She is Clothed with Strength and Dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her!
Proverbs 31: 25
On a day devoted to praising our mothers, I am living in a reality where praise does not flow freely. I am living in a reality where mothers struggle to feed their children and some are even unsure of how they became pregnant. I am living in a place where mothers and children often don’t celebrate Mother’s Day together because either the child or mother has died from poverty and unfortunate circumstances.
My ministry this month is Casa Jackson. Casa Jackson is a home, started in 2008 through God’s Children organization, for malnourished babies and children to be nursed back to health and cared for throughout the process. They work, alongside the mothers of these children, to educate them on topics including nutrition, education, domestic violence, alcoholism, and birth control. Often, these children are malnourished not through intentional neglect, but rather a lack of education, knowledge, and resources.
A child admitted to Casa Jackson will remain there on average about 4-6 months; however, they are not discharged until they have reached 110% of their healthy weight. They are placed on strict feeding schedules and monitored by local Pediatricians. For me, this ministry is the perfect combination of nursing and mothering!
I am blessed to have a mother that I could praise unceasingly for her endless love, affection, and dedication she has showered over me throughout my life. I am also blessed to be a small link in the chain of providing these children with healthy futures, so that they may also arise and call their Mothers’ blessed! What an incredible opportunity I have! Jesus loves these little babies more than I will ever understand and I am humbled to know that he has placed me here to be his loving arms and mother these children as he works to restore these families.
Happy Mother's Day, Billie Schneider and Linda Bonasso!!! I love you both so much!!
