Children of the Dominican Republic |
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| Jorge Luis | ||||||||
| I
remember the first time I met Jorge Luis…I
was busy teaching my summer Art class to a group of Ark children. Out the
window I watched as Henry’s car drove down the road to the door of
the yellow house. Philip stepped out to greet our new arrival, I left my
class long enough to give Jorge a welcoming hug and kiss. His body was
completely tense. His movements were flighty. At that moment he represented
so completely a little bird, a pajarito. Over the next week, every time
I saw him he brought a smile to my face. He seemed to fly from place to
place, but not with the graceful flight of an eagle, more the awkward clumsiness
of a baby bird fallen from his nest. Everything was new. He was completely
fascinated with markers – objects with caps that opened and, surprise,
were filled with color. It was so fun to introduce him to paints, paints
and brushes and a wise expanse of white paper – he giggled the entire
time he painted. And still his movements were rapid, tense.
Jorge’s mother was killed in a drug-related incident. He never had a father that claimed him. He had been in the care of a grandfather who worked long hours as a security guard. Sometimes Jorge went to work with him, but most days he was left alone. Who can possibly imagine what he experienced during those endless days and nights? And then God surprised Jorge. God rescued him and brought him to the ark. God gave him a second nest. I’ve watched him over these weeks, watched the tension slowly leave his body. We cheered with him as he went down the slide at the water park again and again and again. We laughed as he played with Wendy’s dog, Bo. It is so rejuvenating to see him become like a little boy again. He is my most recent reminder of why we are here. We are here because our world is filled with nests that are dangerous, where moms and dads are tossing their wee babes out into the world without a second thought. God is using the Ark to rescue children. It is a privilege of the highest order to watch God work. |
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