This week I’ve been taking care of one of the teen homes
from the Hope Program. In this home there are 5 young ladies from the ages of
17-20. I have previously been the caregiver of most of these girls while I was
at Douglas. My basic duties were to make sure all their needs were met and cook
them dinner every night. The challenge was to make dinner at a time when they
were all there so that we could eat together and talk about their busy day.
During this time we mostly joked around and laughed. Though out the day there
were some interesting sound bites that literally stopped me in my tracks, made
me turn down my music, put away my cell phone and just listen.
“Do you want coffee…who wants coffee? I’ll make everyone
coffee.”
“I miss our house parents...I don’t want to be mean and make
you feel bad Anna, but I really love them. They make me feel comfortable and
always give me just what I need.”
“It’s gonna be ok… I’ll just sit here with you and hold your
hand.”
I quickly learned that their house parents had created an
environment where they were loved and had thus learned to love and care for
each other. As the night got later and was filled with the stress of college
homework, they began to share about their childhood. Then, I understood how far
they had truly come.
“ When I was about 8 years old I had to take care of my
three siblings…I would go to my neighbor’s house and ask them if I could wash
their dishes for some money. I would buy 5 pesos of beans [about 30 cents] and
tortillas to feed my siblings.”
“I really can’t be around my brother for too long…I don’t
know him…we haven’t lived together in years.”
My brother told me the other day, ‘ I liked it better when
we were younger, we were always hungry, but we were together.’ “
“I still remember my sister crying for me when we were
separated in the Children’s home…’Mommy come back!’ She was crying for me.”
“The children’s home wasn’t as bad as I thought. It was
different, but I adapted.”
“It’s hard to lose a sister, I don’t like how it feels.”
“My mom acts like a 15 year old…I wish she would pick
herself up and understand!”
“My mom would make me stand barefoot on the train tracks if
I lost my sandals.”
“Even now I don’t like to wear my hair up, because when I
would ask my mom to make me a ponytail my hair and she would get mad and yell
at me.”
These comments come from girls that wake up at around 6 am.
They go to school and then they go to work. They return home at 6, 8, Or even
11pm, just to wake up and do it all over again. Many have been separated from their biological families for years, but still have longing for them. They have so much fight in them
for tomorrow, for their families, and for their future. They are fighting
fights that are not obvious to the simple eye. Help me pray that they are
continually encouraged to continue on this path that many times can make them
weary. Also, let us pray blessing upon their house parents for continuing to help them run this race. 
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