March 10, 2010
The "stand-up" truck ride to the farm sites took legs of steel to balance ourselves along the rocky, potholed road.
It may seem remiss that we haven’t included any photographs of the children. Sadly, there is a reason for this. On day 1 all of us were asked to sign a paper stating that we would not post any photos of the children on the internet. Apparently there are certain children that might be put in harm’s way if their photo were seen. So no pictures til we return home and share what we now have stored on our cameras.
Although we are working very hard and the projects that Roblealto has asked us to do are really money and time-savers for them, it’s the children that matter the most. Everything here is done for them, and this fact is obvious no matter where you look. It starts in the houses, all eight of them, scattered around this beautiful and calm complex. Looking out over the city of San Jose, this property has a feeling so unlike the city. The peacefulness is here even when the children are out playing loudly and acting like kids. The presence of God is clearly felt at Roblealto, and it seems like everyone senses it in such a way that it slowly alters the way they are. Including our team.
The bucolic countryside...on the Roblealto property, while on the farm tour.
Each evening we have had the privilege of spending a couple of hours with our house families. We share dinner and then play with the children, or talk with them, or hug them. Each of the houses has its own individual personality, created in part by the house parents, especially the “mommie” (which is what the children call her). The “pappie” is generally away during much of the week working in the city or somewhere else. After an evening with the children, we all shake our heads and say, “how do they do it?”
Over the course of the last 5 days our relationships with the children have blossomed. Some of us – like Terry & Lisa, Dean & Diane, Mark & Cindy, and Jill & Jody have established relationships over the past 3-7 years so it doesn’t take long to pick up where they left off last year. Of course, in some of the houses the children are all new; and every house experiences change on a yearly basis as some children age out (generally they leave in December of their 13th year). But there are always enough familiar faces to feel connected.
Jill and Jody’s house, Casa Jardin (Garden House), is run by a single mom and her 16 year old son. The energy and love needed on a daily basis to keep the chaos of 10 or more children under control is amazing to behold. Jill and Jody have seen a lot of maturity in the house mother Marielas since last year, which was her first. Her spark of liveliness and ability to engage the children with fun and silliness makes her a real joy to be around. But make no mistake, she is able to keep the house under control. That’s a distinguishing characteristic of these house moms: combining loving gentleness with firmness in just the right balance.
Casa Milre, where the Thomas’ have now been for 3 years, sent them off with a bonfire, complete with campfire songs and roasting marshmallows. The house father, Martín, captured the whole family’s heart when he said, “Tonight you will put out the fire; and next year you will light it.” No language barrier has kept 11 year old Dillon and 9 year old Jessica from plunging right into the middle of the house family’s activities. The boys so accepted that Dillon into their midst that they showered him with tiny presents, mostly all of their marbles – which is a great pastime for all of the boys here. Bringing children
along has been an invaluable learning experience both for the WC Pres team as well as Roblealto. Who knows what the future holds?
The Chrismans have been coming for 6 years (Lisa for 3) and have built a strong relationship with the house parents of Casa Provenir (meaning that which is to come). They have even visited them in their home outside of the temporary Roblealto house. They have seen the children of the house parents grow up over the years. The father of the house father worked at Roblealto for 45 years, and as a sign of their appreciation, gave him a house on the land owned by Roblealto.
We bagged up our dirty clothes to be washed and ready for more dirty work.
In Casa Jesse, Patrick and Richard have seen controlled chaos at work. The house is comprised of all boys whose energy level is present all the time. The first night one of the boys was very standoffish but by day 4 he was out playing football with Patrick in the front of Bonanza House. Richard has been especially touched by the house mother who asked him to help her practice her English. Pointing to her workbook, she asked that he say words out loud so she could take notes. The agreement is that she will work on her English over the next year while Richard is supposed to bone up on his Spanish. Anyone for taking bets on who will learn more?
Cindy and Mark are with a new family this year in Casa Bosque (Forest House), the house that the 2009 WC Pres team helped construct last year. The family they were with the past 6 years is still here, too, so the Tilton’s have had a chance to do plenty of relationship tightening. Through the help of an interpreter, the children in Casa Bosque shared their heart wrenching stories last night. Their stories, however, only touch the surface of what they have experienced in their young lives. Some of us don’t really want to know the pain or ugliness of their stories. Either we’ve heard enough over the years, or we’re familiar with the tragedies they speak of. And for every child who is helped by Roblealto, there are hundreds more still living the nightmare somewhere in a shanty house or on the streets.
But Roblealto is a place of hope and listening to some of the week’s experiences from our team members warms the heart. Take Lois and Kathleen in Casa Eden, for example. A couple of nights ago they returned from a shortened evening with their family. The kids had acted up terribly and the photos that were supposed to be taken with them had to be rescheduled. Tonight, though, it was a completely different story. Lois and Kathleen were greeted by 20 cards of apology, 10 for each of them written individually by the children. Full of love and colored hearts, these cards sparked the meltdown of these two women. One of the boys, whose mother is dead, told the women that they “were angels sent from heaven to replace his mom”. Tears were flowing and increased when the house mother hugged the ladies and said she knew they “had been sent by God.” What’s left to say after that?
Jaime and Ron spent the week in Casa Nido (Nest House), which Jaime described as the happy house. Although the house parents are brand new, they took over from a very seasoned couple, Francine and Jonathan who has set a very strong spiritual tone in the house. The children – three sets of siblings – might also explain the tight bonds that are felt in the house. Except for some of the newest kids, who are still a little shy or withdrawn, the interaction with the children is wonderful, loud, and fun. As Ron pointed out, “You wouldn’t know Casa Nido is a house for troubled children.”
Last year Harriette and Norm were in Casa Nido and were overjoyed to be able to reunite with the 5 who are still there. This year, however, the Heibels joined Casa Bethesda, which is the polar opposite. The 10 boys, all of whom are ages 11-12, are boisterous and just barely able to be controlled, primarily because several of them are new and still adjusting to life in a structured, loving home. Mayala, the house mother, has the patience of a saint. She is a seasoned “mammie” who realizes how troubled some of these boys are and is able to give them what they need. For some, it is allowing them to hug her for long periods of time; for others, it is letting them take her hand. She also has 17 year old Michael – the one exception to the age limit at Roblealto; he is a developmentally disabled boy whom is being trained in a special work program. This will be his last year.
There is so much more that could be written about our house experiences. Pictures will tell the story best when we return.
