in contact

with internaonal research and mandates, they are

turning their hearts toward care based in families. The child welfare department of Costa Rica has doubled the

number of children they are willing to send to Casa Viva next year. Thats signicant, and requires growth in

sta and recruitment and support, but more than anything else, it signals a change in atude in our favor.

Casa Viva 2011 Christmas Leer

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And nally, our most important breeze is coming from our local churches.

More and more our church coordinators are taking the lead in supporng

our local families. Theyre planning events and Christmas pares, nding

beds and car seats, linking specic needs to local soluons. We recently

celebrated our 6th

anniversary with an event hosted by a corporate team

from Tyndale House Publishers. We were all reminded by Ricardo Salazar,

senior pastor of Vida Abundante, that compassion feels, acts, costs andgives. Our churches are culvang this art of compassion and it shows.

What Weve Learned While Connecting Children to Families

1. This is Gods work, He is acng on behalf of children. We all may know

this to be true theorecally, but were seeing it up close and personal in

the niest of details. God is orchestrang matches and surprises that

have taught us to celebrate again His majesty and wonder. Children are so

very close to Gods heart.

2. Children need people more than anything else. Yes, children need

warm beds. Yes, children need square meals. Yes, they need a roof overtheir heads and a school and books and a place to play. But what children

need most is a connecon to at least one adult. What children need most

is to experience the love of a family and through that connecon, be

introduced to their heavenly Father. Connecon to adults allows children to face the challenges of life.

3. The problem is bigger than any soluon that is currently

available. The crisis with children at risk is only increasing as the

world internalizes the prevailing messages of self over sacrice, of

sexual promiscuity, of drugs and alcohol as an acceptable escape,

and on and on. Casa Viva is working to expand the supply of

soluons we oer to the problem. Plus we're working to reunify

separated children back into their own families, if they can

become a safe and loving place. Together with children's homes,

we're increasing the alternaves of care for children separated

from their families. But unfortunately, the demand for soluons is

only growing.

4. Real life soluons are authenc, but also complicated.

Somemes a judge returns a child to a biological mother who we

believe is not over her addicon. Or a great family who would love to adopt their Casa Viva child is preempted

by a government that awards the adopon to another family. And when those things happen, people get hurt,

and we all grieve. It happens. Life gets messy, and situaons deteriorate. To take the risk of connecng

children to families, we have to know that somemes we will fail. But not all the me. When it works, it'sbeauful. And more oen than not, children win and their lives change course for the beer.

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5. We won't succeed long term unless we can engage local leaders, local churches, and local money. Children

need connecons here and now. They need people who will tuck them into bed tonight, and sll be around

when it comes me for their weddings. Local engagement is the key to helping children break out of cycles of

dysfuncon. Local nancial responsibility leads to local commitment. When local churches and families accept

the challenge to care for those around them, the world will never be the same.

Opening the Door to a Brand New Year

Weve shared with many of you that we truly

believe were standing on the edge of a whole

new world of care for children. Were

watching local churches and local families

open doors to meet the needs of the children

in their neighborhoods. Were watching

children walk through those doors and be

transformed. Were seeing what happens

when Gods truth meets a broken world.

Working toward that end, were facing four

key challenges in 2012 growing our work in

Costa Rica, strengthening the quality of our

care model, challenging the region of Lan America to implement local soluons through local churches and

families, and also inuencing the internaonal conversaon concerning children who do not have a safe place

to sleep. We invite you to follow our progress through our new Casa Viva Monthly E-Newsleer and our two

blogs Casa Viva Costa Rica and the Casa Viva

Greenhouse all can be found at our website,

www.casaviva.org.

We are deeply grateful for the partnership of our

family and friends. Without your faithful

commitment, Casa Viva would not exist. As we say

goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012, we invite you

to join with us in this grand adventure of caring for

children in the name of Christ.

Sincerely,

Philip and Jill Aspegren

Directors, Casa Viva

P.S. Would you be willing to help us open more doors for children? As we close out 2012, we ask you to

consider a special gi for the ministry and the children of Casa Viva.

Casa Viva 2011 Christmas Leer

Casa Viva USA P.O. Box 120, Wheaton, IL 60187, (630) 427-4040

Casa Viva Lan America Viva, Apdo: 544-2050, San Pedro, Costa Rica +(506) 2524-1380

Greenhouse Blog: www.casavivagreenhouse.org CVCR Blog: www.casaviva.org/cvcostarica

[email protected]

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christmas letter 2011-12

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