Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Hola Amigos


Today we drove south of Lima to another squatter community and to visit another Compassion center. We were warmly greeted by the staff and the children. The children come in shifts to the center. There are fewer children in the morning, as most kids go to school in the morning. So the morning kids come and stay through lunch, then go to school. The afternoon kids go to school and then come to the center (church) for lunch and an afternoon of Compassion activities. All three student centers we have visited have been so different.

Today I met Waldir....He is 16 and needs a sponsor.
I talked with him, explaining that I am committed to finding him a sponsor. He was very sweet - very shy and a little bit nervous. He is doing well in school right now. His favorite class is math and he wants to become an industrial engineer. He used to have a sponsor, but for some reason his sponsor quit sponsoring him. We talked for a few minutes, I got a picture with him and then he left. About 15 minutes later he had come back to me with some questions. His concern was that I would fail in finding him a sponsor. It is much harder for the teenagers to get sponsors. The little kids are so irresistible and are sponsored much more easily. The teens get overlooked, and this can be so hard on them. This is such a vulnerable time in their lives and they need a sponsor's encouragement to carry them through school. I promised Waldir I would find him a sponsor. He even asked that if I didn't find him a sponsor, would I sponsor him. I told him I would love to sponsor him, but I really want my family and friends to experience the blessing of sponsorship. So start talking to people and see if we can get him sponsored before I come home.

I also met an LDP student named Roxanna - she was fun to talk to. She spoke to me in Spanish to help me practice and I also had her practice her English with me. Tonight we have dinner with 5 LDP students and hear their stories.

We went on another home visit and I have no words to describe what I saw. It's insane that people live like this. This particular community we were in has a population of about 30,000 people and many are living in extreme poverty. The streets (if you can even call them that) are lined with garbage and there are so many street dogs and other animals that it's hard not to step in poo. Some of the streets are pure sand and others are mud (that are slick when wet). Some of the "steps" we walked up are worse than the trails we hike on some of the steepest hikes we've done. It's unbelievable. And there are steep drop offs everywhere - I would be so worried to let Syd and Kay walk in areas like that, simply because they could fall and get seriously injured. But these people have no choice and the children take it all in stride. We met Mirella (7) and Mariel (4) at the student center and they walked with us (led us) to their house. They were so excited that we were coming to their house. I love the innocence of children. They proudly pointed their house out to us - not knowing how different our world is from theirs. Their home has no water and no electricity. The mother uses candles at night and earlier this year, she was working and her children were home (alone with their 12 yr. old sister) getting ready for bed. They knocked a candle over and the entire house burnt down - they lost everything. Thankfully the children were not locked in the house (as some parents do when they go to work) or they would have perished in the fire. With the help of the neighbors (who are also living in extreme poverty) and Compassion, they were able to rebuild. Their house is made of thin plywood and has a tin roof. There is a window, but no glass - just a piece of plastic to cover it. The floor was dirt and the one and only room of the house was about 15x20. Can you imagine? Here are some pictures to help you...Mirella and Marie, their house and their neighborhood



5 comments:

Grandma Dee Dee said...

Thanks for the pictures and updates. So moved by your pics and letters. Beautiful people and children.
What a birthday present!!!!!
Iloveyou so much Jill and am so thankful for you and your heart for GOD and your passion for Compassion and helping people in need. You are such a joy!!!!!
hugs

Brittany said...

I posted your blog link on my facebook....and will continue to do so...praying someone will step up!!!

Brittany said...

JILL!!! I hope you can see this...a girlfriend from high school said she'd sponsor him...I called Compassion but they need his number to look him up!!!!

Tara said...

The pictures are powerful. I showed my girls the pictures so they would have a better understanding of possibly how our little sponsor girl Irlanda lives in Bolivia.
Thanks for the visiul reminder of what life is like for these children.

Brittany said...

Okay Jill, if you can read this :)
I called Compassion and saw the center number from Pat's pictures on facebook. They can't put a hold on him because his packet is out somewhere. On October 8th his packet is due. So that's good in the sense that someone might sponsor him...but if not, I have someone lined up who does indeed want to sponsor him. Just have to play the waiting game now :)

 
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