Wooly Wednesday: Adrian

Sometimes in this life you meet people who say few words, yet you can look deep in their eyes and see through to their soul. This happened when we met Adrian. The first day we visited Casa Amor, his face was completely expressionless. Even when all the kids were making silly faces for pictures, he had to force a slightly upturned smile. It's painful to meet someone and the sadness be so palpable. He has the most beautiful eyes, but they are filled with sadness.

Thankfully, Adrian is at a place where he can be loved on and taught how to love because the last few years have been hard on him. He lost his father and his mother has disappeared. It was difficult to get close to Adrian because he didn't participate in the basketball games or foot races, but in true Casa Amor fashion, we bonded over Rainbow Loom bracelets! It's funny to think back to when the fad of the bracelets started (even though they skipped our personal household), and I couldn't help but feel for the families who were forever picking bands up off the floor in their house. After our trip, those Rainbow Loom bracelets represent unity, love and bonding. Thankfully, Adrian joined us to make a few.

Later in the week we discovered Adrian's true passion... dominos!! Adrian enjoyed hours of games at the domino table, and he is all business when it comes to playing the game. He has a methodical way of slapping the domino down as if he is playfully taunting his opponent. He even played for hours with the youngest member of our team. You could see the sadness lift from his eyes for a few fleeting moments.

There are many more days of joy promised for this young man. It was extremely difficult to leave Adrian on our last day at Casa Amor because he had just begun to open up a tiny bit. Being an orphan at the age of fourteen means he is at a particularly critical age. He will be moving on from Casa Amor in a few years and transitioning into adulthood. Our prayer is that Adrian will thrive at Casa Amor with the mommas who shower their children with love and the couple of men in his life will lead by example. We also pray Adrian will grow to know Jesus and know that He has a plan and a purpose in his life. We are praying for the day we will see true JOY in Adrian's eyes! Children like Adrian are why having a skills center/community center is critical in poverty-stricken areas like Brisas. He desperately needs life skills and job skills to not only function in the Dominican, but to THRIVE in his environment.

The local church secured the vacant lot adjacent to the Casa Amor property early last year. No Longer funded the construction of a brick wall around the lot to protect it from squatters. As of now, the lot is sitting unused while decisions are made about the best use of the space. Tentative plans include adding a community center and eating pavilion with playground equipment and a baseball infield. The possibilities for uses of the community center are endless and could include some kind of vocational training for the older children living at Casa Amor who will be moving into adulthood in the next few years. Details about plans for the lot will be shared in the next couple of months, but in the meantime, monthly sponsorships make it financially possible for No Longer to fund construction projects as the needs arise. For more information about monthly and one-time giving, click here.

- Tracy

"...and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday."

Isaiah 58:10

Wooly Wednesday: Diego

A few months shy of his 15th birthday, Diego is the oldest boy living at Casa Amor. His exterior might seem tough and strong at first glance, but after observing his actions for a few days, he is clearly filling the "big brother" role of protector in the family. It took him a few hours to warm up to the Americanos the first day of our trip, but I can't really blame him. As the big brother who has had his share of disappointments in life, he stood back and watched us before deciding if he could trust us.

We must have passed the test because, before we knew it, Diego had quietly made his way under the pavilion where most of the children were making Rainbow Loom bracelets. He made a bracelet or two and was hooked! He has his own sense of style, and jewelry is a part of it. Sitting around the table making bracelets was the best way to get to know the children, even with all of us speaking different languages. By the end of the day Diego had twenty-two bracelets on his arm and was grinning from ear to ear!

Diego's favorite way to pass the day is playing basketball, no matter how hot the sun is blazing. It was obvious he loved having Michael and Brian on his court, and they were able to bond with him in a way the others couldn't. If you decide to play basketball with Diego, you have to realize he plays by his own rules! His game is definitely entertaining to watch! It is apparent he is craving male attention, and we are praying for more positive male influences to be involved in his life. He acts like a tough guy, but deep down he wants the same things any other teenage boy wants... affirmation and acceptance!

 

No Longer provides for Diego's basic needs... food, shelter and education. Thankfully there are mommas, security guards and church members in his life to fill the role of parents, but Diego needs more positive male influences in his life. That is our biggest prayer for Diego, and we hope you will join us in praying for Christian men willing to invest in his life. He lost his mother to a fatal illness and, much like many men in the Dominican Republic, his father has taken no responsibility for him and his whereabouts are unknown. He needs to know he has worth as a man and he can make a difference with his life.

 

If you would like to join No Longer in caring for Diego and the other children, monthly sponsorships are a great way to help! The average cost to care for a child at Casa Amor is around $100 per month, and as more children move in, more funds will be needed. These funds provide salaries for the mommas and security guards, food and school tuition, as well as medical care and other monthly expenses. To learn more about monthly giving, click here.

 

"Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed.

Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow."

Isaiah 1:17

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