The Four

As promised, this blog post is dedicated to the specific story of one of the families we serve here at the orphanage. 

Today's featured family: Ana, Yessenia, Judith, and Nico Lopez.

Ana (18), Judith (14), Nico (12), Yessenia (16)
Photo stolen from Kelli Brown :)

These kids are not your ordinary teenagers. They are extremely responsible, very smart, and affectionate. Just by looking at them you would never know the hardships they have faced over the years...

Abandoned by their parents, they have had to live on their own and learn how to take care of each other. Years ago their dad left the family and as revenge on him their mother quickly abandoned them as well. For a while they had to rely on their neighbors for food.

After their mother left Yessenia thought she would die in their house. The kids would hear gunshots at night and get very scared. Judith always had hope that their mom would return, unfortunately she never did for long. She returns occasionally to try to push the girls into marriage in order to support themselves and stays overnight sometimes because their house is closer to her doctor. She quickly leaves for her appointments without saying goodbye.

When Jheny, the orphanage director, found out about the kids she tried to persuade the mother to return so that she could give permission for the kids to be in the program here - hoping that their mother would return for good. Their mom came back for about a week to allow the kids to begin the program, but suddenly left without warning.

The four kids never miss a day in the program now, unlike many others here, because they can't afford not to. They come here not only for food, but for the family relationships they have built with the kids and adults here.

Ana

Ana, the oldest, hates her mother and is constantly overwhelmed and worried. She hardly laughs or talks, but is starting to warm up. She is very smart and mature and wins most of the card games we play with her. She is a very good example for the younger kids, but has low self-esteem and trust in herself.

Yessenia

Yessenia is such a sweet heart and super adorable. She smiles every time you make eye contact with her and has the cutest laugh! She doesn't have a hateful bone in her body, but instead is simply disappointed in her mother. She is very smart and loving and writes the sweetest letters to us and to her sponsors, reminding them how much God loves them. 

Judith

Judith was always her parents' favorite child and because of that she is very naïve and believes anything you tell her. She is very sweet and girly and loves the color purple. She loves making friendship bracelets with us and practicing her English.

Nico

Nico is such a fun kid and of course, super smart just like his sisters! He knows the most English of everyone in the program and loves to play chess with Brayan - he usually wins and let's everyone know "We are the champions!" Everyday he comes up to us, looks us right in the eye and says one word: "games." Which means "Can I please have your iPhone to play games?!"

These kids are the best!

Ana currently works on staff at the orphanage for a small salary to help take care of her family, so the girls show up at 8am while Nico is at school. Yessenia and Judith go to school on Saturdays because it is cheaper, so they come to the orphanage during the week to help with Isela with all the cooking. Ana does office work and helps teach the younger children's Bible class.

After the program is over the four stay to hang out with us. If we're going into town for dinner than they have to go home, if not they are invited to eat with us and can stay at the orphanage to play games until we walk them home at 8:00. This past Saturday we took Nico shopping with us while the girls were at school. It was a blast having him around!

They really are some of the best kids I've ever met. They are so happy and fun and have so much hope in the Lord. One day I was talking to Nico and Brayan, asking if they were best friends and Nico said no, so I asked who his best friend is and he said "Dios!" - God is his best friend!

It's such a blessing to spend so much time with all the kids here, but especially these four. They are as much a blessing to us as we are to them. Bekka and I both want to be Yessenia when we grow up! She just has such a sweet spirit and is so adorable! 

I'm excited to get to know them more over the next few weeks! :)