Archive for April 17, 2009
Bob’s notes – Visit to Costa Rica
Mission awareness trip to Costa Rica
Mar. 21 – 28, 2009
Project Coordinator Rafael (Rafa) Villalobos started off this day with a dynamic reflection on the “The Banquet of the Kingdom.” I finished up the reflection singing, “Love the Children.”
Sabanilla, Alajuela
We have been working in this rural area for only one year, yet the spirit is strong. A children’s band marched us up the last mile or so to the parish church. The celebrant, Father Elias, expressed kindness to the children, and thanks to the sponsors. The four months of coffee harvest offer the only relatively sure source of employment. The fern and plant nurseries in this area were hard hit by the recent earthquake. One father died in the quake, and several houses were damaged.
The 500-hen livelihood project was challenged by lack of water. Parents hauled water by hand until water pipes could be repaired. Our home visits were high impact. Nubia, a petite young mother refugee from Esteli, Nicaragua, after having three sons and after suffering many beatings, had to separate from her husband. She was so full of life and enthusiastic that she convinced CFCA project leaders to begin sponsoring children in this area. Our social worker determined that this family needed a more dignified living situation. They now have an attractive and secure three-bedroom home with tile floors.
La Estrellita, Cartago
Our day started off with the early morning testimony of sponsored teen, Francini, 16. This girl suffered many different abuses over a period of four years. She also suffered because of the death of her first sponsor. Yet, with support and accompaniment of her current sponsors and CFCA staff, Francini is doing much better now. She aspires to study archeology.
In La Estrella, Cartago, where we have 810 children and 52 aging sponsored, the giants and costumed actors danced us into the 75-pupil school, where the principal and teachers had prepared a short program. Rafa explained the significance of the national anthem and the colors of the Costa Rican Flag.
During the family visits, we met parents, Maria Isabel and Juan, and their three daughters and one son. Three of the four children are sponsored. Juan is a recovering alcoholic and runs AA meetings three times a week in a little hall out back, formerly a chicken coop. Juan is now a builder, carpenter, gardener and responsible father. Maria Isabel is active in church, CFCA and spouses’ support group for AA. A fine lunch followed for this large CFCA community. Children, aging, parents, staff and sponsors participated in the entertainment, to the great enjoyment of all. (more…)
April 17, 2009 at 2:45 pm Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) 2 comments
Bob’s notes – Visit to Guatemala
Mission awareness trip to Guatemala
Mar. 14 – 21, 2009
Our special call
Sometimes in the daily work of creating communities of compassion, it takes a lot of faith. Even in our best efforts of faith-based service, human weaknesses make felt their sobering presence. This is the precious moment when the grace of our special call kicks in.
Almost 100,000 families invite us to walk with them in Guatemala. Sponsors want to see them and to learn about the reality in which their friends live. This reality is best communicated by the families themselves and by our Guatemalan staff who daily walk by their side.
Ribbon cutting
A mother signs a loan document for a livelihood sewing project.
Sunday morning found us at our headquarters in Mixco, a regional office serving about 6,500 families. Big on the agenda today is the ribbon cutting for a livelihood sewing project involving 10 mothers. With the sponsors as witnesses, the mothers signed the documents for their first loan. Their spirit, exhibited in a skit about feelings, augurs well for the future of this project.
Cuyotenango
It seems like all 1,200 families welcomed us to the CFCA center in Cuyotenango. We work in 18 communities of Cuyo. In this southern region of Guatemala, we have 8,990 sponsored children, 43 elderly, one seminarian and scholarship students.
A junior mariachi band welcomes sponsors.
We traveled a muddy road through the sugarcane fields to visit the community of Shacate with 55 CFCA families. Sponsors helped in the distribution and documentation of food. One of the little boys in this community will have a cataract operation this week, thanks to special need funds sent to the subproject.
We then divided into three groups and visited families. My group visited Doña Paulina, her three sons and one daughter. The oldest boy, Hector, 19, works among the rubber trees making about $216 per month. The father died 12 years ago. Paulina struggled to raise the children on her own by cutting sugar cane with a machete. She now suffers from a stomach ulcer. To complete this full day, we stopped to visit Doña Josefina, a widow who received a new home through the CFCA housing program. This community insisted we take fruit and two live chickens back to San Lucas. (more…)
April 17, 2009 at 1:43 pm Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) 2 comments
