Cranky and the Hook

Joshua is very much into talking right now... there is one story he tells over and over... its the story of Thomas and the Jet Engine... he tells it as Cranky and the Hook.

Susanna at 1 Month

Andando Por Las Calles (Walking the Streets)

I spent last Tuesday in one of the poorest neighborhoods of San José, Costa Rica. As soon as we arrived I began talking with a pastor who works in the neighborhood on a regular basis. He turned to us and said:  

 ¿Ve a estos dos niños? Su padre los abandonó y su madre trabaja de cinco en la mañana a siete cada día. Los vi andando y andando por las calles cada dia. 

Translation: Do you see these two children? Their father abandoned them and their mother works from five in the morning to seven each day. I see them walking and walking the streets every day. 

As I looked at these two children, a 5 year-old girl and a 3 year-old boy. my heart was broken. I couldn’t believe it. These two little children, fending for themselves on the street every day from 5am-7pm!?! Could it be true? How could a father and mother be in such a desperate situation that they let their children wander through such a neighborhood all day?

Sure enough, the entire time we were in the neighborhood these two children would wander past us on a regular basis, showing up for a meal the pastor offers to children of the neighborhood every Tuesday and sticking around for the afternoon bible club. I never did get the opportunity to talk directly to these children as they often shirked from attention and kept to themselves. But the image of those two children will always be with me. This little girl and her brother are the type of children for whom Casa Viva is offering hope. 

It is children like these who are sleeping in a bed, loved by a family, eating three meals a day, and attending school. When I think about these two children who continue to wander the streets of a very dangerous neighborhood, my prayer is that God would intervene on their behalf and cause the local government and local churches to act on their behalf.

My Dad Would Be Proud

For years my dad has faithfully carried a handkerchief in his back pocket. He has probably done this since he was a young boy, because his dad does it too. For years he has lamented the fact that his boys don’t carry one around.

Dad. Yesterday I carried one, and it was a life saver.

Every time I come to Costa Rica I have a very hard time with allergies. Part of it is the different plants and climate, but for the most part I think its the prevalence of humidity and warmth leading to mold in a lot of places. I came prepared this trip with a brand new box of Wal-Dryl antihistamine and the handkerchiefs my dad gave me ten years ago when I left for college. For some reason I have kept them in my sock drawer ever since.

They saved many a runny nose yesterday and will at least through the end of my time here in Costa Rica.

Relationships Key for Recovery

Dear Advocates,

I have recently been reading a book about how trauma at a young age affects children (The Boy Raised as a Dog). It’s a fascinating book, in his final chapter of application Dr. Perry notes:

“Whether people have survived an earthquake or have been repeatedly sexually abused, what matters most is how those experiences affect their relationships – to their loved ones, to themselves, and to the world. The most traumatic aspects of all disasters involve the shattering of human connections. This is especially true for children. Being harmed by the people who are supposed to love you, being abandoned by them, being robbed of the one-on-one relationships that allow you to feel safe and valued and to become humane.

As a result, recovery from trauma and neglect is also all about relationships—rebuilding trust, regaining confidence, returning to a sense of security and reconnecting to love.”

This quote plus so many other passages in the book remind me the importance of connecting orphaned, abandoned, and abused children to families who love and care for them, not institutions.

Who should we talk to about the ministry of Casa Viva?

Susannah Grace // 1 Week Photos

These are some photos taken by a friend of ours. We took them in their living room. They turned out great!

Susannah Grace // The first 12 hours