We have a new family member!

Her name is Paola Emma and she's from Guayaquil, Ecuador. Guayaquil is on the coast, a busy port city of 3.3 million. As you can imagine it gets very hot and humid there. She turned 12 last December. She's 4'6" and weighs 62 pounds. Her favorite school subjects are Science and Grammar. She speaks Spanish. In her spare time she likes to play with friends and ride her bike. She helps out at home with dish washing and general housework. Her father is a bricklayer and her mother is a homemaker. She has 2 older sisters, one younger sister and 1 younger brother. Her home has a wooden floor and a corrugated metal roof. It consists of 1 bedroom, a kitchen and a living room. The family sleeps on

wooden beds and cooks on a portable gas stove. Water has to be delivered in barrels by truck. Under electricity it states: "non regulated usage". Not sure what that means. Sounds like maybe they tap into a power line running nearby, not the safest way to get your electricity! Here is an earlier picture. Looks like she was sponsored in 2005 (the date of this earlier picture) and lost her sponsor recently. I just found out recently that once a child becomes sponsored CI will keep providing them with sponsorship benefits even if they lose their sponsor. That's good to know. I can't wait to get my first letter from her. I've already sent her a letter welcoming her to the family. I also sent her a special needs gift so that she can get something she really needs. So there she is, our seventh child. I'll keep you posted on her progress as I receive more info.