My Life in Angelitos

    Some of you may be wondering what I do in the Angelitos dorm on the weekends.   I thought I would give you a glimpse into my weekends so that you will have an idea.  First, let me tell you about Angelitos and the people who live there.  Angelitos is where our youngest children stay at Casa Aleluya.  It is located directly to the left as you enter the front gate. 

 

Angelitos is divided into 3 sections with girls, boys, and babies/toddlers.  In the girl’s dorm, we have a total of 13 children ages 3 to 8; in our boy’s dorm, there are a total of 15 with an age range of 4 to 9; and in our nursery, we have 9 children ages 13 months to 2 years old.  Currently, Angelitos also houses our children who are in need of dialysis every day.  There are 2 boys and 1 girl who live in two different rooms along with the 3 people who care for them.  We also have several apartments/living quarters for various people such as:  our coordinator, one of our American missionaries, and some of our full time workers in Angelitos.  We also have a commercial kitchen and dining room.  All of our children in Angelitos eat in this dorm along with the workers.  Our larger cafeteria/dining room, known as the blue building, are where all other children at Casa eat.  We also have a bodega (storage unit) where all donations of clothing, shoes, and baby supplies are located along with a room used for counseling sessions with our children.   There is also a laundry room with a large commercial washer and dryer.  As you can see, it is a very large dorm which serves many functions.  There are two groups of workers and two coordinators for the Angelitos dorm.  One group works Monday through Friday and then we have a separate group that works on the weekends.  This gives our full time workers through the week some time off.  They usually have classes on Saturday and Sunday at the University.  The weekend workers are all university students with the exception of three workers who are seniors graduating this year.
     Irene is Guatemalan, a nurse, and our coordinator through the week.  Yours truly is the coordinator on the weekends.  When I work on the weekend, it gives Irene an opportunity to go home and be with her family, worship in her church, and do outside ministry.  Irene lives at Casa from Monday morning at 8:00am to 4:00pm on Friday afternoon.

      On the weekends, we have 3 workers in the nursery during the day with 1 worker who stays with the babies and toddlers at night.  We have 1 worker for each of the girls and boys dorm.   All of our workers sleep in the room with the children in case the children are sick or in need of someone at night.  We also have two girls who cook and prepare all meals for the children and workers.   They are wonderful cooks and keep our kitchen/dining room area spotless.   We also have one person who does all the laundry for the entire dorm.  Let me note here that we use large garbage cans on wheels for hampers and we have one for each section of Angelitos.  The hampers are always full to overflowing each morning.  Our washing machine and dryer get a good work out every day.

      A typical weekend looks something like this:  On Friday afternoon when I enter the dorm area, I am usually greeted by multiple children shouting my name and running up to me for hugs and kisses.  The younger ones who have trouble with my name usually say – 'Share lone', while some call me Mami.  Sometimes our children call the femal visitors Mami because they really don’t know who their mother is.  I then check in with Irene to get the report on the children.  She informs me of the ones who are sick, the medications they are taking, and the ones who will be going to court on Monday so that I can see that they are ready on time.  We document everything from cuts, and bruises, to medications.  These records are very important when we go to court so that we can explain why they have a bruise, etc.
   

 

   Irene leaves around 4:00pm and then I try to speak to each one and then more hugs and kisses are given and received.  At 4:30pm, the dinner bell rings and all of our larger kids scurry to their dorm to wash their hands, say the blessing, and line up to go to the dining room.  All of our toddlers go to the dining room while someone in the nursery stays behind and feeds the 3 smaller ones who sit in a high chair. 

 

 

 

 After dinner, it is time for showers and pajamas.  The older boys and girls usually get to watch a movie before going to sleep.  We don’t allow them to watch a lot of television and try to monitor what they do watch. We like for them to see family films and programs suitable for young children.  We also have a rule that only Christian music can be played at Casa.

     It is incredibly quiet in Angelitos at bed time.  Around 8:00pm, I check all the areas of Angelitos to make sure everything is in order -  say ‘Good Night’ to all and then retire to my apartment for the evening.  On Saturdays, I am up at 4:30am, and return to Angelitos by 5:30am or 6:00am.  The breakfast bell rings promptly at 6:30am. 

   In the nursery area, the night time person leaves at 6:30am and the day time workers arrive.  The children are dressed, lined up and headed to the dining room where we usually have pancakes or cereal along with milk and fruit.  After breakfast, it is bath time for the children in the nursery.

 

  They are usually bathed in the sink and then dressed for the day.  The older children brush their teeth and help clean the dorms.  They clean the bathrooms, make the beds, and mop the floors. 








When this is finished, it is time to go have some fun on our play ground outside.  We also put the babies  in the stroller and take them along with the toddlers outside for some sunshine.  If it is raining, we have a large covered area in the center of Angelitos where the children can play.  This keeps the children from being cooped up in a dorm room when the weather is bad.  The children all have snack time mid-morning which consists of some type of fruit and then they play outside until time for lunch at 11:30am. 

     Lunch is our biggest meal of the day and we usually have chicken or meat along with pasta or rice and vegetables.  The children then return to their dorms for the quietest time of the day – nap time.    Sometimes, I take a nap at the same time just to be energized for the afternoon. J

     After nap time, the babies/toddlers have juice and cookies and the older children go back outside to play until dinner time.  The dinner bell rings at 4:30pm and we usually have some type of sandwich and milk.  Our sandwiches are usually refried beans, ham, egg, or jelly.  The children love the refried bean sandwiches.  After dinner, it is time for the older children to have showers and get dressed for bed.  The routine is pretty much the same for Sunday with the exception of Children’s church at 7:30am.  Can you imagine getting 30 children dressed and ready for breakfast by 6:30am and then church at 7:30am?  I use to think that getting 3 children ready for church was a task until I witnessed the routine in Angelitos.

    There is really no physical work that I have to do in Angelitos as it is my job to oversee the workers and make sure that everyone is in the right place doing their job and that the children are always safe.    However, sometimes I take the children out to the playground and let the workers clean.  One Saturday while on the playground, I experienced what I like to refer to as a ‘God’ moment.  One of our young boys age 9 was talking to me when I was sitting watching the children play.   I told him that he was tall and he must take after his daddy.  He said, “I have no father”.  I told him that he did have a father because in the Bible in the book of Psalms, God tells us that He is a father to the fatherless.  (Psalm 68:5)  He looked and me and said, “God is my Father?”  I said, “Yes, He is and He is my Father too”.  He seemed to take all of that in and smiled the biggest smile and said, “Dios es mi Papa”(God is my Father).  So many of our children don’t get to experience a ‘daddy’ because either their father died, or he abandoned them. 

    I could literally go on and on about each of the children in Angelitos because I have so enjoyed getting to know them over the past few months.  They are very close to my heart.  Jesus told the disciples in the Bible, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these”.  I have enjoyed experiencing daily life here while also serving our youngest residents in Casa Aleluya.  On days when I am drained, feeling overwhelmed, or a bit homesick, the children make me laugh.  Through their energy and exuberance for life, I have a renewed vision of ministry every weekend.

    It is not something I would have chosen to do, but through serving here in Angelitos, the Father has taught me so much.  He is continuing to work in and through me for these little one's here in Casa Aleluya. 

“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’   Matthew 25:40