April 4, 2011

And so it is that all 12 women returned safely to their homes in Massachusetts late on Saturday evening. So many contrasts throughout our week together. We began with a long, two-day traveling experience, and concluded with a seamless trip home on Saturday.

The beautiful "Bienvenidos y Muchas Gracias" Talent Show on Friday night (Padre Mateo's Welcoming and our teams goodbye) went late in to the evening. Therefore, our team decided to have our last Devotion together early Saturday morning.
This was a very special reflection, one which included tears, laughs and Padre Mateo.

We then cleaned up the Volunteer house in rapid fashion with all women working hard. Once we were packed, (with plans on departing for the airport at 11:30am) we headed outdoors to spend time with the children. Last hugs, pleasant conversations with the teachers and staff, more hugs, more tears,... and then a message from Takerly and Arturo that we needed to depart for the airport at 10am due to a radio announcement that more Teacher Strikes would be taking place starting at 11:00am. (In hindsight, this probably saved all of us from the tearful floodgates with the children! )

No problems getting to the airport. At the airport, we had time for lunch, last minute trinkets at the airport shops, and off we were to Miami. Through Customs at a good pace and off to a quick dinner before boarding our flight home, which was a 1/2 hour delayed (no problem with us - 30 minutes is nothing to 30 hours). We were welcomed at the airport at 12:30am by Whit, David and Jason, the husbands who drove most of the women home. We said our goodbyes to our amigas with love in our hearts.

It is amazing to me that in a one week time period, twelve women, can build relationships with one another in a new way, build relationships with los ninos de El Hogar, and feel such a close connection to God's love. God's love gives us a renewed hope this lenten season--- a hope for endearing friendships, trust in God, and hope for the future of El Hogar.

Julie shared this poem with our team and though we do not know the author, it is a great summation of our week of contrast and reflection.

Thank you to all of our friends and family who prayed for us this past week. We hope you will continue to pray for the many children, teachers and staff at El Hogar, The Farm and The Institute. And we hope we can all pray for Padre Mateo, his transition away from his family in New Jersey and in to the arms of El Hogar... the home of love and hope.

With love,
Jenny


A Prayer for the Children

We pray for the children
who sneak popsicles before supper,
who erase holes in math workbooks,
who can never find their shoes.

And we pray for those
who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire,
who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers,
who never "counted potatoes,"
who are born in places where we wouldn't be caught dead,
who never go to the circus,
who live in an X-rated world.

We pray for the children
who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions,
who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money.

And we pray for those
who never get dessert,
who have no safe blanket to drag behind them,
who watch their parents watch them die,
who can't find bread to steal,
who don't have rooms to clean up,
whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser,
whose monsters are real.

We Pray for the Children
who spend their allowance before Tuesday,
who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food,
who like ghost stories,
who shove dirty clothes under the bed,
who never rinse out the tub,
who get visits from the tooth fairy,
who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool,
who squirm in church and scream in the phone,
whose tears we sometimes laugh at and
whose smiles can make us cry.

And we pray for those
Whose nightmares come in the daytime,
Who will eat anything
Who have never seen dentist,
Who aren't spoiled by anybody,
Who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep,
Who live and move, but have no being

We pray for the children
Who want to be carried and for those who must,
Who we never give up on and for those who don't get a second chance.

We pray for those we smother and for those who will grab the hand of
anybody kind enough to offer it.