Our Father´s Love

I can´t believe that it is less than two weeks before my flight home! Time has gone by so fast, and I love Bolivia and the children and people here more and more every day. I have also gotten to experience lots of different things, and the social worker and director have been very gracious to allow me to tag along on lots of outings!

Last week I came home from the store after getting some sweets for the kids, and found some new clothes for one of our girls. People occasionally bring new clothes for the kids, but usually they go into storage until the child needs new clothes. I asked the Tia where the clothes were from, and she told me they were from her father. I was so surprised. Some of the girls have parents that come and visit, but I thought J was completely abandoned. The tia didn’t know very much about what had happened, but told me that J´s father had shown up out of the blue with the clothes. 

J is one of our girls with the most extreme needs. She is blind, and goes to a special school across town. I have gotten to spend lots of quality time with her on the public transportation system going to and from school. The school is about an hour away on a Trufie (a 15 passenger type van with a specific route), and is always an adventure. Although she is able to do many things on her own, getting on and off of a trufie is always an experience. The drivers are in a hurry, and she is not. When we manage to get on the Trufie, they are usually crowded, and J has no concept of being in a crowded van. She likes to sing, feel the people around us, and announce all of the things she does. This morning I smelt a horrible smell, and thought it was coming from sewage outside. A few seconds later she loudly announced that  she was responsible for the smell, and a lady in front of us turned around and gave me a not-so-nice look. I smiled, apologized, and tried to keep from laughing.

Anyway, all that to say she is precious, and has a special place in many people´s hearts.  So when I happened to be in the office and the social worker asked me if I wanted to go with J to the bank to meet her father, I accepted quickly. I didn’t really know what to expect, but we dressed J in her new clothes, re-brushed her hair, and set off for the bank. We met her father outside, and he looked just like her. She was very timid, which is pretty unusual for her. She usually takes to new people pretty quickly, feeling them, and asking for kisses. She didn’t do that with her father, and he seemed to be at a lost for what to do with her as well. It broke my heart to see her cling to us rather than her dad, but at the same time, it made sense.

I soon found out that we met at the bank to open an account for J, so that she can save the money the government gives for being blind, and the money her dad is supposed to pay each month until she turns 18. The bank had never seen a case like this, and I can only imagine what they thought of Jennifer (the director) and I, two white women, a Bolivian woman (the social worker), and man (her father) with this girl. After 3 hours of waiting we were able to open the account and deposit the money. Although it was a long time, it gave me plenty of time to observe J and her father. She never really warmed up to her dad, and was very cautious when she did. I was close to tears as I watched, thinking about how much he was missing in her life, and thinking about the things he must have experienced to make this seem like an okay way to care for his daughter.

I had gone to the bank expecting to not like this man, and I definitely don’t like a lot of the decisions that he has made, or the way he has handled things for his daughter. But at the same time God softened my heart, and reminded me of a verse where Jesus is healing a blind man. The Pharisees ask him who sinned, was it the man, or his parents that sinned and caused him to be blind. Jesus responds, ¨Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.¨ John 9:3

J is a constant reminder of childlike faith, and her joy is such a great example and encouragement to me. God´s glory is displayed through her, and I am so thankful for the chance to see Jesus in her, and for the ways God has used her to show his glory.

Please be praying for her, as she continues to grow, that the staff and volunteers would have wisdom and resources to work with her well. Please pray also for her father. As much as it scares me for him to be in her life, God is a God of love and mercy, and he has the power to turn the hearts of father to their children. Please pray that God would be working in his life, and that he would come to know Jesus through his daughter!

“Now to [the Father] who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)