Wooly Wednesday: Richard

Everybody loves Richard! An infectious smile and easy-going personality make being around Richard an absolute joy. He is a teenager who is genuinely a people-person. He was engaged in every single activity offered while we were visiting. He played basketball and dominos, he jumped rope, he made Rainbow Loom bracelets, and he really loved (winning) the foot races. He may or may not have been sweet on my daughter, Emily, but all I know is the two of them became fast friends. They played together, ran against each other in races and even tried to copy each other's gymnastic moves. At one point he even referred to her as his "hermana," his sister. I am so thankful for the relationships my family and the others on the No Longer team made with the children during our most recent visit to Casa Amor. The bottom line is Richard is just a whole lot of fun, and honestly, I can't say enough about his smile.

Without knowing any of the details concerning the whereabouts or status of Richard's parents, we know more than we wish we did. He comes from a horribly abusive situation, and his past includes a darkness we don't even want to imagine. But despite these past abuses and having every reason to be defeated, he keeps a sincere, beautiful smile on his face and maintains a happy spirit. I have no doubt Richard's resiliency will serve him well as he matures and becomes a man. With the right guidance, Richard will do great things in the Dominican Republic, and we are praying for positive male influences to impact his life. Being at Casa Amor is going to change his life in the most drastic way. He is now safe and secure and learning that he is loved and his life matters. He is going to school and church, and there are multiple adults investing in his life. God is so good!

Please continue to pray for Richard and the children living at Casa Amor. Their futures weigh so heavily on our minds, but we trust God has them where He wants them and He will continue to provide for their needs. If you would like to join us with a monthly or one-time donation for the children at Casa Amor, click here to find out more information.

 

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,

    is God in his holy dwelling.

Psalm 68:5

Wooly Wednesday: Millie

Pure sweetness. Those are just two of the words that come to mind when I think about Millie. The oldest girl living at Casa Amor, she is a trusting, beautiful girl with big brown eyes and an easy smile. She loves having her photo taken and giving hugs. And while she wasn't always in the center of the action, she was always watching and making observations. She is a sweet friend to her siblings and really clicked with Brennan during our time there. I think she recognized someone close to her own age with a similar sweet spirit in Brennan and they became fast friends.

Millie celebrated her 15th birthday on New Year's Eve, and I am hopeful 2015 will be her best year yet. When she was brought to Casa Amor last August, she couldn't count to ten and was extremely shy and withdrawn. Even though we don't know the detailed circumstances, we do know both of her parents are deceased. She hasn't been given much of a chance during the first fifteen years of her life, and we are praying the attention and education she is receiving at Casa Amor will drastically change her life's direction. It is clear she has thrived in the six months since she has been living in her new home, and we are so thankful!

If you are interested in giving a one-time or monthly donation, please click here. 100% of the funds raised are used to provide care for orphans living at Casa Amor... food, shelter, salaries for caregivers and education. For Millie, receiving an education will be completely life-changing. Attending school wouldn't be a possibility for her if she were not living at Casa Amor. Join us in praying for her as she continues her studies and grows in confidence every day.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

James 1:27

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