Skip to main content

Learning about service

I think the incredible thing that has struck me these last few days is the workers who work there. See we are only a group of 10 going for a very short time. There are so many workers there. Saints. I have talked with them and some of them have worked there for years. It has been incredible to me because even after working there for 3 hours in one day, I have become absolutely exhausted. And all we have done is feed the kids and play with them (as that is what they have requested). But these workers, every...single...stinkin...day. Have come to this place to care for the kids, love these kids, feed these kids, change dirty diapers on 15 year olds, have put up with there screaming, have taken them through therapy, have put up with the emotional drainage of seeing the state of these children--every single day from 6 in the morning to 6 at night.

It is incredible and I don't know how they do it. I don't know how they wake up in the morning and continue to do what they do. Not getting much pay and not getting much vacation. I have been amazed and am ashamed at myself for getting tired after 3 measly little hours. I haven't found their secret, but I suspect that it can only be divine strength, as I cannot believe that any human is capable of such act.

These past few days we have had the opportunity to visit some of the other locations of Luz y Vida. Like the schools and the other orphanages and the rest. Sister Valeriana has done an incredible work with these children and have build them a kingdom! She has vowed not to rest until sickness or death keeps her down. And her whole family has backed her. Currently, she is trying to build a hospital in the orphanage in order to care for the children. Yesterday we got to tour another facility in a town miles away that is a huge building fit to care for many children. She has done everything and has given everything to ensure that these children have an chance for love, healing, life, and laughter. I could go on and on about what she has done but one thing I'm convinced of: I haven't found their secret, but I suspect that it can only be divine strength, as I cannot believe that any human is capable of such act.

And what is incredible is that she is working to ensure the integration of the children. Within the orphanage, there are kids helping other kids. Not so disabled children helping the disabled. And the semi disabled helping the rest. Sister is really working hard to try to integrate these children into society. By sending them to school and so that someday they might be back in the world. It is truly an incredible.

In other news, throughout the week we have battled smelly diapers, splattering food, lice, bumpy Colombian roads, gas exhaust asphyxiation from our ghetto car, backdoor of car randomly deciding to open (see picture), Colombian gringo stares, and thus... we are exhausted. Tomorrow we are going to take a rest from the orphanage but Saturday we will be back there for a little fiesta!

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Engagements 2010

Here are some of our favorite engagement images from last year! We always seem to forget to preview engagement pictures mostly because weddings shadow them, but I really enjoy the diversity and the personality that engagement pictures bring. It is such a laid back photoshoot, walking around, and shooting on the spot. Awesome awesome couples this year! In other news, we are traveling Italy next week! A bit of Europe surveying to satisfy the traveling bug. We plan on traveling Tuscany, particularly Florence, and seeing Venice. I will be sure to post some pictures!
Post a Comment
Read more

Anniversary: 2010 – Year of Love

Let’s call this the year of love. Not that there was no love other years, there most CERTAINLY was. But 2010, the first real year of our marriage. No kids, no worries. We were free!  Free and unshackled of bottles and diapers! This was the year we also decided to make the Artistic Vision official.  We always did things together and this was no difference.  And so I handed a camera to you and said, here press this button.  And you rose up to the challenge and became a talented photographer and my business partner.   We traveled a lot that year.  We visited my grandpa. Michigan in the summer. And we ended the year out with a North Carolina beach trip where we got some beautiful pictures at sunset.     I remember the summer of 2010 there was an invasion of firefire flies that descended upon Clifton.  Everything really seemed idealic.  And I was much better at romantic gestures (though in my defense - I just tried to write this sen...
Post a Comment
Read more

My first experience with a Mexican wedding

This past weekend I got the priviledge to shoot a wedding, and it just happened to be a Mexican wedding! The wedding was very fast paced, as I just found out that I was the photographer 9 days before the wedding. But the couple, Gaby and Fernando, were very fun to work with and it was a fun wedding. Some would say that there aren't a lot of differences between Mexican and American weddings. Of course they have a lot of the same things: a church, a bride, a groom, a priest. I mean there isn't much to that. I have never been to a Catholic wedding, so I don't know the differences and similiarites there. But let me just say that I think there are a lot of differences, Mexican weddings are crazy (good crazy)! After the bride finished getting ready, we headed off to the church. They didn't have a driver, so I quickly switched from photographer to chaufer in a matter of seconds. So I drive to the church with 15 minutes until the wedding. I was worried about getting t...
2 comments
Read more