DAY EIGHT.... Luz Y Vida & Teen Moms Home

Hi, it's Emma again :)

Yesterday was an amazing but also a very hard day. We visited Luz y Vida (a handicap orphanage) and the Teen Mom's Home. Luz y Vida (which stands for 'Light and Life') was definitely the hardest place to go. We walked in the door and were given a tour by one of the residents who was, in fact, blind. It was really cool to see because there were a couple of residents who were helping out which was not something I expected. It was nice to realize that those kids are being given a purpose and some responsibility despite their disabilities.

The tour started with seeing the kids who are well enough to be able to go to school and then we went to the room where older teens and adults are kept. That was really difficult because they were all in chairs with straps and blankets and some had tubes for fluids. They were so helpless and that was probably the most difficult thing to see because they are people who have been alive longer then us and yet we are more capable of taking care of ourselves. Then we saw the room where the younger kids were kept. They were super sweet and very excited to see us. We split into groups and one group stayed with the kids while the other group went back to the older residents, and then after a while we switched. While with the kids, I was sitting with one girl when another younger girl (maybe 2 yrs. old) came over to us and sat on my lap. The sad thing was that this younger girl wasn't even handicapped. Apparently this year there were multiple kids who have come to the orphanage because they were malnourished. On a good note though, hopefully some  of those kids will be adopted in the near future.

While being with those kids was difficult, I was so thankful to see that the workers really loved all the residents. They would speak to them as they fixed their tubes or ruffle their hair as they passed by.  I am very grateful to know that these children have people who really care about them.

**  Sorry, we couldn't take any pictures at the orphanage as all of these children of wards of the government and are considered vulnerable **


Hello! This is Julia.

After our time at Luz y Vida, we headed to the teen mom's home. To be honest, I was pretty nervous about what it'd be like. I knew that the girls there had a life so different than my own, so I felt there'd be no way I'd be able to relate to them.

Furthermore, when we first walked in, it was a little overwhelming. More and more girls kept coming in, so we had to keep squishing chairs and tables into the somewhat small space we were given. However, once everyone was seated and beginning the craft, I think I can say we all had a great time.

In past years the guys of the team have always cared for the babies while the girls have helped the young moms with the craft.  This time others were caring for the children or they stayed with their moms throughout the afternoon. While this added to the rather crazy atmosphere and also left the guys with nothing to do, all of us girls loved having extra baby time.
Further, I was surprised by how easy it was to connect

with the girls in the home, despite the language barrier and our extremely different lifestyles. The youngest one there had given birth to her child when she was only twelve, a fact which was--and is--really hard to fathom. Nevertheless, each young woman was so sweet. For example, it was cool to see how so many of them made their paintings for their babies. It helped me realize they weren't hardhearted girls just because of the kind of life they've found themselves in. They love their children just like most mothers do, even if they are way younger than the mothers I know.

Personally, my favourite part of our afternoon was spending time with the children. The oldest child there looked like she was about four years old. At first she seemed very solemn, as she wouldn't even smile when I greeted her. However, before I knew it she was following me around and continually wanting to be held. Soon she told me her name was Samantha. She started laughing, talking to me in Spanish, asking me my name, and eventually falling asleep in my arms. Just like interacting with the young moms reminded me that, though they've ended up in a hard place, they are just teenage girls like us, Samantha helped me realize that these girls' kids are just like any other kids--wanting love and loving anyone who spends time with them.
So, even though all morning I was nervous about what it'd be like at the teen mom's home, it turned out to be one of the highlights of the week!