And Then There Were 28

I carried Esmerelda back to Tegucigalpa where we met her counselor from the other center.  She just went on about how great she looked and Esmerelda had a fantastic time.  She went to birthday parties, bridal showers, out to eat, traveled to San Pedro Sula.
 On her last night before I had to drop her off we were at Enlaces Ministries.  They were having their Christmas end of the year which included raffles for Christmas trees, gifts of appliances and food.  This ministry has a bi-lingual school, but also they have a youth center where they minister to the children and street children.  They had performers there that did break dancing.  I have seen this kind of dancing on TV but never in person. These young men were amazing.  Spinning around like a top on their heads and holding their bodies perpendicular to the floor with their feet crossed.  They dance for about an hour.  I don't know how they held out.  I would have perished after their first number.

The next morning, we got up and went to get some errands done before we met with the counselor.  I called INFHA which is a Honduran DFAX office.  They had one girl for me to pick up on last Monday, and then they had 3 and then they had 5.  Background information changed with each phone call.

1. They were sisters
2. They would arrive on Thanksgiving
3. They would not arrive on Thanksgiving but the next week
4. They had a cousin who was a girl who needed a home.
5. They were not cousins
6. They were ages 10, 9, 6, and 3
7. They were 10, 10, 9, 6, and 2

 So we had Thanksgiving and no children came because their car was broken and they couldn't come. Since I was coming to the States the following week for Charisa, my daughters graduation, I asked INFHA to just wait until I got back so the girls could get adjusted with everybody there and they said it was a good plan to wait.
So meantime I have a wonderful church from Texas of Ladies who wanted to make the girls some uniforms.  Well long story short they could buy them at a better price than making them and they needed sizes quickly because of the end of the year sale that was going on..  I measured all the girls after Thanksgiving and sent them in the day we were traveling to Tegucigalpa with Esmerelda.  I thought to go by INFHA and ask to to see the girls so I could get sizes. They said that it would be fine.

I got there to their center and they had the little kids dressed in their best and older sister dressed in a cut off sleeved basketball jersey and jeans. The staff was there but hardly any children.  The girls all look like dark headed Cindi Lou Who, from the Grinch.  Hair was cut short with a pony tail on the top of their heads that look like a celery top and huge hair tie that had large whales as a decoration.  I knew without them saying this was the girls, but their was a boy with them.  It was their brother.  They wanted him to go but he couldn't because we are a girls home.  He was so stoic and said he understood.  I felt horrible and just wanted to take him anyway.  He started crying and walked away.

I told them I was just there to measure them for sizes when I notice this huge black suitcase and a large black plastic bag. They were ready to go and put the bags in my truck.   I told them I wasn't ready to receive them, so they took the bags out.  Then another lady came and said I had to take them today, because vacations were coming up and the judges wouldn't be working, and they put the bags back in the truck.  Then the middle girl went to the corner and had a break down.  I asked what was going on and the older sister said that is how she does.  I said "We need to wait till I get back".  They were going to get the bags back out of the truck and then the oldest who was a little tough looking in her basketball jersey started tearing up, and I said "Okay get in the truck".  "Yeah" they shouted.  I know I have "Sucker" in neon on my forehead.  They had two other children but they were napping and not ready.

Now I couldn't understand the insistence on the kids coming immediately until the next day when I called the local office, and they were on strike..  That is why their were no children except the one who would be going home with me.  The staff was there but no kids.

We got home with the surprise packages of the new girls and the girls just had a fit over them.  They are adorable.  Be praying for the transition.  I will try to send photos. They have a long way to go.. So now we have 29 with Esmerelda.  I am thankful for the new ones.  I wasn't prepared to take them home, but God was.  I am thankful He has the plan even when I don't.  Blessings, the Honduran MOM with her "sign"