I have been dubbed "Cha Cha" by our two-year old at Deborah's House, Brisa*. Because Brisa is two and just learning to talk, she only says the ends of words. "Pelota"(ball) is "ota!", "Galleta" (cookie) is "eta!", and "Muchacha"(young woman) is "Cha Cha!"
So, according to Brisa... I am "Cha Cha" :)
In the mornings when I walk into the kitchen for breakfast and I'm greeted by this bundle of cuteness clinging to my leg while squealing "Cha Chaaa!!!", all I can do is thank God for leading me to this place. I am so honored to be a part of this little girl's life.
Moments like this one, so full of joy, happen often with the Deborah's House women and children...to the point where I sometimes have to remind myself what they've been through and why they're here. In the past few weeks we've been able to take them to the beach, to the movies** and to the Tijuana Cultural Center where we saw an Egyptian mummy exhibit. It's wonderful to see that despite the horrors they've faced, they can still laugh and play and the kids can still enjoy being kids.
The reality is:
Teresa is tired some days because dreams about her father trying to shoot her mother wake her up in the night and she can't get back to sleep. Rosalinda and her three pre-teen kids were completely uprooted from their lives and friends in southern Mexico taking nothing with them but the clothes on their backs when they fled. They spent three straight days on a bus to get to the shelter. Ines left her job as a teacher to come to the shelter when she found out that her husband wasn't just physically and psychologically abusing her, but sexually abusing their five year-old son as well. Now, as she's looking for a job so she can start over, no one is hiring. Her old boss is begging her to come back but she can't because her husband has already been there looking for her... Domestic abuse is so much more than black eyes and bruises. It can be a total loss of freedom.
But, as I said, despite all the pain they've suffered, they are resilient. The happy times we have together here and the smiles on their faces are a testament to that. I'm sure that in their private moments and in therapy they are wrestling with the sadness, hopelessness, fear and anxiety that their situations warrant...some of them, in their first weeks here, were even made physically ill by the stress. But while their bodies may tire, their spirits are incredibly strong.
Here is some photo evidence of their strength and resilience (i.e. us having fun doing stuff):
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2350404&id=3615813&l=a24c2aa9fb
Answered prayers:
- All the kids are in school! (except Teresa who can't go because she has to take care of her younger siblings :(...please pray that something can be worked out)
- Nic and I found a great church community! First Baptist Church in Chula Vista! http://www.fbccv.com/
- My Spanish is still improving!
Prayer requests:
- CJ and I have started teaching weekly English classes at the shelter! A local church has asked us to open it up to the public and teach at the church. We've never taught English before. haha. Please pray!
-At the request of the women I've started leading yoga and aerobics every morning. Please pray that this would be a relaxing, healing and stress relieving time for them. (Also, we don't have yoga mats, so if you have an old/extra one you'd like to send down, it's P.O. Box 777 Chula Vista, Ca 91912)
-Please pray for no more trouble at the border! Aduana (Mexican customs) confiscated our van and all the donations in it the Saturday before last... We finally got it back after a week full of paperwork, waiting in offices for hours, and paying a $1,000 fine. Our donations (and personal items including my favorite acid-washed jean jacket!) are gone forever. We violated a law that had only been enforced for 8 days, so we didn't know about it yet...now we do.
-Safety and health. As of last week I have no health insurance because I'm no longer a student...so now is not the time to get sick or hurt :/
*I've changed the names for safety purposes
** We took 7 people to the movies and bought 7 cokes for only $23! Outings like this are every bit as important as traditional therapy. When you've been forced to give up your entire way of life and live in a shelter it's essential to do things that restore a feeling of "normalcy" sometimes.
Pictures :)
-The kids found out I like yoga and asked me to teach them some!- We went to the beach in Rosarito! It was our first "fun day" outside the shelter in at least 3 weeks. We can't go out much because every time we do there is the risk that someone might recognize one of the women and follow us back to the shelter. Their husbands are looking for them. So, days like this are precious. Everyone was really excited :)
- We took the older kids to the movies!
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