I wanted to share with you all a little bit about the 10 children here that live at Los Gozosos home. I'm so excited to get to know them better in the next 2 ½ weeks!!
Daniel
Daniel is 14 and is definitely the big brother figure of the kids. He helps set the table, clear the dishes, and watches out for the other niños. He also loves music- he can sing all the songs in the hymnal (in order!), he loves to hear the guitar, and he also loves English music (he's understands most everything you say to him in English). "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes" and "Jesus Loves Me" are two of his favorites. If he's in the right mood he'll dance with you and say you are “Muy loco!”He also leads the prayer before every meal.
Christopher
Christopher is 14 as well but he can't communicate like Daniel can. We don't see much of him- he doesn't eat meals with us because he has a feeding tube, but sometimes he sits at the table anyway. Today I held his hand in church and squeezed it. He squeezed back. It almost made me cry- I finally really knew that he was aware I was there, and hopefully that squeeze was a little smile in his heart.
Candy
Candy is also 14. I work with her every day in school. Her trademark entertainment is to grab your hands and clap them. She's super strong! During class she gets distracted kind of easily but everything that distracts her makes her smile and laugh. She also loves music and loves when you sing and shake her rice-in-a-bottle shaker from music class.
Nancy
Nancy is 18. She can't talk, but she is very aware of her surroundings and pretty much constantly has smile on her face. She likes to dance and she laughs really loud when other people laugh. She makes a lot of noise based on what's going on around her and she shakes her head a lot when she's excited. You can't help but smile when you are around her!!
Helen
Helen is 10 years old. She was Maureen Casey's (the woman who founded the home) first child in the home- she's been here for 9 years. Helen is extremely well behaved and super funny. She calls everyone Mama. She loves to dance and clap and shake her head and make a “bbbblhllllppppp” sound with her lips. (I think some people call that blowing strawberries…?). She's really smart and sweet- today I saw her untying Nancy's shoes and handing them to her so they would be ready for her to put on. How considerate! Helen also loves to swing backwards and hang upside down when you pick her up, so you have to be careful!
Andrea
Andrea is 10 as well. She's kind of quiet, but she loves to be hugged and held. She also likes to trick you into holding her when you are under the light so she can reach to pull the string for the ceiling fan. She can understand some English and she's doing well in school. I've seen her make some neat drawings when there are other kids struggling to hold a pencil, so that's a huge praise for Andrea!!
Lyla (Lee-la)
Lyla is 11 years old. She was actually born without any disabilities, but now has severe aphasia because she was beat on the head as an infant. The aphasia basically causes a roadblock in her brain between the words she wants to say and her physical ability to say them. She knows everything that is going on, but rarely can say what she's thinking right away. However, she does have the word “Amen!” completely mastered and says it at the end of every praise song we sing. She loves to laugh and dance play peek-a-boo… She covers her face with her hands and we all say “Dónde está Lyla??” “Where is Lyla?” She loves it.
Rosemery
Rosemery is 10 years old. Part of her brain is missing, so she has severe learning defects. However, she has made amazing improvements- doctors said she would never walk, but now she has no problem walking by herself (actually wanting to do so is a completely different story!!). She loves to sing and is frequently singing “yaaayoohhh yaaayohhhh” in a high pitched voice. She also likes to wave her hands around like she's conducting an orchestra. I think she's a musician at heart.
Karlyn (Car-leen)
Karlyn is 9 years old. She can't walk or talk yet and she rarely smiles and laughs, but when she does it's so beautiful. When I hold her I can feel her relax and a peace sets in that just makes me want to hold her all day. She can eat by herself and she likes listening to music. I love to play with her pretty curly hair.
Andrés
Andrés is 5 years old. Words can't describe how much this kid has stolen my heart. His mom left him at a state hospital when he was 1 ½ years old. She was very poor and vulnerable, but I still can't imagine leaving such a beautiful life behind. Andrés is an extremely happy and calm child. He has the biggest smile ever and I am constantly trying to think of new ways to get him to smile!! He love when you pick him up, give him kisses, sing to him, play with stuffed animals, swing… he loves everything really! When people shout and sing during worship at church Andrés gets really excited. He smiles and waves his arms and shakes his whole body. I know he will be such a little dancer during church once he is able to walk on his own.
Mirna
Mirna doesn't actually live here, but she comes to the school. She is deaf so she doesn't talk well, but other than that she is perfectly normal. She is perfectly behaved (seriously, way better than I was at that age, I know for a fact.) Her mother died about a year ago, and I think that makes her even more hungry for love from women. On the fifth day of school Mirna came up behind me and put her arm around me. She just hugged me and stood there, watching the other children in the yard and just being. At that moment I gave in. She melted my heart. Someday I will be a mama. I think I'll adopt, but I can no longer say I don't want kids.
To anyone who ever told me I would change my mind about kids- you were right.
God knows what he's doing with me here in Guatemala.
You can read more about these kids and this amazing ministry here: http://losgozosos.org/LosGozosos/Our_Children.html#1
