Children's Haven / Serving

In short, it looks like a visit to the children's home is not going to happen but you can slide to the very bottom and see other volunteering opportunities.

 

 

I woke up a little late but I was determined. I hate being late to meetings - yet, lately, it seems like something prevents me from being on time. More often than not, I decide to skip meetings if I am going to be late but on Monday, I made my way to Children’s Haven regardless of the time. I was a few minutes late but couldn’t find the place! Suddenly, my stomach began spinning. I raced to my sister’s house and used the restroom. I searched the web for the facility’s number and got a hold of the coordinator. I explained everything and made my way back… It still took me a while to find the place but finally found it!

I went in and met Randall and Betsy. The site was full boards with pictures of the kids. They reiterated that the children’s home was in Reynosa (that is what seemed super interesting to me). Several of the kids were in college. There was three brothers... two in college and one was a senior in High School and all had been with the home since 2000. Betsy got busy with a Winter Texan couple, so Randall showed me around the place.

We went to the back of the facility and there was a board with some of the kids who were no longer at the home. There was a board beside that one with “prayers” and another board with pictures of the kids when they were smaller. We made our way back to the front and Randall talked about the three foster couples/parents (Christian families) and talked a little of the director of the school that is open to 140+ students of the neighboring colonias.

We went into a room that was full of little antique home adornments? that were put up on eBay by one of the ladies. When we exited the room, I took a peek at the thrift shop. We went to the back where we can build cabinets and other small things for the children. We walked by another shack that had tons of oranges that were donated. Then to a little kitchen where some of the ladies bake cookies and cakes for the kids. We went into a final room that had three Winter Texans sorting out bags of donated clothes. One of the ladies explained to me that there was three piles: Clothes for the thrift stores, Clothes for the Children and Clothes for the trash. She went to the back and moved a floral curtain that had hundreds of black bags piled to the roof. She told me that the reason why there is so much is because they accept all donations all year long but there isn’t enough time to sort things out during the few months they are in the RGV. There were a few refrigerators in that room they had a few cakes in them and tons of bottled hand squeezed orange and grapefruit juice. When we left that room I saw their property… full of grass that Randall cuts by himself.

It made me sad that Winter Texans are willing to do this work… where are we? What are we doing? There are so many opportunities to serve. These Winter Texans epitomize (in a literal sense) the verse, "the spirit is willing but the body is weak." LET'S GET INVOLVED!

Betsy and Randall thought that a trip to Reynosa would be great… to see where everything that happens at the US site goes to… I left thinking that I was going to have a meeting with Destino and talk about a possible trip to Reynosa on Thursday.

 

I tried setting up a meeting but never really got to it. A few days later (minutes apart) two friends texted me about the violence in Reynosa. It was extremely random, I had not mentioned anything to either of them. It didn’t really scare me however it made me think about the process and I feel like I need to settle down about some things and pray for God’s will to be done rather than act like a bull and irrationally charge at things. I hope I do get to visit soon but even if it isn’t soon, there is tons of need. Join me…

Want to serve?

Serving opportunites at Children’s Haven:

1.)    Sorting clothes after the Winter Texans go home (April - fall)

2.)    Bake cookies and cakes for the kids

3.)    Help build things (construction)

4.)    Make use of the donated fruit

5.)    Help out at the thrift shop (cashier)

6.)    Help unload/load

 

7.)   Yard work

8.)    Make a visit to Reynosa and coordinate a “camping” feel retreat where you can reach the kids of the school not just the kids at the home.

wife beater

6/21/12

He grabbed her neck like mom would get Mischief before he was dipped into his bathtub filled with cat soap.

Only a coward...

Now, I would suck at any sort of counseling dealing with abuse because the emotion that is boldest is anger. I think that digging into the psychology of the abuser is a damn excuse for the damn coward. 

6/23/12

There is no excuse to fight.

I think that domestic abuse is such a disgusting thing. Whether it is physical or not.

I don't understand many things about abuse but one thing I know is that it is wrong and if anyone has witnessed their sisters, their nephews, their children being abused or abusing someone, you MUST help them.

I'm telling you first hand, if I witness my dad hit my mom, my dad would be behind bars in a damn millisecond.
If I ever see my brother hit his wife, after he gets an ass beating from me, he too will find himself behind bars.
If I know that my sisters are ever hurt by their husbands... and my nephews witnessed their dad beat their mom, I will call the cops and CPS myself.

There is no excuse for fighting. Women shouldn't fight with their husbands or lay their hands on them either. 

They should treat one another with respect. 

If someone doesn't know how to appropriately handle their anger, they are not ready for a relationship... and are most definitely not ready for children.

NO LA ENTIENDO

Grace... Grace sure is beautiful. We don't understand her because Grace is so pure... she is innocent... naive to anything outside of herself. We don't deserve her... but that's what she is, isn't she?

A gift that NO ONE deserves from God. 

A gift to deadbeats, wife beaters, murderers, cannibals, sex addicts, drug addicts...

Hope it gives you hail.

Friday morning sun is shinin'... cliche? Absolutely. Whatever. I woke up several times before I decided to get up off my flea infested-blue-La Pulga de Alamo purchased silk sheets.


One was an alarm scheduled once a week labeled "BASKETBALL." I 'dismissed' it with one of my half opened-lagaña glazed eyes. The second was my old phone's alarm; that annoying honking alarm tone on every iPhone. Lastly, my dad said "Adan" 4 times. I answered impatiently, "QUE QUIERES!" "Puedes levantar a tu ama del Doctor? Voy ir a la ca-casa de Dan," he stuttered. "Si!" I was about to enjoy some more time in my itchy sheets but I took a peek at my phone. One text message said "Basketball at 8." Great, I had about five minutes to get ready so I rose from bed and limped into my bathroom.



I rolled on my long socks & then lowered them to about six inches above my ankles. I put on an uncomfortable red knee pad and skipped through every puddle till a hoping distance from my car. As I entered McAllen I saw useless traffic lights, a white car in a WHATABURGER ditch, holes on just about every building on Nolana and 10th, broken trees, muddy leaves on the middle of the street. What happened to the Valley's best city? Every person's face - withered. I was distracted by the apocalyptic scenery but made an effort to keep my eyes on the street. As I turned from 10th into Harvey, I thought to myself, "was there a tornado?" I felt stupid just thinking about the question and thinking about asking it aloud or to someone made me laugh. I drove into Calvary's parking lot. First object I saw was a McAllen P.D.  patrol car, in it was a young woman. I drove quietly into the only parking spot that had no water which was a handicap one. As I got off she drove away. I grabbed my phone, quarters and keys to shove them down the pockets of my shorts. Then again I began to stare at everything: trees cut in half mud on every inch of pavement, drowned birds in puddles, broken windows and vehicles under the gym's shed all with fist size dents all over. I took my phone out of my pocket and read a text for volunteers wanted for 9:30. I assumed no basketball but I understood. I picked up a plastic ball and began pealing it to get into the green alien in the middle when the older fella that always walks in while we play basketball walks up to me and asks if I was waiting to go inside because the doors were open but the lights couldn't be turned on. I told him I was all right - that I was waiting to help clean up. I continued hiking around the church. Looking for birds under branches and pushing them aside. I made my way all around the church and saw the busses Destino used to go to conference in 2011, the windshields were busted. I turned around when a white dog with red eyes came charging at me. He literally jumped into the ditch full of iced water and as soon as he was by my side he shook his head and slobbered all over my shoes. After I took a picture of him to post on the greatest social net.w. site I realized that we had two things in common. It appeared like his back left leg was paralyzed therefore had a limp and was breathing abnormally heavy. (TWINS!) Except for the part where he ran joyfully towards kids.

I sat on the benches for about another half hour until I decided I should have something to eat. I came home, ate two tacos, got my mom's gardening hat and drove back. I met three strangely cool dudes David, David and David.... kidding I think one of them was named Hector. After watching them bump pieces of plywood into one another and laughing (in my head) at the power cords getting constantly tangled on one of their legs, I decided to give them a hand and adjust the cut plywood correctly into the shattered window cubbies. After fixing two, the white dog re-appeared, close behind him was the dog pound. (NO!) One of the Davids said that he'd been there all night (he did look like he was in pain hobbling all over the place). Eleven windows after I made my way back to my car. Next stop, V's house.

So, while gathering everything together and putting it in a green Dodge truck, Stephanie calls me, "Hey are you almost done? Vanessa's house is a mess?" "Umm... well we are about done." "Ok well hold on..." "Hey" "Hello? Where do you live?" (I don't know how to write a blog. I always fall back to prose 101 x____x) V explained her address, greatly [I bet] but I suck at following google maps. Sure enough I got lost...

When I drove into her neighborhood I saw the realistic damage a storm could do. Every single house had something catastrophic happen. Neighbors were out cleaning and V's house probably had one inch of glass intact to the window frame. We first put the front yard leaves into black bags (there was a tiny brown bat... dead). Then we cleaned her backyard/patio. We hooped oranges into a trashcan and dragged everything to the back. We finished at about 4. I drove us over to get raspas and then stopped by Michael and Isaac's house. We raked leaves for about 45 minutes then left to Freebirds? I think that's the name of the restaurant. IT WAS GREEAAAAAAT. Food blog : 4/5 on the steak burrito with sour cream, cilantro lime rice, lime, salsa, pinto beans, lettuce and fresh cilantro.

I got home, showered and jumped on my bed and began to write. While I wrote my sister, Paulina, took a piece of grass off of my face. I suck at showers. I'm thankful for God's daily blessings, mercy and love - it's always there somedays I just notice it and appreciate it more, cause I'm sucky a lot of the times. The only thing that happened around my yard was flooding in my mom's newly planted trees which is good for them. (i think) I'm happy to see encouragement rise through crappy situations. I LOVE THE VALLEY AND ITS WEAK CITIES.

 

Hail, it gives you hope.

[i haven't edited or re-read anything and i probably will leave it as it is cause i'm tired and trying to stay awake to write my project plan for victorian literature. it'll probably be a novel and a research paper about church services or prostitution in the 20th century]