The lights flash through the windows at 3 am. The police knock on the door. As our host Gracie opens the door the police wish her a happy mothers day and deliver their gift. The sweetest niños in all the land. Any day at any time the police can show up at our door and deliver their goods. Whether it be women rescued out of abusive situations or children saved and removed from abusive situations. Our first night staying at Heart of Christ we woke up to two new housemates. Mercy and her little brother Daniel. Mercy is 7 years old and has seen more in her short little life than many people will see in their entire life. You can see the maturity in her eyes, which is only increased when you watch her actions. Our first task together was giving her a shower and picking out the lice. She didn’t flinch once and scrubbed hard even though I know how cold that water is. She was a champ. She dressed in a pillowcase dress and we started on her tangled curly hair. Little by little we make our way through it together, I pick out the lice while trying my best to be gentle with the knots. Again, she doesn’t even flinch. Taking it like a champ, no complaining, no nothing. It makes me wonder when the last time her curls were brushed. Mercy is a perfect big sister. And I mean perfect. I have not seen her do one thing that would require a stern look or even a shout of her name. She watches over her Daniel, who is 2 or 3, like a mother watches a child. She makes sure he is fed, clean and obeying the rules. She takes his plate when he is done, shares EVERYTHING with him and allows him to be cuddled by her. Mercy holds the hands of another little one year old as he figures out how to walk and cheers with us as he takes steps. She surprises me everyday with the motherly things she knows. Once we found out a little more of her story, it all started to make sense. Mercy and Daniel were found sleeping in a field with their mother. Their mother was held at the police station across the street while we took in the babies. The mom is a drug addict whose closet friends are the drug cartel that just got arrested last week. No wonder this little girl grew up so fast. She told us her mom is sick which is why she gave herself shots and would sometimes give them to mercy and Daniel as well. It breaks me to even begin to wonder what was in that shot. Mercy and Daniel would go with their mom to her “friends” house, which she said she didn’t like because they scared her. This little girl has captivated me. All that is within me wants to take her and her brother home. I have been able to see come alive the longer that she has been here. She now giggles and plays without reserve. She knows that Daniel is taken care of and for the first time can be a little girl. Gracie presented her with her first baby doll the other night and she gasped. This baby doll was made by a lady in the states that prays over each cloth doll she makes and for the child that will receive it. Let me tell you that that specific doll could not have found a better little girl to love her. Mercy helps each of us with our Spanish and is helpful in every other aspect as well. Who would have thought I would learn so much from a 7 year old. We are not sure when these little cuties will be leaving us. They will be placed with a foster care family as Gracie and the prosecutor figure out the family situation. My team and I cheer each day that their paper work gets delayed because it means one more day to love on these sweet babies who have seen more violence than I can even imagine. Stories like this are all too familiar here at Corazon de Cristo. There is a lot of heartbreak and sad stories but there is MORE love. My team and I love being able to love on lots of little ones and to help this ministry this month.
