Visitation

By now there has been an overall shift from general impressions to relationships. The subtlies of eighty some people's emotions mingle and colide in the prisom of the Casa Hogar. This space that is your home, your work place, and house of worship. There is little room to linger between professionalisms and personalities, an idea that kids don't understand and the staff have most likely forgotten. And if only that were all one had to worry about harmony could prevail but forces from outside easily upset all that is worked for in a monthly prescribe disaster we call visitation.

My relationship with the younger boys remains the same as it was when I first arived. I am a true to life, walking, talking jungle gym. We have a lot of fun in the yard just in front of our rooms. Before meals we'll often begin a game of soccer which soon deteriorates into chasing, tackling, and throwing until I literally couldn't lift the smallest of them anymore.

The older boys are great. I love our house. Its amazing to get to know their personalities and interests. We'll play soccer into the night with the older kids. They'll bring out lights and extension chords. Its pretty competitive. I usually get stuck at gollie because I'm not very good. We'll play music in the chapel. I'll drive them to school or town. We'll work on projects around the grounds and always eat as a family in the comador.

Its amazing to know the staff better and understand on some level. They only thing I could say about them all is that they are characters. Among the most captivating is Edgar the pastor. He is a jolly middle aged man that will do anything at any time for anyone if they ask. They only thing more interesting that being around him is other poeple telling stories of his many exploits. As the saying goes, "its not the year, its the mileage." Edgar has lived. Growing up in a gang and all that means, he has reformed to minister to the mountain poeple of the area. The violence didn't end with his gang membership. He has been threatend with a pointed gun, drawn knife and fists and other weapons. But if God be for him who can be against him. Those that hated his ministry in the mountains would lament that he would not die. Triggers have been pulled without firing, threats have been made but his family is safe and together and vibrant. I ate dinner with them tonight.

I work with Habacuc as I've mentioned who is the young new pastor of the church. Him and his wife Dennis live at the Casa Hogar with their daughter and they are the sweetest family. He's a busy boy. He's on the leadership team and supervises the university students as well as his pastoral duties. Even still they will invite me and Jeff over for dinner and bring us food and drink while we work at the church. His abilities are astounding. On top of being a studied and well spoken minister, he is an incredible musician. Drums, bass, guitar, even cello, he can play them all and very very well; technically and with style. At the construction of the new church, he welds and wires. When the welding machine broke he pulled it apart and fixed it. We make due with the materials we have. Its going to be an impressive building.

The wemon of the mission are equally impressive. Some are in the middle of the heart renching adoption process. Some fell into responsibilities without yet mastering the language. Others are the reason the mission exists in the first place. Niche has been caring for some of these kids before Foundation for His Ministry began funding her. She has seen them grown and come and go. I do not envey the bredth of human experience she has wittnessed and lived. Maybe standing 5ft off the ground she has been provider, protector and love for these kids. And even in such small stature she is the last stop on the discipline heirarchy. "Do we need to talk to Niche about this?" If that doesn't work, whatever she says to them does.

Even so, not all the care and best efforts of these remarkable people can erase the reason the kids are here in the first place. The staff wait in silent aprehension for the coming monthly reminder of this fact. Parent visitation happens once a month. Kids wait to see their parents. Some reunions are good and testify to reform, change or blessing that are happening in the lives of the parent and flood over into the life of the child. But many are disapointed when parents do not come. Some know that no one is on their way to visit, but the others that do arrive remind them of that. And even those whose parents come, they can't stay and the parent leaves once again. The cluster of emotional baggages spills over the afternoon. Its not uncommen to have kids acting out and differently around this percarious day.

Its tough for the staff to watch the kids they care for to be hurt by people that in some cases have never cared or come and go from there lives on no particular basis. If not for this mysterious biological connection it seems some kids would be better off. I've been told that some of the kids that never knew their parents are the most well-adjusted kids at the mission.

Of course it would be best for the parents to achieve a place where they could once again or for the first time provide a healthy and loving place for the child to be with them. But until that happens, the best place for them to be is here with these people I've mentioned and so many more. Its a privilage and an education to be here with them.