Wooly Wednesday: Caretakers Edition

The wonderful thing about our No Longer team is we all want to love, care and protect each child who walks through the gate at Casa Amor. There are many people investing in their precious, young lives. Spanning two countries and languages, one thing is universal... the language of LOVE! As heartbreaking as it is to realize we live in a world where children are cast aside on a daily basis, it is even more heartbreaking to imagine there is no one there to pick them up and love them. When we first dreamed of Casa Amor and what the family would look like, we knew there would be caretakers involved to handle the daily duties of raising a child. During our recent visit, we met four people who are integral to the day-to-day operations, but more importantly, they LOVE these children as their own and the children know it.

The mommas live at Casa Amor full-time; 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They love the children, take care of the laundry, cook the meals, fix hair, garden and repair clothing, along with whatever else is needed. They are assigned to share a house with either boys or girls, but it was very clear they are "momma" to ALL the children!

 

With tears in her eyes, we heard Vilmania tell her story. Six years ago, her granddaughter was very sick; she was born with two holes in her heart. The doctor gave the family little hope and said treatment was extremely expensive. Vilmania and her daughter pled with the nurse at the hospital to treat her granddaughter, despite the fact they could not pay for it. The nurse abruptly said it couldn't be done, but the doctor came back to the family saying he would do all of her testing and treatment for free. Vilmania told us through tears that she vowed that day to make a commitment to God if He saved her granddaughter's life. The first church in the area she could find happened to be Pastor Altagracias' church. She accepted Jesus in her life at the end of the service. Weeks later, at a doctor's visit with her granddaughter, the doctor was astonished as he looked at test results. Her granddaughter had no holes in her heart and no other illnesses! She is now a healthy six-year-old. Vilmania vowed to stay in church and serve the Lord. After getting involved in the church, Pastor Altagracias saw something that stood out about Vilmania and asked her to be involved in the children's ministry, which ultimately led to her living at Casa Amor. She is the "momma" to the girls.

Catalina has been involved in the church since she was fifteen-years-old. She has five brothers and sisters, three of which were adopted. She was a worship leader at church and involved in community evangelism. Before coming to Casa Amor, she lived with her daughter and one-year-old grandson. She stays with them on her off weekends. You can see a deep passion in her eyes. She loves and cares for each of the children as if they were her very own. She has a nurturing heart, and when asked why she came to Casa Amor, her answer had everyone in tears. She said she "left her own home because the kids at Casa Amor need more. I am here full time asking God daily for strength to keep the kids on the straight path and purpose. Our strength can't change the kids, only the Holy Spirit can." Catalina is the "momma" to the boys and takes her role very seriously. When the newest child moved in on the last day of our visit, we were able to witness Catalina spring into action and love on young Yeinnsy. It was inspiring!

 

The secretary at Casa Amor is Nori. We were so impressed to find all the children's records in order, and she knew exactly where each document was and could find it in a second. In a neat twist, Nori is one of Pastor Altagracias' adopted daughters. Pastor Altagracias has loved "the least of these" for over twenty-five years! Nori has a precious four-year-old son named Isa who is just as much a part of Casa Amor as everyone else. Nori stays engaged with the kids and loved making Rainbow Loom bracelets with them when we were there.

 

The first face we saw when we pulled up day one of our visit was the guard at Casa Amor, Nene. He had a straight, expressionless face, and the look never changed that day as he held his post at the gate or watered the garden. There was still no smile on day two, but the corners of his lip had turned up a bit. By day three we had him in photos making silly faces with the kids and smiling ear to ear! The children lovingly call him "Papa" and he is full of personality. Nene loves the children, and we are thankful he isn't quick to trust any random person coming through his gate! He watches over and protects the children and walks them to and from school daily. We are extremely grateful for a consistent male presence in their lives! Before we left on the third day, and after he had laughed watching Brian and Michael school the older boys in basketball, Nene asked them when we would be coming back. Male role models are not easy to find in the Dominican, and we are praying for more men like Nene to invest in the lives of the children.

Won't you consider partnering with No Longer in changing the lives of orphaned children at Casa Amor? The mommas and security guards are an essential part of the children's lives, and the people we met are not simply working at a job. They are going above and beyond by being true parents to 21 children. A part of the monthly donations we receive helps provide salaries for the house mommas and security guards who have devoted their lives to caring for orphans. To begin monthly support, or to make a one-time gift, click here.

Look for more Wooly Wednesdays in the coming weeks! We will be introducing you to the children who call Casa Amor home a few at a time, and we cannot wait for you to meet them and know you will grow to love each of them as we do!

-Tracy