De-tangling a Tangled Mess

    The more that I dive into the issues that my children and families here are facing, the more I find that it's a giant tangled mess. I see these children who are suffering from abuse, neglect, lack of resources, and poor parenting. My heart breaks and I long to help them and their families break the cycles in which they are trapped. And yet sometimes I don't know where to begin….

    Meet Fani. She's is one of the most lovely, sweet-natured, and affectionate seven year olds that I've ever met. (Fani pictured right with her mouth wide open laughing and playing in Santa Matilde). The first day I really got to know her was a couple of weeks ago as she sat in a plastic chair at the church just sobbing. Her grandmother came to find me and asked if I could come and pray for Fani. She has a kidney infection. She had been hospitalized the previous week, returned home feeling better, and then the infection returned. She just cried and cried as I placed my hands on her and began to pray. I prayed healing over sweet Fani, brought her a giant bottle of water to drink, gave her family instructions about continuing to give her water, and invited her to a free clinic event that we were having for some of our kids who needed medical attention. This girl's sweet smile and quiet nature just captured my heart. A week later I saw her at our church service for all four villages. She came over and climbed in my lap. You could tell that she was feeling much better, but I still wanted her to see the doctor so I reminded her family about the clinic event the following Tuesday.
    On Tuesday Fani showed up at the New Song clinic with her mom and younger brother. Fani is still fighting the remnants of her kidney infection. She and her younger brother both have major dental work that needs to be done because several of their teeth are rotting or infected. I looked over at their mother sitting in the clinic waiting room thinking, "she is just a child!" (Fani and her mom pictured left at the New Song clinic). I watched as she was asked to sign for her children's medical care. She looked at the ground and said, "I can't. I don't know how to read or write my name. I never went to school." Fani's mom is only 20 years old and she is a mother and sole caregiver to a seven year old and a four year old. She was only 13 when she became a mom to Fani. She has no education. She honestly doesn't know how to best care for her children. I went to visit Fani and her family two days after their clinic visit. I was told that Fani was out begging on the streets with her mom. I was told that Fani is in school, but I wonder how often she actually attends and how many days she skips because her mom can gain more sympathy as a beggar if she has her children with her…

    Meet Anderson. This sweet boy is 10 years old. He has two younger siblings (Anderson and his siblings pictured below right). I found out during my home visits this week that Anderson dropped out of school. His parents told him that he had to quit because they are both working and they needed someone to stay home with his younger brother. Anderson would be in 3rd grade if he were still in school. He would like to study. He misses being in school. As much as I love matching children with educational sponsors, I realize that sponsorship wouldn't help Anderson. He didn't drop out of school because of a lack of financial resources. He dropped out because his parents' decided that he was needed at home more than he needed an education…

    These are just a few of the stories that I have encountered this week. I could keep going all afternoon typing story after story, one tangled mess after the other. I look at these children, at their bright eyes and longing smiles, and I wonder what the future holds for them. I wonder how to best come around them in the context of their family situations and help them to dream and to step toward a better future.
    It seems to me like a crazy tangled mess, but my God is a God of redemption, restoration, and wholeness. And so He takes me by the hand, guides me by His Spirit and begins to show me how to de-tangle these seemingly impossible situations one moment, one interaction, one prayer, and one relationship at a time. And I believe that there will be an outpouring of restoration and wholeness that will come to families in the Chichigalpa area and I want to give my life to be a part of that!