Author Archives: Carroll

Father-Daughter Reunion

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Our group gathered for prayer, and I could hear loud sniffling. My eyes scanned the girls, stopping on the new ten-year-old cutie. I stepped over and put my arm around her in a reassuring hug.

“I want to find my daddy. Please pray with me,” Najera choked out.

The girls took the cue and gathered around her, praying for a common request that one of the biological parents would be found. Najera’s round puppy-dog eyes looked up at me for encouragement. “Oh, honey, God hears our prayers, and we can trust Him for the answer. He knows what is best for us.” My words brought a smile, but I wondered how much she accepted in her small heart. I added to my prayers that there would be healing for this little gal, knowing how rare it is to locate a parent.

Najera* lost her mother in a bus accident four years before entering Shadow. She had been passed on to a neighbor and ended up in the court for placement in an orphanage. Najera told us about her father and cried out for us to find him, but with only a name, a search would be useless.

Najera leaned into the power of prayer and faithfully sought the Lord on behalf of her father. We joined her, wanting God’s will for her life and healing in her heart.

IMG_1930A year passed, and we received a call from the court saying that a man claiming to be Najera’s father had called. The woman who had cared for Najera after the death of her mother contacted Julio*, asking for permission to adopt her. Julio had been on a hunt for Najera ever since he had heard that his ex-wife had been killed. He had come up short in finding any information about Najera’s location until now. The lady at the court told him how to contact us, and Julio made the call to see his daughter. We explained to him the legal procedures he needed to take through the court system, including getting permission from the judge.

Meanwhile, my heart did acrobatics at the thought of Najera reuniting with her father. Questions pummeled my mind as to how he lost track of his only child. I had many doubts, even though we saw the answer to our many prayers. Lord, please let this man be a true father who is full of love for his daughter. I cringed at the thought of him marching in to be her father but instead being the type of person who abused his children. Lord, if this is not your will for Najera, please close the door. I had grave concerns, and my prayers continued on Najera’s behalf.

We kept the information undisclosed to Najera while the court did their investigation to check out Julio and IMG_1931confirm his biological claims. It turned out that Julio had lived and worked in the same area as Shadow of His Wings Orphanage for the last four years. We passed by his workplace frequently and didn’t know that the target of Najera’s prayers labored in a shop yards away.

Julio explained to the court that he divorced his wife, and she had taken their daughter with her. The mom and daughter moved, and he couldn’t find them. When he saw the death report on the news, he hoped a place of residence would be given, but none appeared in the information.

The time came for Julio’s visit and for us to explain to Najera that her father had been found and her prayers answered. Julio carried his court order in hand when he entered the office, and Najera zoomed into his embrace. Tears flowed freely from everyone in the office. All my doubts vanished as I observed the father-daughter reunion. I thanked the Lord for answering the prayers of spunky Najera.

*Names have been changed.

The President is Coming?

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My relaxed evening came to an abrupt end when Carina, the school director, called. The conversation contained a combination of excitement and panic, stirring the same emotions in me.

“The president is coming here to Monjas? You mean the president of Guatemala?” I asked as I rose from the chair and started pacing.

“Yes, Mama Carroll, it is President Alvaro Colom, and he is coming in the morning for a visit to Monjas,” replied Carina. “The school superintendent just called to give me the information, and we have been ordered to have our girls do their gymnastics performance for him. I repeat, he ordered the girls to perform. He didn’t ask if we could. We need to be at Central Park by eight in the morning, ready to go.”

After some discussion, Carina accepted the responsibility of getting all of the kids to the appointed place. We didn’t want them to miss the opportunity to meet President Colom nor get on the bad side of the school superintendent. I remembered the excitement of the First Lady’s coming to Shadow of His Wings Orphanage, and now the president of Guatemala was arriving.

Flintstone PresentationThe month before this, the girls had won first place doing a gymnastic rendition of the Flintstones at the Department (State) level competition in Jalapa. From there, they went to Guatemala City for the National competition and took first place. The thrill of this honor for these children could not be summed up in a few words. To go from a condition of being abused to having hundreds of fans cheering you on resonated in all of our hearts.

When we returned from the Capital with the first-place trophy, we met a line of cars waiting to follow us into Monjas. People held signs of congratulations while standing by the highway, cheering the girls for a first-time achievement in this town. The excitement level radiated from the bus as the girls chanted, “Libertad, Libertad, Libertad!” The parade of cars behind the bus and the horns honking had people lining the streets waving. This was a thrill of a lifetime, and now the girls would perform for President Colom and add to that list.

By eight o’clock the next day, we had everyone from JPoLA waiting for the important guest at Central Park. The kids tittered and giggled in nervous anticipation of doing their gymnastics routine for the president. I had things flying around in my stomach, and I wasn’t even performing.

We talked amongst ourselves and decided that President Colom would come by helicopter, so our ears tuned in to any similar sounds. People gathered and waited, a common practice here where time doesn’t dictate when activities will begin. Restlessness became evident, and even the ice cream boy with his little cart quit ringing his bell. Finally, the mayor announced that the president would not be coming. However, he asked that the girls perform for those present. The girls loved to perform, and their disappointment didn’t change their enthusiasm. The pride I felt for them stretched my heart a little more, as I watched them go through the routine.

We waited through some speeches and then heard a helicopter. The mayor announced that a special visitor did come, the National Director of Education, and he asked the girls to repeat their routine for the director. Afterwards, the director mingled with the girls, asking about their educational experiences. Then he took a group photo with them. In their eyes, his personal interest captured their attention, and it didn’t matter that the president didn’t make it to Monjas.

I also had the opportunity to visit with the director, who spoke English, making it much easier to express the concerns I had for the education of the older girls in Monjas. I explained about the limited opportunities for careers in our area. He told me that he’d help with whatever he could, just give him a call. He demonstrated himself as someone on the same team for the same cause. We went from the president is coming to no he isn’t, but the Lord provided a more valuable connection for the needs of the Shadow kids.

True Sponsoring of a Child

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IMGJack-1“Wow, I like that necklace,” I said, lifting it up for a better look at the lovely cross.

“It’s from my sponsor,” replied Mari her face beaming with pride.

I enjoyed hearing responses like this from children whose sponsors had communicated with them. Her reaction showed the importance of relationship in a sponsorship program. As a nonprofit organization, a long list of needs is met by others who make donations toward the care of needy children. One form of these donations comes through a sponsorship program. People who commit to the program give a specific amount of money monthly for one child. The money is used for the child’s education, medical needs, clothing, food, and much more, including the monthly expenses for the casitas.

I became acquainted with this type of program many years ago, before I left Montana, when I signed up to help a young boy in Mexico. I received a letter from him at various times and had his picture posted on my refrigerator. However, I must confess that in my financial struggles, I stopped sending a monthly donation. I regret that decision, because I could have continued if I had made some better choices with my money. Now that I work with and am around children who are supported, I see how important these programs are for them. Yes, they are a great tool for helping orphanages operate, but they also affect the hearts of these kids. There is more to the true sponsoring of a child.

I would like to share a few comments the older girls have made regarding being sponsored:

1. “It felt good to know that someone wanted me, even though they were not my biological family.”
2. “I have an opportunity for school, clothes, food, and other areas of need.”
3. “I looked forward to the sponsor visit, because I had the opportunity to get to know them.”
4. “My favorite time with my sponsor is to play and talk. They show me love, and I love them.”
5. “My sponsor makes me feel like I am part of their family.”
6. “I would like to tell sponsors that even though they can’t come to Guatemala for a visit, the letters they send are very important to us kids. We want to know more about their lives.”

The sponsorship program at Shadow of His Wings Orphanage encourages a relationship between the IMG_1818sponsor and the child and her house parents. It’s easy to accomplish this with social media, and the children glow when they connect with their family. These kids feel a stronger sense of belonging when they have the love of the sponsor family come alongside the love of their Shadow family. When they have come to us thinking they are trash, a huge component of the true sponsoring of a child turns these young ones in a positive direction. It gives them hope for the future.

My favorite memories are at Christmastime when those who are sponsored come to the office to receive the gift from their sponsor family. The presents wait below the decorated tree, and the kids can hardly wait for their name to be called. They give shouts of joy when opening the gifts and run to their friends to share their treasures.

Shadow has an established sponsorship program. If you are interested in checking it out, click on this link and read how you can be involved in making a difference in the life of a child.

http://www.shadowofhiswingsorphanage.org/http://www.shadowofhiswingsorphanage.org

Crash Times

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“We are here to help any of you when you’re facing the crash time. Every missionary goes through it at some point, and there is nothing to be ashamed of when it happens. We are humans with many emotions, and when our world takes a spin, we react in many ways,” said the school psychologist. All of us newbies at CAG (Christian Academy of Guatemala) looked at each other with a grin, knowing the truth in what had been said. Some had already begun to feel the pains.

Leaving loved ones behind for an unknown time period can be painful, even when willingly making the choice. Adding to that, when one leaves all that is familiar and goes to a foreign country, one grabs for any familiarity. (The golden arches of McDonalds drew me, and I didn’t like eating there when I lived in the States.) I walked this missionary road with uncertainty and fears.

I followed the same road of many thousands before me: saying goodbye to my loved ones and entering an unfamiliar country. I knew this would be a lifetime commitment, so I closed many doors behind me. I resigned from my teaching position, took early retirement, sold my mobil home, gave away or sold most of my belongings, and left those whom I loved. I felt like I had started life all over with a whole different set of rules, and I didn’t know what those rules were.

People ask how I coped with the separation from my family and home, and how did it make me feel to know this would be final. I can look back and see a clear path. I drowned myself in the duties of teaching missionary children, diverting the focus off of myself. However, even in my busyness, I had down time when I hungered for a word from home. We had email, but it was available only in the school’s library and for a limited time. I had needed some items to remind me of home and my family, so I brought with me memorabilia, my favorite Montana rock, and lots of pictures of my family to surround me. The soothing sound of music helped console me, and I spent time reading the Bible and talking to the Lord.

My crash time came after a bout of sickness, and in my weakness, the loneliness smacked me to my knees. I longed for my family, to hear their voices and to know what was happening in their lives. Recognizing the signs of depression, I contacted the psychologist and found myself going out with her family for a time of fun, including a movie and eating out. When I came home, I lit some candles, prayed, ate a sweet treat, and found myself slowly coming out of the depression. Gradually, the ups and downs became less frequent, and I could see progress.

With Christmas approaching, I bought my ticket home and floated out of the airline office. I held this jewel of jewels tightly in my hand, knowing I would see some of my loved ones again. When I reached the States, I wondered what people would think if I kissed the ground. Home! I didn’t return to my home state, but it felt like I had come home.

Then I faced another dimension of being a missionary that took me by surprise. I felt like a stranger trying to reconnect with my family. They were excited to see me and gave lots of hugs and encouraging words, but what do we say to each other after that? I talked about my experiences in Guatemala but wanted to focus on knowing more about my family. What occupied their everyday lives? With growing grandkids, I wanted to experience their likes and dislikes. My family wanted to bless me, and I wanted to do the same for them. We found ourselves dancing in each other’s lives, but the waltz didn’t jive with the salsa, and I danced with two left feet, making me feel depressed.

The time came to say goodbye, and my heart repeated its routine from the first time I left for the mission field. It felt torn, even though I wanted to go back to the ministry. I didn’t know when I could visit my loved ones again, and that uncertainty made me feel down for a while.

After a couple of years, I no longer had to have the airline ticket in my hand to be at peace. The notion of kissing the ground when I came to the States ceased. Guatemala became my home, and one day I had an amazing thought: I had been blessed with two homes, two families, and the crash times ended. I no longer struggled with my loved ones being in the States, and we learned to dance with the same rhythm. I had made the adjustment through the grace of the Lord, who helped me every step of the way.