Digna

It´s almost 10:30 local time, by far the latest I´ve been up on this trip, but right now I don´t feel like sleeping. I´m physically tired and now emotionally spent.

We visited El Hogar de Las Niñas this evening, an orphanage for girls run by the Franciscan nuns of the Immaculate Conception. Don´t quote me on this, but I think I heard there were 49 younger children (say 2-10 years) and about 7 or so older girls of high school age who live there and help out with cooking and other chores -- basically helping to raise the younger ones. There are five nuns and one part-time teacher.

When we arrived we were greeted warmly by both the staff and the kids. The children were incredibly warm, friendly, and trusting. The environs were clean and orderly, even cheerful, in spite of looking a little run down and in need of maintenance. Even knowing that every child there was an orphan, you could sense it was still a place of warmth, happiness, and love.

I was drawn to a young girl holding an even younger child of about two. Digna was 16 or 17 and an extremely poised and self-confident young woman who introduced herself to me along with her younger charge, Yocelin (my spelling may be suspect here, but basically it´s Jocelyn). Yocelin came to me readily and seemed to enjoy being held. The first thing she did was grab me by the nose and hold on for dear life, which was pretty funny. She, however, did not much like having the favor returned so I backed off. But she stayed close.

Digna pointed out all her friends by name, and told me a lot of the basic facts about the home. Yocelin, Digna and I walked around the courtyard holding hands and talking for some time. Eventually I joined a group talking with the nun who is the headmistress (I promise to add her name, but I don´t have it in front of me). This turned into quite a long tour and Q&A session, which probably will be the subject of another post, probably after I return. But do let me say that the sisters there are doing an incredible job. It is amazing what they do with next to nothing in the way of resources.

And as the head nun spoke, it seemed that the very light of Christ shown from her face. Most people would be beaten down by the immense responsibility and the lack of resources she faced every single day, and yet here she was, smiling and radiant with the very joy of God. As she described the needs of the orphanage she never seemed angry or frustrated, she only spoke of her trust that God would provide what they needed when they needed it. I was inspired.

All this time Digna was never far away, and when we emerged from one of the classrooms, she was right back by my side. I felt from her (and also from little Yocelin) the same thing I had felt in a different way the evening before with the younger orphans -- an intense desire for a father´s love.

It was getting late and we had to leave, setting up another very difficult goodbye. I gave her my email address and asked her to write me. I had to say adios, but I told her I would be back. Mañana, she asked? Her question broke my heart. No, not tomorrow, I said, but I will be back. And I will.