Our Walk Reflects Our Call…Day 7

March 12, 2010

We started the day as we have every other one, in the Word. Lois read something that resonated for each of us and really capped this incredible week we have spent together:

The challenge each of us faces is to walk as if we have already arrived at the point to which God is calling us. We must first understand who we are in the body, what God has in his plan for us, and then walk as if we were there. Our walk should be a divine reflection of our calling…

This particular team bonded in a quiet, special way, and for many of us, just being on this team was God’s divine plan. We had revelations, we had hearts opened up, we had new relationships begin. The power of being at the Hogar Roblealto is being able to see God at work, to see his fingerprint on everything around us. God’s overflowing grace was so evident to all of us, and he work we were privileged to do was a reflection of our praise.

Today we drove into San Jose to see one of the three childcare centers that Roblealto runs. What a joy to see the little children in the cafeteria. The toddlers were so irresistibly cute and well-behaved. We shared lunch with them and took as many photos as time permitted. The daycare centers each handle about 250 children. The waiting list is long. Parents covet a spot, but there isn’t enough room. So the hardest cases get the first change. Roblealto is very clear about who its target audience is, and they turn away parents who offer to pay but who don’t fit the profile.

One little girl, 5 year old Stephanie, is being sponsored by a WC Pres Sunday School class. It was her birthday today and we were able to present her with the long card signed by handprint from the class. She was surprised and happy to be remembered.

We spent a good deal of time driving through the Los Guidos barrio. How to describe the abject poverty…words fail. There are way too many people living in conditions too deplorable to describe. The government is doing what it can but it isn’t enough. One of the biggest challenges is finding suitable daycare for the children so that their parents can work and earn enough money to survive. Children are either left alone during the day to fend for themselves – easy prey for gang leaders looking for impressionable kids to carry drugs or begin prostituting themselves. Mothers who stay home with the kids face starvation. Not a pretty site.

A nice plot of land in the heart of Los Guidos was donated to the Roblealto Association with the understanding that they would open up a fourth daycare center as soon as they raised enough funds to build. They almost have the permits in place and they are in the beginning stages of a fund-raising campaign. Their hope is that churches will support these early efforts. Once they have begun building, the government will kick in some money, and they also hope to be awarded grant funding from foundations for which they are eligible. It’s an exciting project and one that the Los Guidos neighborhood is anxious be in constructed.

We are now in the various stages of packing. Tools have been sorted, and suitcases packed. We’re on our own for dinner tonight and we will do our best to empty the refrigerator of the ham and cheese left over from the week. While we’re ready to be flying home tomorrow, there is a big part of us that will really miss this place. We can’t wait to share our experiences with our faithful supporters. Roblealto rocks!