When they grow up

The other day I was talking with an older teenage boy at Casa Hogar Douglas about what he wanted to be when he grew up. I said, "well one day you could go to high school and then on to college and study something. You could be part of the Hope Program and live at Back2Back. What would you like to be when you go up?" He said really honestly, "well you see it's hard. I'm the oldest of my siblings here. And I have this aunt." At this point, my heart sank and I knew what he was about to say. He was about to say that this distant family member who won't even visit him at the children's home, doesn't pick him up for holidays, or anything of that nature - is going to invite him to live with her as soon as he is old enough to work and help her out. That's exactly what he proceeded to describe. He is one of the few who never leaves the home, never has a visitor, and is a "double orphan" - as in both mom and dad are dead. He said that his aunt told him that as soon as he finished junior high school, he could live with her and work with her and help the family. He just kept saying, "it's hard Caroline." I've heard this before. And I said, "You know, you have options here. You are the one that is in control. The control is yours. I think you should talk to some of the boys that are already in our Hope Program and who are studying to get great jobs. A lot of them had the same hard decision to make when they were your age. Their aunt or uncle said that they could come live with them and work instead of go to college but they chose to go to college and now have way better jobs and now can help out their family financially so much more because they went to high school and college." It was as if he had never, ever thought of that option. Pray for him (name will be kept hidden for his privacy - these sweet children have little privacy - sorry) and for all the children we serve who are like him and have tough decisions to make that will forever affect their futures. Pray that seemingly selfish family members wouldn't try to take advantage of them in their desperation.

Answered Prayers at Douglas

I just wanted to encourage all of you who have been praying for Douglas and especially since we as a staff team started asking for prayer warriors to cover the home in prayer last February. There have been many, many changes at Casa Hogar Douglas in the last 10 months and I believe that it is in direct connection to your prayers and all of you who committed to pray and fast for Douglas last February. I spend almost every day of my time here in Monterrey at Douglas. Sometimes, it's too easy to get caught up in my daily responsibilities of child care to reflect adequately on all God has done to drastically change Douglas for the better. God has sent a ton of new staff families - another one moved in last week. God has moved workers around so that there are awesome people in direct child care. He's given us a ton of shelter sponsors. We've been able to move a lot of the kids to new schools. Some of the kids are attending a school for kids with special needs in the afternoons and evenings. Their food is a world better because of the Shelter Program funds. They have hot water for their showers now that it's freezing and it's winter becuase of Shelter Program funds. The kids run and yell and practically push me out of my table when I get out the Shetler letters because they are so excited that maybe they received a letter. The church at Douglas now has a tuesday night youth group for all older kids. The biological families of the kids (if they have them) are being asked to be more involved with their kids and are visiting more often, staying longer and some are even taking their kids home for the weekends now. The Mexican government is getting more involved with the home and helping to regulate forms and programs to help the kids. Not everything is perfect there but a ton of changing and it's obvious to see how God has been moving at Douglas in these past 10 months.

Thank you for praying - keep your prayers coming. Here are some ways you can be praying for Douglas:

- For renewed energy each day for the workers to love and serve the kids

- For biological relatives of the kids to be more involved in their kid's lives

- For Javier - the director - to be a good leader and vocal

- For Jim and Betty (with B2B) to have good communication with the workers of the home

- For appropriate use of all funds to serve the kids in the best way possible

- For dentists and doctors to volunteer their time and services to serve the kids medically

- For tutors to help bring kids up to grade level in reading and in math

- For all the new workers - katy and Nacho, Isabel and Adrian, Lorena and her husband and all their kids to feel welcomed, valued, appreciated. For their ability to pour God's love into the kids, to be different than the other workers, to fight for justice on behalf of the kids and to always stand up for what is right. For their marriages and their families.

Thanks!

Te Ayudo?

Today as I took care of 10 orphaned children from 6 am till bed time, I kept hearing things like, “I love you” and “te ayudo?” which means “can I help you?” and “don’t worry about mopping the dining hall Caroline – the older boys dorm wants to clean it for you because they love you.” That’s not super normal for me.

First of all, my boys yell, “I DON’T LOVE YOU!!!” a lot when they are angry about something. But only sometimes do they flip that around. Today I heard it more times in my direction than ever. Maybe me telling them so many times that I love them has started to sink in.

But it seriously just warms my heart when they say, “te ayudo Caroline?” They want to help me. It’s almost my 6 month anniversary from when I moved into Casa Hogar Douglas to start taking care of these very same boys. At first, I made it a point to do ALL the chores for the little boys (ages 2 to 6). I don’t believe that any child under 5 years old should sweep, mop, wash clothes, clean toilets, clean dining halls or anything of that nature. Thus, they haven’t done any kind of chores whatsoever in a while now- I don't even let them make their beds. But they see me putting their wet clothes on the line or taking it off and the folding it and putting it away and a few have decided that they want to help me. Whatever I’m doing, they want to do. They are so sweet about it too and so proud to say that they are helping Caroline. To say that I’m obsessed with them is an understatement.

I had to hold myself back from laughing today as a 4 year old ran up to me and yelled in his best angry voice, “that boy big stole my broom!! Get it back Caroline! I was sweeping.” One of the teenage boys has “relieved” the 4 year old from sweeping the dining hall and the 4 year old was mad about it.

Today, they behaved sooo well for me – unusually well. When I left, even the normally unaffectionate ones wanted to say bye to me and give me a hug and say good night. Hearing a room full of 3, 4, 5, and 6 year old orphan voices yell “bye caroline!! Good night Caroline!!” You are sleeping here right? Thank you!” is just about the sweetest thing on earth.