For the past few weeks, I have been feeling very
overwhelmed. I felt like everyone needed something from me from the moment I
woke up, until the time I went to bed. My phone never stops ringing. Some days
when I just need to be home for “me” time, they end up being the busiest of
days. People find me. They come to the house at 7:30 am. They wake me up. My
job is not a 9-5 one. It is not Monday through Friday. It is all day, everyday.
I have been feeling like its too much. Like I was being
pushed and I just needed to get away. My visa renewal time came just a few days
ago and I had to leave the country. It was just what I needed. A short, 3 day
break. I went to Guatemala, only to find out I had to go to Belize to get my
new 90 day visa. So I did. I left Honduras and arrived in Guatemala on Tuesday,
then Wednesday hopped in a small boat over to Belize, got my stamp and came
back, the same day. Thursday I ate pizza, icecream, chips and french fries and
loved every minute of it. I watched TV in the hostal (wow I missed TV). It was
wonderful. Friday I traveled 8 hours back to El Porvenir.
Today, Kenia, a young woman in my bracelet class came to my
house. “Its starting again” I thought to myself. She told me she felt ashamed
for what she was about to say. “What is it?” I asked. She said she wrote a
letter but wasn’t sure if I could read Spanish so she was going to ask me
anyways. Here is the translation of the letter (the same she told me in person):
“Hello
Katlyn,
How are you?
I hope you
are healthy and full of riches with the love of God.
The reason
for this note is to ask for a big favor. I am writing to you because I do not
have the courage to say it in person. Please excuse me. I feel very
embarrassed.
Like I have
told you before, my father passed away about 2 years ago and my mother is a
widow. She currently does not have a stable job.
This year I
would like to enter high school, as I am only missing one year until I
graduate.
My mother
does not have sufficient funds to help me. I also do not have support from my
family.
For this, I
am addressing you. I am not sure if you might be able to help by lending me
1,000 lempiras ($50) or whatever you can. I would pay it all back in 4 payments
of 250 lempiras each, or you can deduct this amount from the next time I sell
bracelets.
If you are
able to lend me the money, I would like it for you to accompany me to the high
school that I will be attending. Of course, only if it is not a bother. I hope
you can help, as this is an emergency case because I don’t have anyone to go
with me.
I hope you
understand and I appreciate you with all my heart if you are able to do this
for me.
Blessings,
Kenia”
Here I was
thinking sweet Kenia needed something much bigger, or even something I may not
have been able to give her. All she wanted was to be lent money. She wants to
go back to school. About 10 months ago,
this is the information card I wrote about Kenia that goes with the bracelets.
“Meet Kenia,
she is a 17 year old woman who lives with her 3 siblings and mother. Kenia was
enrolled in high school but when her father passed away, her mother’s need for
assistance required that she stop attending. Unfortunately, no one in her house
works and the family must rely on help from their aunt. Kenia would like to go
back to school, and for this reason, she has become a part of Finding Hope. Her
proftis will be split between her mother’s financial needs and her savings for
the next school year. She would love to study architecture, but says it depends
on the type of work that is available”
I am happy
to say just short of a year later, she is actually achieving this goal. She IS
going back to high school and she WILL finish! Tuesday afternoon I will be
going with her to the high school and help her enroll. I am honored that she
would ask me to be there for her. I can’t even express how I feel seeing how
Finding Hope is working in the lives of these women. To see where we were a
year ago, to today, I feel gratified. I know this is the Lords work and for
that I am satisfied.
