Author Archives: Carroll

God’s Plan for Carmin*

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Most of the children who come to Shadow of His Wings Orphanage don’t expect to be placed here. They wait in the children’s court for the custody decision of the judge. The judge has two options: Place the child with a family member or adult friend, or send the child to an orphanage. Carmin’s case had a different slant to it. She lived with her grandfather in a safe environment, taking care of him while he provided a meager life for her. She didn’t have a reason or desire to change that. However, her world shook when she sat in her sister’s audience and heard her grandfather’s idea. He wanted his newly found granddaughter to stay in Shadow and for Carmin to go live with her. I believed this to be God’s plan for Carmin.

The loss of color in Carmin’s face and the moist dark eyes were the only visible clues to her reaction. She outwardly accepted everything that her grandfather and the judge decided for her, but I knew her insides had to be in turmoil. Saying good-bye to the grandfather turned out awkward for both girls. Vanesa* didn’t know him, and Carmin didn’t want to say good-bye. Concerned about her clothes and personal items, I assured her that we would have everything she needed.

The three hour trip to Monjas didn’t open any doors for reconciliation. These two hadn’t been together for ten years, and Vanesa didn’t seem to care if that changed. Vanesa, separated from her family at three years of age, didn’t remember Carmin. She scooted up tightly to the window and kept her eyes glued outside, acting like she might miss seeing something as we passed by. Carmin’s few words, while trying to invite conversation, met with silence. Gerber took the position of a peacemaker, but that fell flat too, since only I responded. Oh, Lord, we have our work cut out for us. Restore this relationship, and fill these girls with your love for one another. Guide us in helping with this huge transition.

Children came running and shouting with excitement when they saw us driving up to Vanesa’s home. Curiosity as to what caused such a ruckus brought out the house parents. Now in her familiar territory, Vanesa left Carmin and ran off with her friends. I introduced Carmin to the house parents, who responded with words of welcome, and then I took her to the storeroom for the normal clothing and necessities allotment.

“Vanesa just needs some time to adjust to the idea that you are her sister. She has fought the ‘battle of life’ alone for a long time, and it will be hard for her to trust you immediately.” I felt like I did all the talking, but I continued to give her the “new at Shadow” spiel. Carmin listened intently and smiled, but few words came out of her mouth. This girl needs time to adjust to us too.

My mind tried to land on some ideas to help these two biologically related strangers develop a “friend” relationship.  I believed if they could start there, the rest would take place naturally. Both girls took responsibility well and had leadership giftings. We all saw a maturity that lacked in many of the kids the same age. The teachers and house parents confirmed this to us. I assured myself that it wouldn’t take long for both girls to find each other as sisters and readjust their lives. If only it were that easy.

*Names have been changed.

Life Changes for Vanesa: Part 2

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Gerber, Vanesa,* and I sat in the judge’s room waiting for declaration of the life changes for Vanesa. The snack I ate before coming in seemed to have fermented in my stomach. I squeezed Vanesa’s hand for encouragement. Without wasting any time, the judge introduced the man and the granddaughter Carmin.* She stated his claim to Vanesa and asked him to tell his story:

“My daughter died two months after the birth of her fifth child. My wife, we are now divorced, sold or gave away four of the children when I wasn’t at home. That included Vanesa at three years old. At that time, I vowed to find them.” Addressing us in a strong but soft voice, he concluded, “When Vanesa’s picture showed up in the newspaper, I knew she belonged to me.”

I clutched my heart, feeling guilty for thinking this man had evil intentions for Vanesa. With minimal resources, this older and slightly bent man found three of his grandchildren over a period of years, making Vanesa number four.

Everything seemed clear in the mind of the judge, and she began to sign the documents to release Vanesa into his custody.

Vanesa, knowing she had to speak up, boldly stated that she wanted to stay in the orphanage even if he proved to be her grandfather. The children’s rights advocate, with other ideas, pressed Vanesa about going with her biological family. The advocate then turned to the grandfather and pressed him to take Vanesa into his home. His response changed everything:

“I will take her home with me if she wants to live with me, but if she wants to stay at Shadow of His Wings, and they take good care of her, I’d want her to stay.” Then he added, “It is difficult for me to provide for Carmin, because I can’t find much work. She isn’t going to school anymore, and I would like to see her go with Vanesa to Shadow of His Wings and get an education.”

The judge asked Carmin about her not attending school. Her face paled, and she stammered as she confirmed that she quit because they lacked the funds to pay for it. Looking at me, the judge said, “Maybe Shadow could take in both girls?” She smiled at my quick response, “Yes!” The judge leaned over and whispered to me, “Thank you for helping us.” The toothless grin of the grandfather stamped his approval.

I had studied Carmin’s interaction with her grandfather. She assisted him with walking and being seated. She did not react negatively when she heard her grandfather’s shocking request. Impressed with what I saw, I felt it would be good for both sisters to live together at Shadow and have periodic visits with the grandfather. I could only imagine what must be going on in Carmin’s heart and mind. Lord, help this young lady accept the decisions made concerning her life. Life changes for Vanesa came to fruition in less than thirty minutes, and within ten minutes, Carmin’s life would never be the same.

*Names have been changed.

Life Changes for Vanesa

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I stood among the mass of people waiting to have time with the judge in the children’s court. I saw a man stare at us with intensity. Could he be the one? I looked at his nose, a typical Mayan one for sure, and then at Vanesa’s. I saw Gerber, who came to translate, evaluating the man’s face and then Vanesa’s. He nodded to me in affirmation. Lord, lead us in this audience. I want your will and plan for Vanesa’s future. She is a part of the Shadow of His Wings family, and it would be hard to let her go with people we don’t know. Life changes for Vanesa would be decided in a few hours.

Vanesa, her side pasted to my arm, kept shifting her feet. Her eyes roamed around the room, avoiding the man and the teenager with him. My mind couldn’t comprehend what it would feel like knowing that your whole world could completely change in one visit with the judge.

Fully aware that God had a plan for this thirteen-year-old, I continued sending up prayers. I knew many others on the prayer chain were doing the same, and I felt the confidence that God’s will would prevail.

I mentally reviewed the past events when Vanesa first arrived at Shadow of His Wings Orphanage two years IMG_3418before. Her cute face and sweet nature quickly opened many hearts to accept her into the Shadow family. After rescuing her from sexual abuse, the police brought her to the orphanage. No documents or birth certificate came with her. Vanesa confided that she didn’t remember anything about her family nor where they lived. She had only her name, and that could have been changed. Our social worker investigated the few clues available. Then she put Vanesa’s picture in the Prensa Libra newspaper and on TV, inquiring help from anybody who might recognize her. When the picture came out in the newspaper, we received a call from a man saying he might be her grandfather. Concerned about her going back into another abusive situation and in my protectiveness I said, “No way.” Why hadn’t he gone to the children’s court? Where had he been all this time?

“Sombra de Sus Alas,” the court secretary shouted.

My mind snapped back to our purpose with the court when I heard our name called. We entered the judge’s room. With Vanesa seated between Gerber and me, I saw the same man from the waiting room sit right across the table from me. With a sinking feeling, I saw what I didn’t want to see. The strong resemblance pointed in his favor. Lord, for her protection, give the judge the ability to make the right decision for our girl. She faces some great life changes.

Dedication of the Property: Part 2

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dedicationpraying I moaned inwardly, concerned that we might get rained out, but the program continued. Running from the duplex to the stage, with wet hair plastered to their heads, the girls did their worship dancing. The band played without missing a beat. It’s going to be okay, I told myself. A little water doesn’t hurt anybody. As if to answer my thought, a deluge pounded the tent canvas. People under the tent began to shift around. Sitting in the front row, I wondered what was causing so much movement. Then I turned to see a flow of muddy water slide across the once dry ground, and water dripping through holes in the tent. By this time, if a person found a dry space, that’s where the chair went, disregarding any type of order. The program continued despite the attack of nature.

Celin, the youngest, and Miriam, the oldest, shared their testimonies of what it meant to them to live in Shadow of His Wings Orphanage. Irma, whom we nicknamed “preacher,” gave an inspiring message. To hear them tell how blessed they were to find a family, love, and security in this refuge made the desire to rescue more children grow in my heart. With ten acres and the help of others, we could bring in many more children, including boys. Yes, Lord, this is just the beginning. You have more planned for us.

The pastor of a local church gave a sermon, followed by Sharon Parks, who gave her thoughts about the mandate the Lord impressed upon us when we started James Project of Latin America. She prophesied over the Project, and at the conclusion, lightning burst forth from the sky with a boom that made us jump and punctuated her words. With my heart in my throat, I wondered if the Lord did that on purpose. He sure had our attention.

After the bang of thunder, the girls did the symbolic foot washing for each pastor from the area churches. The intentions of this act showed others that as disciples of Christ, we desired to serve one another with humility and honor. It became obvious that hearts were moved when tears formed in the eyes of the pastors.

Next, the girls, with glittery rectangle scarves around their necks, mingled with the crowd to pray for individuals. The girls inquired of the guests for any specific needs and went right into prayer. “Caty, you can pray for people too, okay?” I said to our mentally challenged orphan. She knew what to do. She gave me a closed-mouth smile, cackled, and off she went. The mantels around the girls’ necks sparkled in the light, and they looked like little angels in ministry. My heart soared in pride and love. Certainly the people in the community could see how far these kids had come from the streets to where they are now.

After the ministry time, the rain ceased, but there were two inches of mud everywhere. The girls proceeded to serve the tostadas, cake, and juice to over six hundred people. We realized the number of attendees from the number of paper plates we used. Two hundred invitations reaped a large group of people.

When the mud-splattered people prepared to depart, as many as possible crammed in the vehicles or stood in the back of the pickups. Since we didn’t have graveled roads yet, many cars had to be pushed out of the muck. I wondered if the townspeople were disappointed because of nature’s interference and the large numbers of people. Gerber explained that the people liked us, or they would not have stayed when the rain began. People made comments before they left, thanking us and saying how they appreciated having an orphanage in the community. I think we sealed a partnership with many in the community that night. Thank you, Lord. The dedication of the property is a night we will all remember.