On the day after Christmas, early in the morning, on a cold and snowy day, an Evergreen group of 14 from Church of the Hills, maneuvered a heavy, long, white church van up an icy, steep driveway.
Thus began our journey to Chihuahua, Mexico. To say that it got easier after that would be misleading.
Several hundred miles of snowy, wet roads seemed even longer with a frozen wiper fluid nozzle - having to stop to clear the windshield made for a long day.
By the time we reached our overnight destination of El Paso, Texas, the weather was beautiful. It was the start of a seven-day mission trip to deliver some foosball tables, a ping pong table, a DVD player, some movies, crafts, and a hearty meal to a bunch of kids living in an orphanage named Casa Hogar Misericordia - Mercy Home.
Another part of our mission was to take some jackets collected by some students at Evergreen High School and Church of the Hills parishioners to the mountain community of San Juanito, Mexico.
Arriving in Chihuahua the next evening, our van issues and fears about being held up at the border behind us, we looked forward to our experience.
That night we were able to spend some time with
Fidel and
Mariana, the founders of Casa Hogar. Fidel, a man who gives a rousing soapbox sermon and Mariana, a woman with a gentle voice and a natural way with children, formed Casa Hogar Misericordia - the result of Fidel's vision from God to take in children off the streets.
Our accommodations at "The Revolucion" were not quite what we are used to - a dormitory like setting with no heat or hot water, but a clean, safe place to camp out. The heater was repaired before we left - but showers were not often and they were quick.
The first evening, we were surprised by the arrival of a group from San Antonio, Texas - mostly young adults. As luck would have it, their mission was to deliver shoes and knit hats to the children of Casa Hogar as well as to the community of San Juanito. Our jackets complimented that mission.
Together, we went to the mountain village to deliver clothing to the very young and the very old. The area looked very much like Evergreen - but with outhouses and homes without electricity, heat, or running water made of scrap lumber. Seeing acres of untouched forest was a stark contrast to the dry, Bedrock look of Chihuahua.
Camped out in front of a bright blue church and fueled by music provided by the San Antonio group, Fidel and Mariana took to the microphone and invited the children to come join the festivities. We were bearers of crafts and piñatas and they eagerly came in groups, holding hands.
These people don't have much in the way of material things, but they have a strong community. You could tell that they took care of each other. It was pretty cool so see a few hundred people gather to enjoy a day that was very much about them - happy, laughing children lined up for their chance to swing at the piñatas. We were a bunch of strangers having a party just for them. We ended that day handing out jackets, clothes, hats, shoes, gifts, and sweets to some very grateful recipients - and in return, we got a "feel good" day.
Our time at the orphanage in Chihuahua was spent hanging out with the kids - some as young as six. One of the kids from our group (there were seven) took letters written by her GT class at school to initiate pen pals. Some of the Casa Hogar kids eagerly participated, while others weren't interested - possibly because they hadn't learned how to write, because they'd never gone to school before coming to the orphanage.
An 18 year old girl wrote back that she enjoys sewing and hopes to someday, make beautiful Quincinera dresses for other girls, although she'd never had one of her own. She ended up writing letters for the kids who didn't know how to write. She had only one eye, a shy smile and loads of confidence. You could tell that her life beyond Casa Hogar was going to be okay. She would succeed. Most of the kids seemed lost. Their eyes directed downward, skeptical to accept our offers of crafts and games.
Hearing stories of how they came to be in the orphanage, you learned why they didn't have a sense of trust - why should they?
For whatever reason, prior to arriving, they weren't taken care of as children should be. It's likely they haven't felt wanted or loved or needed, let alone worthy of an outsider's attention.
Fidel and Mariana guide them spiritually, but even with God's love, they can't erase what these kids have been through. These children are broken. Casa Hogar keeps them held together long enough to go out on their own.
Occasionally, a kid will rebel (as kids will) and run away from the orphanage, not realizing that life beyond the walls may not be so kind. One lovely young girl ran off one night, only to climb into a car with some very bad men. It is hard to know something like that about someone and see them in the same way as if you didn't. Her beauty reflected even more, watching her care for the youngest girls. You could feel the pain of the children who weep softly during Mariana's uplifting services and while singing songs about Jesus loving them when no one else did.
On our final day, we took material to paint a tote bag and macramé a necklace. We also gave them framed pictures of themselves - pictures that had been taken during our visit and some from before. This was a highlight of the trip. They gathered in groups on the steps of a rainbow painted wall to show each other their pictures and to admire their reflection. They had in their hands, a lasting memory of a good childhood experience.
We accomplished our mission - we delivered the game tables, the DVD player and DVDs, taught them some crafts, prepared and served a hearty meal (the only meal they would have that day) and left them with a picture of who they are. Some of the money we had collected for our trip paid some propane bills, giving them not only heat, but hot water for bathing and cleaning. We gave them respite from the everyday.
Our gifts and time spent seemed like little consolation for the failings of the adults in their lives. Groups like ours, from Church of the Hills, do what they can to help.
Like Fidel and Mariana, they do it with faith that God will guide and provide. The reality is that there are few resources. Prayers and good thoughts don't pay the bills. Mexico has a social service system - and some children are placed at Casa Hogar by social services.
But it's not like our foster care system, where foster parents are provided some financial assistance to care for the children placed in their homes. Casa Hogar is not supplemented by the government. There is impossible paper work and even then, if allocated funds, it's not enough for even one child during their stay. Casa Hogar is essential to the survival of these children. Fidel and Mariana and the staff at Casa Hogar do what they can to provide for them. They give them a home, clothes and food. They give them a spiritual awareness of God's love for them. It is the best they can do with what they have.
Spending time with these children and our effort to help them was very rewarding. We can't know what our visit meant to them, but hopefully it meant that a bunch of strangers left their lives behind to spend time showing them that they mattered - they were loved - no matter what - strangers who gave of themselves and expected nothing in return. These are the times in their lives when their experiences will form who they will become as adults. Hopefully, and if it is God's will, they will become adults that won't fail their own children.
If you or someone you know would like to provide any type of support to Casa Hogar Misericordia, contact Church of the Hills, 28628 Buffalo Park Road,Evergreen CO 80437, 303-674-6641.