Realities

Realities…….

Last week was a sobering one. I am beginning to build relationships with the women even though they speak Quiche rather than Spanish. Everyone that works here can speak both languages, therefore I am still able to communicate through my companion, Flory, who translates for me. Fortunately, facial expressions, eye contact and touch are much more connecting than actual words.

We started out our day as we normally did driving in our big FH van, employees getting dropped off in different communities along the way. We arrived in Paapa at about 8:30 and started trekking through the rain in our boots, jackets and umbrellas. First, Flory and I went to a little store (closest thing to a grocery store) to meet with Tamasa who has a daughter in our growth promotion program. Flory was talking to her about the importance of washing her hands and such when a woman named Maria arrived to buy a small amount of food from the store. Tamasa invited her in and told Flory, my companion, of this woman’s circumstances. Maria has 6 young children and is very poor like many others in this community. The real hardship and heartbreak began a month earlier when her husband beat her and then left her for another woman. Her husband lives within walking distance from the family and has neglected the fact that without his small income the family has no income. Mom has been trying to sell some veggies and fruit that she finds, but this isn’t able to feed her family. As my companion visits with her Maria sobs, loud heartbroken sobs. She doesn’t know what to do, who to turn to and the church hasn’t reached out to her to help either. Truthfully, I don’t know how to make this better.
Within minutes of Maria leaving, a group of woman appear at the store. Flory greets them, and asks the young mother where her daughter is who had been sick the week before. The woman responds that her baby died last week. When I say responds that is exactly what she did. A tear wasn’t shed, no explanation was given except that her baby had a fever and now she’s dead. I don’t know if she was hurting on the inside or if she was relieved to have one less child to feed. Even though there are free health care clinics many are afraid of them and will not go regardless of the need.

The next day I went to a home because the child wasn’t growing and gaining weight each month like we would hope. The mother was 17 and married with two children. Her oldest, Santiago, was a year and 4 months and had only gained 8 pounds since his birth. He has lived with constant diarrhea since he quit breastfeeding at 3 months when his mother got pregnant with her second child. When I saw little, tiny, way too small for his age, Santiago, I felt sick. He looked like he could die any minute but sadly has been that way for the majority of his life. His eyes were distant, unfocused, sort of rolled back in his head, he seemed lifeless with a huge lack of energy for a 1 and 4 month old and his hair was thin and had the clearness that is seen in extremely malnourished children. This mother lived with her in-laws and the whole family desperately wanted him to get well. They even took him to the hospital, which is not common here. The family had been practicing some hygiene, but boiling their water wasn’t one of them and they have a contaminated water source. We are praying that this family will apply what they have been taught and trust that what we are telling them is true.

It doesn't get easier hearing these stories and seeing the tears, nor should it. God cares about every single life and I never want to become calloused to the pain around me.

~Kallie