Meet Mariana, La Princesa de La Chureca (the princess of the dump).
No matter where we were going, if we took this little lady along with us, she HAD to wear a fancy dress (of course it was always torn and dirty, but she knew how to represent!). When we first started to hang out with her, I didn't know her name, so I just called her "Mi Princesa", and it didn't matter how loud everyone around us was or how many other little girls were around- she knew I was calling to her. She would flip her head around, set her chin on her shoulder, give me a HUGE smile and a little giggle, then oh so cutely prance over to me. And I can't even explain how cute her "prance" was! She had a contagious smile, and you yourself couldn't keep from giggling and prancing when you were around this girl- even if you were going to a stinky bathroom... she taught you how to see the joy in such a thing... seriously... all smiles and giggles with her!
We saw Mariana every time we went into La Chureca, whether it was at the school, around the neighborhood, or at her house. Around the neighborhood, she was always bookin' it, as if she was late for something very important, but if you were in her path, she took a moment to give you a hug and a smile. She also lives right at one of the entrances to the neighborhood, so I would look for her each time we drove in. Whenever she heard our bus, she would come running so she could wave (like a princess). Her excited smile was not only welcoming, but she sort of set the tone for the day.
^^The entrance to the neighborhood Mariana lives at^^
Mariana is not the only little girl in La Chureca. There are hundreds like her. Its obvious that its very dirty- I mean come on, its the dump! Everyone knows that's no condition for a princess! There's probably thousands of diseases you could pick up from every square inch of that place. And do I even have to mention the lice!? Everyone is smelly and I always wonder how many days worth of dirt and grime they have caked on their skin (but they are so cute, you can't help but hug and kiss them!). Another little girl very important to me, Miurel, who is now safe at Villa Esperanza (home for girls that previously lived in the dump), once said she wanted to be a princess- clean and pretty. Most little girls want to be a princess just for the prettiness and the "prince charming", but rarely is it because they want to be clean.
^^Mariana and her brother close to her house^^
But there's more to the lives of these girls. All of these girls are in danger, whether its because of the hunger, disease, abuse (all forms) or prostitution. Many girls are abandoned. Many girls don't know what its like to just be a kid, because they are left to care for their many younger siblings. Many girls see physical abuse as an every day event (on my first day in Nica, I was told of a time a little girl in one of the rescue homes, nonchalantly asked a woman how many times her husband beats her each day, as if every woman on the planet is beaten). Many girls end up pregnant at an early age. Then there's the girls that are forced by their families to bring home the money they get for offering up their bodies to men everyday. I can't imagine how scary each day can be for girls like Mariana who live right next to the landfill, so close to the creepy truck drivers. There's a lot more that I can't even imagine... that most people can't imagine. It makes me sick to think of what they experience in a single day. Horrible things happen to these girls every day, and they are used for their desperation. How could you possibly hurt these girls, each adorable in their own way? Fantastic way to treat a princess, huh?
Mariana told me to take a picture of her and her house for you, which inspired my most recent drawing:
If you look closely to the original photo (just don't look at her face, because it doesn't look exact :P), you can see an "M" scratched into the metal behind her. I just threw in a little crown ;] And obviously I put one of her fancy dresses on.
In the same way she would run (as fast as her little legs could take her) to smile and greet us, she had the same excitement every time we left for the day. She was even radiant the day we said our final goodbyes. Perhaps she knew that despite our leaving and the chance we may not ever see her again, that we truly loved and will always love her- unconditionally- the same way the Lord loves her. That no matter what would happen to her that night, week or year, there is somebody that loves her and is praying for her.
^^Saying our final goodbye^^
I've literally never met anyone like Marianna. She has an incredible joy about her, and the ability to spread that joy to everyone around her. I pray she never loses that, but rather has an increased amount of joy in Christ. And I pray that she is a bright light for Christ within La Chureca...
Please pray for the girls of La Chureca.
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