Walking with the poor - notes from India

MISSION AWARENESS TRIP TO CUERNAVACA, MEXICO
Oct. 2007

Feeling of love permeates

My wife, Cristina, and I are delighted to be here. We feel very much at home with this great group of sponsors, staff and sponsored families of the Cuernavaca, Mexico, project.

Thinkin’ back on K.C.

Heartfelt thanks for the quality presentations of Dan Pearson, Trisha Pitts and Paul Pearce during our afternoon and evening of board formation, Oct.16, 2007, in Kansas City. Thanks also to board members and all present for very inspiring ideas shared. I feel tremendous gratitude for the health and well-being of CFCA and for our model of governance. I am very encouraged by the spirit I experienced in the CFCA/KC community. To my colleagues based in K.C., I say your connection with all of us in the projects is real and dynamic. Please know that you are loved and appreciated.

CFCA in Mexico

On the road with CFCA Cuernavaca, including sponsors, staff, children and parents. In the left forefront is Argelia, coordinator of the Guadalupe project.

CFCA Cuernavaca is a very special project. It is run by a great group of young people—mostly women deeply committed to the key issues of their country and deeply committed to the core values of CFCA.

It is encouraging to witness the deep pride of our Mexican staff in their country and heritage. At Sanborne’s for lunch, we celebrated the ninth birthday of Litzi, sponsored by Patsy and Joe. They brought enough gifts from Louisiana to make the restaurant look like Christmas morning. For Litzi and her 4-year-old brother, Leo, her grandmother with polio and Litzi’s parents, who recently split up, sponsorship has become increasingly significant in their young lives.

The Cuernavaca project, located about 40 miles south of Mexico City in the state of Morelos, serves 4,848 children and aging in the surrounding states of Veracruz, Oaxaca, Michoacán, Guerrero, Puebla, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí, Jalisco, Querétaro and the state of Mexico, which includes the Federal District in Mexico City.

Subproject Centro Educativo Down

At subproject Centro Educativo Down, 26 students with Down Syndrome are sponsored. They expressed their love and thanks through smiles and dances. The students make decorated chocolates and sell them to visitors.

Of the 46 students with Down Syndrome in this center, we currently have 26 sponsored. With their smiles and dances, the students expressed their love and thanks. The mothers did the same in words. The students of Centro Educativo Down also have a livelihood project. They make decorated chocolate candies and sell them to visitors.

At the Alta Vista subproject, the high area overlooking Cuernavaca has some tremendous drop-offs or barrancos. On the two sides of the ravine, we have 86 children and 13 aging sponsored. Subproject Coordinator Erika reminded us that in the 13 years of CFCA’s presence in this community, people have become more aware of their own dignity. Their sense of community takes many forms … ecological cleanliness of the area … construction of a community center … construction of a chapel in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe … improvement on housing for some families (building materials are given … parents and family members do the labor) … strong participation in religious activities … appreciation for higher education.

Most of our group opted to go down the 400 stairs to visit families. We met Emiliana, a sponsored aging with great zest for life, in spite of a personal battle with cancer. Several children and grandchildren live with Emiliana. She still climbs the stairs and goes into town looking for work. On a good, long day of work cleaning or washing, she can make 100 pesos or roughly $10.

In another poor but very neat home, Anita (not her real name) is caring for twin boys—three months old. After the visit, I learned privately that the twins are the product of a rape. CFCA is helping Anita with the babies. I thanked these wholesome people for the example of their shared struggle and their prayerful spirit.

Visit to Caminando Unidos

An average of 80 very poor children from rough neighborhoods assemble each day at this community center/alternative school. A total of 88 percent of these children come from the squatters area along the tracks where there is insecurity and instability, risk of eviction and a low level of schooling. The government wants to sell this land.

In spite of the rough neighborhoods and the fact that at night they are sometimes prisoners in their own homes because of the danger of crime, Caminando Unidos believes in educating for peace. CFCA is their most steady source of funding. Another challenge the community faces is the lack of sanitary water. There is only one spigot for 12 families and they have to save water in barrels. More than six of 10 families are not connected to septic drains. In addition, 90 percent do not have jobs with benefits.

A special feeling

Sponsor Greg models his sombrero with his sponsored child, Pedro.

The CFCA staff members really love the sponsored

children, aging, youth and families … and really love the sponsors. That deep sentiment permeates all, and sends us forth renewed and committed. Several of the sponsors on this trip are very active in their church circles. During this week, they have received many orientations on CFCA Ends and Core Values. I pray that they will take that good news into their communities. I ask your prayers as we begin the next mission awareness trip in Guatemala. God’s blessings.

God’s blessings.

Bob Hentzen
Cuernavaca, Mexico
Oct. 27, 2007

Sponsor a child in Mexico

Read the notes from other mission awareness trips