In my last post, I wrote about La Chureca, the garbage dump, and the people that live there. Now I will write about the time we had with Casa Havilah and Casa Robles. These are two rescue homes for some of the kids that previously lived in La Chureca and the surrounding area.
Casa Havilah currently has 13 girls living there with one house mom- the amazing Kenia! The girls range from ages six to sixteen. Some of them are related, and some are related to the boys at Casa Robles. Seven boys currently live at Casa Robles, with one tiny little princesa, Luisa, who is too young to move into Havilah. I'm not entirely sure, but a believe the boys range in ages six to thirteen, and they are all being cared for by a wonderful married couple- Papa Judy and Mama Angelica.
All of these kids come from abusive (all forms of abuse) homes and carry baggage from their deeply, DEEPLY disturbing pasts (even at five years old). What these kids have endured and continue to endure is beyond what I can even comprehend. Their scars are deep.
I discovered that his mom is a prostitute, his father is believed to be some famous man in the country, and his sister is Sofia from Casa Havilah. When I first heard about Havilah a few months ago, she was the first one I wanted to meet. I heard that she is very smart and mature, and loves to read. She even knows some English! I was also told that she is very, very sweet. But I wasn't told that she is a total goofball!
When we lived with the girls for a few days, I always saw her reading her Bible. Sometimes she would ask me to read with her from my Bible in English, which I think was also her way of learning more words. She would read until late at night (they were on vacation and didn't have school), usually on cardboard boxes. When i would ask her where her bed was and when she was going to sleep, she would avoid the question, and either continue reading to me, or would tuck ME in (not literally, but she would take me to the room :p). It wasn't until days later that we found out why she wouldn't let us know about the bed situation. Let's just say it has a lot to do with whatever trauma she has been through. Every night she is subconsciously reminded of it. Pobrecita.
We learned a lot about the girls previous homes and behaviors at that time. One night, the power went out, so we ended up having a spur of the moment party. There was also some spur of the moment drama! Nay and Joseling started to fight over me. After a few minutes, I went to get my water, which resulted in the perfect opportunity for Nay to get Joseling into some trouble. When I came back, Nay and Ashley tried to tell me that Joseling was punching Nay in the face when I went to get water, and that they were not friends with her and that I couldn't be friends with her either. I tried to explain to them that I was friends with all of them, when Amanda, another intern, asked me to sit with her and Joseling to clear something up. Joseling was obviously very upset, and Amanda and I were trying to explain that we weren't mad at her, but we would like to see them treat each other like sisters, because that is what they are in Christ. I tried to explain that we were there to love on all of them equally, and there is no need to fight over me or anyone else. Eventually, Ashley piped up and said Nay was lying, and that Joseling never hit anyone. Surprise surprise! I was reminded at that time, that underneath their cuteness, is the grimy dump, and all the behaviors they learned from their time there. Underneath their sweetness is an indescribable darkness that they can't shake. But I was very proud of Ashley for coming forward with the truth. These girls may lie and deceive, but they are learning to change.
It must have been pick on Joseling night, because a few minutes later, Mikeyling, Nay's older sister, called Joseling's mama the devil. As Amanda and I tried to calm Joseling down, she told us a little about her mother, and the things that happen to her whenever she goes home. I'm sure It's for that reason Mikey would call her mama the devil. And unfortunately, because of what happens to her, SHE may even partly believe her mama to be the devil at times. But what ended up shining through was her love for her mama. It was hard to hear a tiny little girl talk about such things. It's all so real- this happens to her and tons of other beautiful little kids.
We witnessed a lot if nastiness between the girls. They would randomly break out in sassy quarrels and call each other pigs. But for the most part, it was a very enjoyable experience living with them. They even threw me a birthday party! But the nights were my favorite. Each night, one of the other interns got the opportunity to read to the little girls Nay, Joseling and Ashley, and put them to sleep. I would later sneak in to find them wide awake, so I would hug and pray with each of them to say goodnight. I only got the opportunity to read to them one night, which I'm so thankful for- THAT was the best birthday present :p. After we prayed and Nay went to sleep (faking it) Ashley asked me to read the Bible to her. Then we prayed again. Then Nay wanted me to pray with only her- again! Always praying!
One night, I went to say goodnight to the "middle aged girls", Andrea, Jacqueline, Maria- Elena, Mikeyling and Pamela. Most of them were passed out except for Maria Elena, Jackie and Pamela, who asked me to sit with them on Jackie's bed. I couldn't tell you how long I was there, but I had so much fun sitting with them and laughing. They pretty much think I'm a crazy gringa. But what happened as I said goodnight was very cool. As I was praying, they were giggling and messing with my hair, nose, ears- everything. But I just kept rolling with it, and when I was done, they asked if I could pray for them again, because they weren't being serious. I told them it was okay, and that the Lord heard it, but they really wanted me to do it again. After praying the second time, they sincerely thanked me and hugged me goodnight. Again- always praying!
Another night, I got the opportunity to share my testimony with the older girls, Vanessa, Sugheydi, and Katherine (Mileyding was at the Buzbees). It was very cool to be able to share some of my experiences- my own scars, my own troubles, my own past. While I can never ever imagine most of the things these girls have gone through, we still share common experiences, especially when it pertains to our families. But what I really wanted to share, was the fact that we have hope in Christ- He's the one that has the power to change people and lives. I know that, because I've seen Him work in not only my life, but in the lives of those around me, and those that have harmed me in the past. If the Lord can change a particular person in my life, then He can change these girl's lives, and their families lives.
I've heard it said many times, that "you can take them out of the dump, but you can't take the dump out of them". Unfortunately, this is very true. It is very hard for these kids to adjust to this new life, and it takes a long, long time. But I can already see how the Lord is changing lives at Havilah. I had been told all about Andrea, and was warned big time. This girl has been through some crazy things, and can act out violently and irrationally. But apparently, in the last few months, she has calmed down quite a bit. And I was shocked at how sweet and caring she was the whole time I was there. Sometimes she would just sit quietly and hold my hand. You would think she is a completely different person from how she was previously described. And that's the Lord working in her life!
Although we didn't have much time with the boys (biiiiiig bummer!) to discover a bit about their families, it should be no surprise that they have their share of problems as well. The boys are the ones to get the ladies pregnant, become druggies or alcoholics, abusers, criminals... These boys at Robles are learning what it really means to not only be a man, but a man of Christ. They are learning to take responsibility and ownership.
And I myself am very thankful for Papa Judy and Mama Angelica. It is very inspiring to see them love on those kids. And they are so selfless! They run the house well, and teach the kids well. Not once were any of those buggers disrespectful towards me. They were always super sweet, and often saved me from doing too many girly things- they kept me bruised and scarred up :p and they were ALWAYS down to cuddle (especially Dennis who always came running to me if he had a band-aid issue).
Oh, and did I mention that they are soooooooo cute???
^^Kenner! Luisa's big bro! Such a cutie!!!^^
^^There's Andrew!! He's always like this...^^
^^Haider! Look at those eye lashes!!!^^
^^Little Dennis!^^
^^Marcos! The oldest boy there! He's much cuter in person though...pray for him as he continues to adjust away from La Chureca- he's been slackin in his schoolwork, but is super smart^^
^^Fredder! The sweetest boy on the planet! Chicken pox can't keep me from hangin around this dude!^^
^^Angel!!!! What a babe...^^
^^Mi mejor amiga, LUISAAAA!!! The only girl at Robles! She's always super sweaty! Always!^^
The girls at Havilah are pretty darn cute as well-
^^Joseling!!^^
^^Nay!^^
^^Ashley! Yes, that's a squirrel on her head... They have a pet squirrel... ^^
^^ Crazy Sofia!!!^^
^^Pamela! She has such an amazing smile!^^
^^Andrea!^^
^^Maria Elena and her beautiful mama who lives in La Chureca with the rest of the family. We ran into her all the time, to the point where I would get sad if we didn't see her. We also worked with her little brothers a lot, who I wrote a little about in my previous post- the terrors! I love and miss this beautiful family. Please pray for them, as well as the other families! And pray that the girls will be lights among their families, and share the joy they are receiving.^^
^^Mikeylin! I call her "sassy"^^
^^Jacqueline! So sweet!^^
^^Katherine! She's going to be a famous choreographer some day... Seriously... ^^
^^Vanessa!^^
^^Sugheydi! With Vanessa....^^
^^Mileyding! Sorry, it's not the best picture, but I don't have one and I'm too lazy to track one down... But she is the oldest at Havilah, and such a good role model! I miss this girl!^^
If you were to ask me which of these kids I connected with the most, I would have to say Luisa (I know, you're probably shocked it wasn't one of my boyfriends :p). No matter where we went on the bus, she would sit in my lap and pass out. No matter what we were doing, she made me stick right by her side. You would constantly hear her asking Papa if she could go do this or that "...con mi amiga, Jessica? Por favor Papa, con mi amiga?". She smiled and laughed at everything, and when she would get grumpy, you couldn't help but laugh at how adorable she was. She loved to do my hair (not well I might add) and try on my clothes. And she looooooves to cuddle!
I'm not exactly sure why her and I connected. Maybe it's because her and I are about the same age- I may be 21 physically, but mentally I'm totally five years old ;] or maybe because she is the youngest in a house full of boys, and I was the youngest in a house full of boys. I pray that her older brothers will care for her, look out for her and treat her with respect. But I also pray that she takes advantage of this time with them, and learns about what it means to have boundaries between boys and girls, something most of these girls learn about a little too late. I pray that she sees the goodness in Papa Judy, and learn what a good man is. I pray that she never forgets that, so when she grows up, she doesn't settle for someone that will harm her.
I don't know for sure what her and her brother, Kenner, have been through, but I don't really want to know. I can't imagine how anyone could hurt her or any of these kids.
^^saying goodbye to Havilah! Look at Ashley in the middle! Sassy!^^
^^saying goodbye to Robles! Good golly they are all so cute!^^
We did so much with these kids, it would be impossible to mention everything. There were a lot of laughs and a lot of tears, and I'm thankful for every moment with them. Although i was vague on a lot of things, hopefully this post gave you an idea about what these kids have been through, and what hundreds of other kids are currently going through. But most of all, i hope this post gave you an idea of the things the Lord is doing in their lives! I only mentioned a few ways I saw the Lord working, but believe me, He's up to some crazy stuff!
Pray for them. Pray for healing, patience, growth, and forgiveness.
Next I'll write about my favorite place on earth- LOS CEDROS!!!!! :D
p.s. Thanks to Chasen Brokow for lending me his super cute pictures of Robles!
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| I think this is my favorite picture ever. They are each so cute, and Angel is lookin gangster with diamonds in his mouf! |
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| La Chureca, their previous home |
We did several things with these kids throughout our time in Nica: We took them to movies, shoe shopping, trips to Ruby Ranch (property the Buzbee's own out in the country), trips to the beach, arcade- fun stuff like that. We even lived with the girls at Havilah for a few days, which was very enlightening, and most of what this post will be about. I'll mention just a few incidents that caught my eye.
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| Katrina, one of the other interns, and Andrew! |
With the first experience we had with them, I was so extremely excited when we went to pick up the boys, only to get literally shot down by one of the cutest dudes ever- Angel. The moment he got on the bus, he decided he didn't like me. He sat right across the aisle and glared at me almost the entire time. He did the very same thing the next time he saw me on another outing. Everyone told me what a sweetheart he was, but I was beginning to think they were sarcastic, or playing a prank on me! But even with this uncalled for attitude, he was sooooo stinkin cute! Then, i think it was our third outing, he saw me and came rushing at me, jumping up and down trying to get me to hug him. He was so incredibly excited to see me, and he even knew my name! And with the remaining time we had with them, I realized his name is definitely fitting- he totally is a little Angel ;] in the end, Papa Judy said I was just another one of Angel's girlfriends (but I assured him that all of the boys at Robles were my boyfriends)! All of this reminded me of Miurel, the girl from Villa Esperanza that I sponsor, and how she was super rude the first time she met me, but now she's decided I'm not so bad :p I can't help but wonder if they do that as a test to see if you will still love them. A test of unconditional love, a love they are not too familiar with? Or maybe its a defense mechanism, something these kids learn to acquire at an early age.
We learned a lot about the girls previous homes and behaviors at that time. One night, the power went out, so we ended up having a spur of the moment party. There was also some spur of the moment drama! Nay and Joseling started to fight over me. After a few minutes, I went to get my water, which resulted in the perfect opportunity for Nay to get Joseling into some trouble. When I came back, Nay and Ashley tried to tell me that Joseling was punching Nay in the face when I went to get water, and that they were not friends with her and that I couldn't be friends with her either. I tried to explain to them that I was friends with all of them, when Amanda, another intern, asked me to sit with her and Joseling to clear something up. Joseling was obviously very upset, and Amanda and I were trying to explain that we weren't mad at her, but we would like to see them treat each other like sisters, because that is what they are in Christ. I tried to explain that we were there to love on all of them equally, and there is no need to fight over me or anyone else. Eventually, Ashley piped up and said Nay was lying, and that Joseling never hit anyone. Surprise surprise! I was reminded at that time, that underneath their cuteness, is the grimy dump, and all the behaviors they learned from their time there. Underneath their sweetness is an indescribable darkness that they can't shake. But I was very proud of Ashley for coming forward with the truth. These girls may lie and deceive, but they are learning to change.
It must have been pick on Joseling night, because a few minutes later, Mikeyling, Nay's older sister, called Joseling's mama the devil. As Amanda and I tried to calm Joseling down, she told us a little about her mother, and the things that happen to her whenever she goes home. I'm sure It's for that reason Mikey would call her mama the devil. And unfortunately, because of what happens to her, SHE may even partly believe her mama to be the devil at times. But what ended up shining through was her love for her mama. It was hard to hear a tiny little girl talk about such things. It's all so real- this happens to her and tons of other beautiful little kids.
One night, I went to say goodnight to the "middle aged girls", Andrea, Jacqueline, Maria- Elena, Mikeyling and Pamela. Most of them were passed out except for Maria Elena, Jackie and Pamela, who asked me to sit with them on Jackie's bed. I couldn't tell you how long I was there, but I had so much fun sitting with them and laughing. They pretty much think I'm a crazy gringa. But what happened as I said goodnight was very cool. As I was praying, they were giggling and messing with my hair, nose, ears- everything. But I just kept rolling with it, and when I was done, they asked if I could pray for them again, because they weren't being serious. I told them it was okay, and that the Lord heard it, but they really wanted me to do it again. After praying the second time, they sincerely thanked me and hugged me goodnight. Again- always praying!
Another night, I got the opportunity to share my testimony with the older girls, Vanessa, Sugheydi, and Katherine (Mileyding was at the Buzbees). It was very cool to be able to share some of my experiences- my own scars, my own troubles, my own past. While I can never ever imagine most of the things these girls have gone through, we still share common experiences, especially when it pertains to our families. But what I really wanted to share, was the fact that we have hope in Christ- He's the one that has the power to change people and lives. I know that, because I've seen Him work in not only my life, but in the lives of those around me, and those that have harmed me in the past. If the Lord can change a particular person in my life, then He can change these girl's lives, and their families lives.
I've heard it said many times, that "you can take them out of the dump, but you can't take the dump out of them". Unfortunately, this is very true. It is very hard for these kids to adjust to this new life, and it takes a long, long time. But I can already see how the Lord is changing lives at Havilah. I had been told all about Andrea, and was warned big time. This girl has been through some crazy things, and can act out violently and irrationally. But apparently, in the last few months, she has calmed down quite a bit. And I was shocked at how sweet and caring she was the whole time I was there. Sometimes she would just sit quietly and hold my hand. You would think she is a completely different person from how she was previously described. And that's the Lord working in her life!
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| Dang girl, work that smile! |
Unfortunately, some have a harder time adjusting. Havilah lost a few of their girls a few months ago. One wasn't willing to stop her promiscuity with boys and eventually ran off with her boyfriend. I believe she is now living with a group if boys (I might have that piece wrong). She influenced another girl to leave, who ran off with her boyfriend and got pregnant. Her boyfriend is now in jail, and she moved back into La Chureca. These are sixteen year olds.
Although we didn't have much time with the boys (biiiiiig bummer!) to discover a bit about their families, it should be no surprise that they have their share of problems as well. The boys are the ones to get the ladies pregnant, become druggies or alcoholics, abusers, criminals... These boys at Robles are learning what it really means to not only be a man, but a man of Christ. They are learning to take responsibility and ownership.
The girls at Havilah are pretty darn cute as well-
If you were to ask me which of these kids I connected with the most, I would have to say Luisa (I know, you're probably shocked it wasn't one of my boyfriends :p). No matter where we went on the bus, she would sit in my lap and pass out. No matter what we were doing, she made me stick right by her side. You would constantly hear her asking Papa if she could go do this or that "...con mi amiga, Jessica? Por favor Papa, con mi amiga?". She smiled and laughed at everything, and when she would get grumpy, you couldn't help but laugh at how adorable she was. She loved to do my hair (not well I might add) and try on my clothes. And she looooooves to cuddle!
I'm not exactly sure why her and I connected. Maybe it's because her and I are about the same age- I may be 21 physically, but mentally I'm totally five years old ;] or maybe because she is the youngest in a house full of boys, and I was the youngest in a house full of boys. I pray that her older brothers will care for her, look out for her and treat her with respect. But I also pray that she takes advantage of this time with them, and learns about what it means to have boundaries between boys and girls, something most of these girls learn about a little too late. I pray that she sees the goodness in Papa Judy, and learn what a good man is. I pray that she never forgets that, so when she grows up, she doesn't settle for someone that will harm her.
I don't know for sure what her and her brother, Kenner, have been through, but I don't really want to know. I can't imagine how anyone could hurt her or any of these kids.
We did so much with these kids, it would be impossible to mention everything. There were a lot of laughs and a lot of tears, and I'm thankful for every moment with them. Although i was vague on a lot of things, hopefully this post gave you an idea about what these kids have been through, and what hundreds of other kids are currently going through. But most of all, i hope this post gave you an idea of the things the Lord is doing in their lives! I only mentioned a few ways I saw the Lord working, but believe me, He's up to some crazy stuff!
Pray for them. Pray for healing, patience, growth, and forgiveness.
Next I'll write about my favorite place on earth- LOS CEDROS!!!!! :D
p.s. Thanks to Chasen Brokow for lending me his super cute pictures of Robles!
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