Hans arrived on the scene at Casa Amor, along with Richard, on the day of the ribbon cutting ceremony and celebration last August. If you will remember, about 100 people were in attendance at the party, so I can only imagine how overwhelming that must have been for Hans. He is a somewhat reserved 11-year-old boy with an even temperament and shy nature, tending to stay on the edge of the crowd or action. He really enjoyed the Rainbow Loom bracelets, coloring sheets, and jumping rope. He had to bite his bottom lip to concentrate while jumping rope and he enjoyed having contests to see who could jump the longest.
No Longer collected as many Crocs as possible to take on the trip with us in January. There were many, many generous donations made of all sizes and colors. I remember a bright hot pink pair showing up in the donation pile and thinking one of the girls would be excited to be given such pretty shoes. One of my favorite trip moments was watching Pastor Altagracia carefully decide which shoes would fit which child best. When it was Hans' turn, he was given the hot pink pair because they were a perfect fit! He was thrilled with his new shoes and didn't even mind the color. He was thankful to have a new pair of shoes that were comfortable and roomy. It was a powerful lesson for us to learn from Hans about the meaning of contentment. I will never forget those hot pink shoes!
Hans is a kind boy with a shy smile who has found a loving, safe place to call home. His father is deceased, his mother's whereabouts are unknown, and he has survived tragedies I can't even fathom, but we are thankful there is hope for Hans. Despite all of the bad in his past, he is gaining confidence and learning he is loved and cared for everyday based on the actions of those around him at Casa Amor. If you are interested in a one-time donation or monthly sponsorship, please click here. 100% of all donations made to No Longer are used for the family at Casa Amor.
And don't forget the 5K is in less than three weeks! Click HERE to learn more and register to run!
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