This photo was taken in May after one of our Medical Clinics with a team. In this picture is a young lady named, Cindy. Cindy is 24 years old. She has grown up from the age of 4 in a children's home. She has suffered abuse at the hand of her biological family. She has a developmental delay and her mind will never progress past the age of 12 years old. Many of you may know, my twin sister has a developmental delay and has a 7th grade education. She also has an autistic child. My brother has a Down's syndrome child.
The woman who runs the children's home is an American Missionary having lived in Costa Rica for well over 25 years now. She has poured her heart, along with her American husband, who is blind, into these 24 children teaching them all English. The children's home is supported by Baptist churches all over Costa Rica and the United States. Due to overcrowding at the children's home and the government regulation that once they turn 18 they should move out of the home, Sally, the American Missionary mother has been receiving a lot of pressure by the government to rid the home of some of the older children. The government considers her home "overcrowded" and unable to take in younger children that the government would like to send her way. But where can a young lady such as Cindy go? She will never be allowed to receive a driver's license in Costa Rica due to her developmental delay. She will never receive a job. In effect, she is considered "worthless" to the government here. If she cannot get a job, she cannot pay taxes.
Through other wonderful American Missionary friends, we met Cindy last spring when they brought her down to the camp to visit with us. We listened as Cindy played the keyboard for us in the camp. Amazingly, she doesn't read a note of music, but she has a huge repertoire of Gaither music, and movie theme songs that she plays all by ear. She has helped us with our May team as an interpreter and in children's ministry.
After working with Cindy and getting to know her and in speaking with Sally, we made a committment that when we returned to Costa Rica, Cindy would move into our home and for the first time leave behind the familiar children's home. This would allow Sally to report back to the government that she had an opening in the home, and perhaps be relieved of some of that stress. The children's home has not always been a "safe haven" for Cindy with the younger children picking at her, and in the last month before we returned to Costa Rica we received word that the treatment from the other kids towards Cindy has heightened to them being at times outright "cruel". Cindy needs to be in a "safe" home where she is loved and protected. One time, Sally sent her to the corner store to get something and when Cindy didn't immediately return, she went looking for her. She found Cindy kissing an older man. Cindy has the mind of a child! She is eager to please, she is not promiscuous or sexually driven in her mindset. We have never seen her act inappropriately toward men, and what Sally thinks happened is she was talked into "trying" the kiss. Sally is scared for Cindy. There is much sexual abuse in this culture. Cindy could very easily be taken advantage of if not looked after.
She moved into our home yesterday morning, just two days after we returned to Costa Rica. She is already eager to help and has been working alongside us preparing for our next team in two weeks! Cindy is a Christian, a really strong believer who wants to have a sense of purpose for her life and wants to use it for God's glory. That is why we brought her into our home so that she could do ministry with us and experience that. Today, she is going to a meeting with us at an orphan home where she will have the opportunity to love on some kids who do not have the Hope that she has found in Jesus Christ.
Pray for us and Cindy during this transition time. Yesterday was a great day! At night she is sad and misses her children's home, but as I read scripture with her last night and as Ken and I prayed over her the Lord lifted her spirits. We do not have to adopt Cindy to have her living with us because she is an "adult". We adopted her into our hearts a last spring!
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