My bag is unpacked, I have gotten some sleep, and I am well on my way of catching up on the mound of work that was waiting when I returned. I have also had some time to reflect on our trip and gain some insight that I would like to share. Specifically, I want to share a powerful truth and give you several examples to illustrate that reality.
The powerful truth is this…love in action can heal wounded hearts. How do I know?
1) Ervin
Erving suffers from CP and is rather large and strong for his age. As a result, he is not seen as cute by the nurses who keep him tied to a pole much of the time he is out of his crib. His anger is revealed when he lashes out at his captors through hitting, kicking, and biting. He is not liked by most, but I absolutely love the little guy! When I am at Hermano Pedro he follows me closely and clings tightly to me…unless Dick Rutgers is around. In that case, I am quickly discarded and Dick is his #1 buddy! It has been very difficult getting him to interact with anyone else except the two of us.
Last week, something amazing happened. After the first two days of working at HP with our excellent team, I noticed that Ervin wasn’t stuck to my hip. When I looked around for him, I found him playing with another team member, giving her hugs and kisses and having a grand time with her. By the end of the week, he was freely moving through the courtyard loving on children and team members alike! I have never seen him happier! The simple reality was that Ervin knew that he was loved by our entire team, and he was eager to love back.
2) Estuardo
Estuardo has Autism. He stimulates himself by making noises with his mouth that are amazingly loud. He also likes to spin in tight circles using awkward steps. He, too, is known for lashing out through hitting and biting and has a reputation of displaying massive temper tantrums. Whenever there is a special event, the nurses like to drug him and put him in his crib so he doesn’t disrupt the party. He typically does not bond with anyone, but that changed last week
Early in the week my daughter, Brittney, pulled him from his crib and started loving on him. While she readily admitted that he was quite a handful, she also saw past his behavior and fell for this little guy. Through much patience and some frustration on Brittney’s part, we all began to see a change in Estuardo. Gradually his behavior improved and he became more affectionate. By our last day, he was hugging on anyone who would accept it, including Ervin! (Estuardo and Ervin could be considered arch enemies. I have seen them both clobber one another in a moment of conflict, leaving one or both in tears.) I choked up watching these two guys hugging and laughing together.
3) Delmi
You have read about Delmi in my blog before. This young lady has very little that is attractive in her outward appearance. She is often ignored and passed over by both staff and volunteers as they move on to the cute children. As a result, Delmi is not a happy teenager.
In our last several trips, I have spent time with Delmi trying to coax a smile. And I have been successful in that effort. But it has always taken a lot of effort to achieve the smallest of smiles.
Early in the week one of our team members, Marisa, began to invest in Delmi. She spent long hours talking to her, stroking her hair, feeding her, and being her friend. I noticed her work and was excited to see the two of them bonding. But I was surprised at the results she achieved. At the end of our second day I stopped by Delmi’s bed to say “Buenes Noches” and, as soon as I did, she broke into a huge grin! The joy on her face was so evident and I was caught completely off guard. This girl from whom I had always struggled to coax even small smiles was literally beaming…all because of Marisa’s love!
4) Paulo
Paulo is a teenage boy with pronounced CP. He struggles with chewing and swallowing and cannot speak at all. He is also a very unhappy young man. Prior to this trip the only noises I have ever heard from him was moaning and crying.
One day as I was playing with several of the kids in the courtyard I heard the sounds of laughter coming from behind me. I turned to find Don, one of our team members, pushing Paulo around backward while he laughed aloud! I was so surprised that I went over to double check and make sure that it was Paulo. I had never seen him smile before, much less laugh! I can honestly say that it made my trip!
Don and Paulo became buddies and spent a lot of time together. And I am happy to report that I saw lots more smiles and laughs throughout the week!
There are more stories that I could share with you. Each of our team members did an excellent job of loving on the children, and the results were astounding. As I shared in an earlier blog, I have never seen Hermano Pedro more filled with joy than on this trip. And the reason for that joy was the obvious love of Jesus displayed through our team to each one of these children and teens.
What a difference love makes!
