"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 NIV
While there were a few hiccups, including sick teammates, soaring temps, long travels, and even a little car accident... EVERYTHING turned out positively! I could NOT have done any of it without the amazing team of volunteers from CDV who helped me along the way...Of course my number one teammate was my fiance, Clever!
The results of all the months of coordination, all the travel, and many very early mornings and late nights was this....
- 54 people received the gift of mobility during the 13 day trip and 4 personally delivered by Don and his team.
- Those same 54 people PLUS their families heard the message of salvation and had the opportunity to receive Jesus in their hearts if they hadn't already done that.
- One special family got to hear an audio bible in their native language, Quechua, for the first time! (This is an unforgettable moment as their faces lit up when they recognized their native tongue speaking through the audio device that had the full bible translated. They were able to keep this as a gift and can be recharged through solar power).
- One of the best moments of this entire 13 day experience for me personally was to see all the volunteers who serve in the area of wheelchairs in Camino de Vida's outreach programs, come together to meet and personally thank Don for his heart and vision, and continued drive to get more people off the ground and to spread the message of hope. This incredible group of people give much of their time and talents following the vision of FWM to get as many people mobility as they can. They travel, much of the time at their own expense, all over Peru to do that. They have taken off work without pay to do this, or have managed to coordinate their jobs to be at off hours so they can still serve. This group of people are incredibly dedicated and passionate to serve in this area and I am so glad to call them friends. So, to see them all gather at church just 2 hours before Don headed to the airport, to get literally 15 minutes to meet him and get a picture, and to say a quick thank you, was so so special.
All of this reminded me of just how much impact one person can have on the world for good when God's hand is in it. Don's story 10+ years ago is not what it is today. He started this project in his garage after coming back from a trip to Morocco where, he saw people crawl on the ground. After returning from that trip, he began building prototypes in his garage, spending much of his personal family income to get the prototype functioning. He then was eventually able to take a few of the first models to give them away. Upon his return from that trip, he found out that the company he was working for closed its doors and left Don and many others without income. The point is, that he kept moving forward....unable to get those images out of his head of the people who were in need of a wheelchair, he moved forward to where he is today. A man who had been given a vision to serve others and who now has impacted at least over a million people if not more....
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 NIV
Thursday evening after our communion service at church, I received a message from the orphanage director at Padre Martinho, who told me and a group of volunteers helping at the home, that one of the little girls there, Maria Isabel, had gone on to heaven. This sweet little girl, 12 years old was born with various serious medical conditions. She was blind, and couldn't walk or talk. When I first started going to Padre Martinho home about 2.5 years ago, I would do weekly therapy with her. She LOVED the swing and any other sensory input that she could feel. However, over the past year her health decreased and she could not tolerate the therapy any longer. While she had many trips to the hospital and her health had declined, we were all still very shocked by her passing.
We received the message at 9:45pm and by 10:15 all 8 of our group arrived at the home to give our condolences and help in any way we could. The next 24 hours were a bit of a blur. Here in Peru, they don't embalm. That means the deceased needs to be in the grave within 48 hours after death. That meant that things need to be done quickly. Her burial and our goodbyes were different than anticipated by everyone as everything was done so fast. There was no formal funeral service held at the home before she left nor at the burial site due to lack of resources to cover the service. This also meant no real closure for the director who loves all these kids as a father, the caregivers, and all the other children in the home who considered her family. My heart broke to see this, and to learn as it was happening.
Regardless of all this, Maria Isabel's caregiver, who had already taken the day off for her own medical personal needs, cancelled her doctor appt. and insisted on going. So, Clever and I went with her. When we arrived at the cemetery, and finally found her plot, she was already inside and her grave sealed shut. We had missed it... But, we bought her flowers, prayed, cried, and said our goodbyes. I took pictures of her grave and what area of the cemetery she was in. I wasn't sure why I did that. I didn't want people to think I was weird (and hopefully you don't since I posted them here), but later I understood why.
Upon returning to the orphanage around 4pm, all the kids (that can talk) and caregivers were asking about it. About how it was. I began to show them the pictures. And they started to ask questions and make comments. "Wow she is up high!" one kid said (as her burial spot was second to the top), and another "Who cried?". In that moment, Clever and I realized they were all mourning the death of their sweet Maria Isabel, wanting to be part of her farewell. So, we left there that night, wondering how to help this house say goodbye. That night we contacted a dear friend who is also a Pastor in Camino de Vida, who actually introduced me to Padre Martinho 2.5 years ago. We told him about what had gone down and asked if he could help. So, yesterday, for about 15 minutes they held a short and simple service for Maria Isabel, for all the kids, caregivers and director of the home to say goodbye. While all our hearts are still sad, this helped provide a bit of closure to all those who loved her.
So, what was the good in this story? Why do I still hold onto that verse "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 NIV . ?
- God opened my eyes to see the orphanage differently. To see it as a HOME and a FAMILY, not as just an orphanage or institution. I can now share that with others who come to visit or feel in their hearts that they want to help them.
- I saw that my viewpoint of these kids being "abandoned" had changed because they ARE a FAMILY. God placed them all there to love one another and not be alone.
- I saw how the director loves and cares for each child in that home as a father does. He shared memories of picking her up at the hospital as an infant the day she was abandoned and bringing her home. He shared memories of other children who had passed away in the home. All by name, and all with sweet memories that brought a smile to his face as he shared.
- I saw how the caregivers showed empathy and love more than I ever have before. Knowing that if they didn't love those kids, they would be working somewhere else. This job like many others who care for people with special needs is heavy work with little reward. Seeing Maria Isabel's caregiver weep as she said her goodbyes was very impactful.
- I saw another need that our team of volunteers can help lighten a very heavy burden by having a plan in place when this happens again. I say when, because many of these children are medically fragile.
- I saw a way that we can continue to connect and love the kids that are still there. That we can show them they are loved and not alone.
- I saw that I can be a bigger support to the kids in different ways, not just by providing therapy. I saw confirmation that what I am doing there, how I get to be a part of this is so special.
I also just wanted to thank you all again for your continued support financially, emotionally, and in prayer. As you all know, I could not be here otherwise. Missionaries in Peru can not legally accept payment for work, therefore, all that I get to do here is ALL because of the generosity of others like you. If you feel led to begin starting to support me financially, please see the link at the top of the blog. The more funds I have coming in on a consistent bases allows for me to do more things in the community that I am serving in. Thank you and God Bless!!!