March 10, 2012

Dear friends,

Our final day at El Hogar started a bit more leisurely because there is not a 7:00 am devotion/ morning meeting on the weekends. We slept a bit later, had coffee and pancakes and began the job of packing up for our trip back to the States. Because our flight was later than in previous years and because our Despedida, or farewell party, had taken place the night before, we had several hours to just be with the children which was wonderful. We played, we drew, we snuggled, we hit baseballs and I took many last pictures.

As in years past, one of the things I love about being the “paparazzi” is getting to be present for the special moments between children and their new sponsors. Friday morning I witnessed Liz translating for Janet and her new little guy, Carlos (with bunny ears on just to complete the picture!) and for Louise and Mychael. On Saturday morning Liz K translated for Liz F who had decided to sponsor Marivel, the girl who came to El Hogar this week with her brother, Ivis. Then, we found Ivis and let him know that Epiphany would resume his sponsorship. It seemed appropriate- he was our sponsored child when he left El Hogar years ago and he returned to El Hogar when an Epiphany team was there- feels like it was meant to be! It is a blessing to witness these encounters because I have seen and know how transformative these relationships are for both sponsor and child. For a child to have a special someone in their life who is specifically “theirs” puts an enormous smile on their face and reminds them that they are important and that they are loved. This is more significant than we can imagine for a child who has no one else in their lives to provide that.

Late morning, we handed out some fruit snack treats that we had brought for the children and then started to say our final goodbyes. We gathered our luggage to be put in the van. Fortunately for weepers like me, at noon, the children were called to line up for lunch so we were able to pile in the van and leave without the children gathered around us, all waving! We had a quick trip to the airport, easy check in and a chance to get some food (that did not include rice, beans or tortillas) and some last minute souvenirs. We boarded our flight at about 3 pm and headed to Miami and then on to Boston, arriving at about midnight. Liz’s husband, Jason, and Karen’s son, Jamie, were there to meet us- thank you, Jason and Jamie!

I have been privileged to travel to El Hogar every March for the last 4 years. Every year brings new experiences which are exciting but equally important is what stays the same. The children of El Hogar continue to be lights shining in a world with much darkness and the staff at El Hogar continues to love, shelter and protect each of these children so that they have a chance at a better future. No one does this more fiercely than the Director, Claudia Castro. She is an incredibly remarkable, strong and passionate woman. I appreciate the opportunity that I have had to understand more deeply the importance of the work being done at El Hogar.

Lastly, I want to thank Liz, Liz, Claire, Karen, Janet, Maureen and Louise for being a fantastic team. I appreciate your laid back attitudes (no amount of bad press coming out of Honduras was going to deter you), your open hearts and your conga line skills! Sharing this past week with them was an experience that I will always cherish. I will close the trip blog with the following Franciscan Blessing. It is something we read together more than once over our week together. It speaks to our experience and the new or renewed commitment we feel as we return to our American lives of comfort and abundance.

May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that we may live deep within our hearts.
May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that we may work for justice, freedom, and peace.
May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, hunger, and war, so that we may reach out our hands to comfort them and turn their pain into joy.
And may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in this world, so that we can do what others claim cannot be done, to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor. (Source: http://aheartforjustice.com)

Until next year…

With love and gratitude,
Betsy