They say, “Ignorance is bliss.” I disagree...
Ana María ended up on the streets at a young age... About 7 or 8 years ago, she came to “El Jordán” for a couple months... she had a little boy, Herlan Yamil... and was pregnant with her second baby... Their father, Herlan, never wanted to come to “El Jordan” – but then we really didn’t have anything to offer either...
Back then, I remember Ana Maria having problems with her boyfriend... but they got back together and moved to a mining community in the highlands - in an attempt to get away from the streets... I didn’t see her again until the beginning of this year... Yamil is now 9, Nayer (girl, 7)... and little Ana Maité is a year old... She wasn’t planning on coming to classes at “El Jordán” – she wanted to leave little Ana in a kids’ home...
Ana María backtracked to tell me about her journey... Herlan started coughing while working in the mines... and was diagnosed with tuberculosis... Treatment helped... but he relapsed and nothing seemed to help. More tests showed that he was HIV positive... He died not long after that... leaving Ana María a very young widow... with two kids and HIV... (the kids are negative...)
Ignorance ISN’T bliss... it can be dangerous... and even deadly... What Ana María imagined to be a “bright new future” turned out dim... Her disillusion, fear, denial led her back to a life of drinking and no limits...
She was left alone again... with the same problems... and more... she was pregnant (with no relationship to the father)...
Ana María moved back to Santa Cruz, wanting to brake her downhill slide – and provide a good home and example for her kids... But to provide for their daily needs, (the baby couldn’t breast feed because of Ana María’s HIV), to get them into school etc. seemed overwhelming, impossible on her own...
Her sister (who lives in another city) let her live in an unfinished brick room she owns which is a huge help... but without security (there were holes for windows and door) she was afraid of leaving her kids alone... as for stuff... she really didn’t have much to lose...
With tears in her eyes, she pleaded with me to find a kids’ home for little Ana... that way she could work (she was selling coloring books, stickers on the streets) to provide for Yamil and Nayer...
Yikes... what do you say? Keep all your kids! Easy for me to say, but then, how was she going to feed them? In the end, Ana María decided to give God a chance to prove Himself... she herself was orphaned and her kids don’t have a dad... but God promised to be a Father to the fatherless... She comes to Bible study and crochet class at El Jordan... and works at nights (Yamil and Nayer look after their little sister) so that she can be at home during the day with her kids...
Her kids love coming to El Jordan... I watch Ana María and my heart is heavy for her... wanting to make her load lighter... but how? I know we’ve become a family for her... but that doesn’t feed her kids...
It seems like I’m not the only one watching Ana María... she has been robbed three times in the last month or so... each time the kids were home alone... “Is your mom home? Your uncle sent her a package...” (The man walked right into the room... when Ana Maria got home, her money and cell phone were missing)... The second time a “nice man” asked to borrow the wheelbarrow (it was Ana María’s brother-in-law’s...) “I’ll bring it right back...” and of course never did... The brother-in-law was angry about losing it... “Why didn’t you look after it!!”
Ana María moved to the other brick room on the same property – because it “kind of” had a door that could close with a piece of wire... A couple weeks ago, someone broke in while the kids were sleeping – and stole their gas tank (they cooked with firewood for months until Ana Maria was able to save up enough for a gas tank). The thief left a beer can on the bed so it seems like he wasn’t in a hurry at all... but God kept the kids safe (they didn’t even wake up).
In Bible Study when Ana María was telling us what had happened, she was overflowing with thanks that her kids were safe... that material possessions were just that – material... (Inside me, I was thinking how discouraged I would be if I had worked so hard to buy a gas tank...to have to go back to firewood... not knowing when I could ever save up for another tank...).
Yesterday, I took Eulogio (and Keiden and Marlee) to help make the door a bit safer... adding some wood and nails to it... putting latches on the outside and inside – along with a good lock... Heidi and I got an old door out of the garbage at the International Fair last September...and Eulogio thinks it can be adapted for the space...
I asked Ana María if I could share a bit of her story with you all... She was thrilled that there would be people praying for her and her kids... “Ask them to pray that God will keep us safe...”
Yes, Ana María... you’ve got it right... a good lock, wood and nails might be nice... but it is really GOD who keeps watch...
“Unless the LORD builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.”
Psalm 127:1
Please pray with me for this courageous lady... her health, children, provision and safety...
THANK YOU!
Love to you all...
From Corina for Marco, Keiden and Marlee Jae