This month has given me my most treasured title so far on the race, Tia. The spanish word for “aunt” is the name by which all the kids call us. It’s a name that emits feelings of warmth and family, one that shows the caregiving role we play in their life.
But with this love and guardianship comes the weight of carrying their burdens with them. Not a day goes by that my eyes don’t brim with tears and my stomach doesn’t roll with nausea as I hear story after horrifying story about what has happened to them.
Their parents beat them.
Their mothers tried to commit suicide with them.
They’ve been mentally, physically, and sexually abused.
Some have been drugged and raped.
And most of these girls are between the ages of 8 and 12….
And even after they’re brought out of that life into the home, the hits just keep on coming. Family promises to visit but never does. Schools constantly expel them. Many of them are suicidal and medicated until they’re basically zombies. And after all of this pain and suffering and rejection, the government offers them nothing after they become of age.
Most of them won’t finish high school. Instead they move in with their boyfriends, get pregnant, and spend the rest of their life in yet another abusive, unfaithful relationship.
But in this neighborhood there is a light for these girls.
Casa Esperanza.
In English it translates to House of Hope. And that is exactly what this ministry provides to these girls and this community: hope and home.
The girls that live at Casa Esperanza stay and eat for free on a few small conditions: do chores, go to church, help the community, and go to school. That’s it. Only that and they have a safe place to live and study.
And Casa Esperanza provides the means for helping the community. On Wednesday nights, the kids from the neighborhood and the kids from the local orphanages comes over to sing, hear a testimony, and play basketball or soccer or volleyball or whatever else they can get their hands on. The big day is Saturday. Where the whole community is invited to take free classes in any number of things: English, guitar, drums, piano, math, arts & crafts, cooking, sports, or Sunday school. There is a brief testimony, more play time, and then a huge lunch for everyone. And for a lot of the kids that come, it’s the best meal they get all week.
There is so much pain and suffering here in La Pintana, but there is also hope. There are people that really, truly care. And that genuine care and open-heartedness is what has made such an impact here.
It makes you wonder… what would change if we cared for our neighbors this much?
If you want to support Casa Esperanza and other ministries like it please follow this link!
www.visionforchildren.net
