Loving Those the World Would Have Aborted by Karen
Every other Wednesday we help out at a daycare center near our home that is run by an amazing order of nuns ~ the Misioneras Clarisas del Santisimo Sacramento.
These sisters started the daycare center over a decade ago to give poor single mothers in Santa Rosa's roughest barrio a safe place to leave their children (for free) while they were off working... children that society said they couldn't afford and shouldn't have ever brought into this world.
In addition to the academic instruction which supplements the kids' studies, the nuns also instruct the children in the faith.
Each time we visit we make our rounds to all the classrooms. We talk with the kids about Jesus and the unconditional love that He has for us. We constantly remind them of the importance of reading the Bible every single day, and encourage them to spread the love of Christ to every person they interact with ~ especially the people in their immediate surroundings: family members, neighbors, friends.
We lead the kids in several "dinamicas", which are worship songs that have fun accompanying movements.
The FOCUS missionaries facilitated games and activities with the kids, which was fun for everyone!
Historically, they had to rotate all of the kids through a tiny little dining room where only 12 kids could eat at a time.
When we went to a little shop in our town to buy the chairs the owner assured us of their high quality as he jumped up on top of one to show us that they could even hold his weight. It was really funny! Anyhow, the nuns are super duper excited about this new space. Not only are they able to serve the kids meals more efficiently, but they're also able to gather the parents together for meetings, classes, and such. Following is a video that they made for YOU:
We'll never know exactly how our work at the daycare center has affected the kids there... or their parents...or their neighbors... or the others people in their lives.... but we feel strongly about doing all we can to support the nuns in this important ministry. As such, we've made room in our monthly budget to assist with miscellaneous needs that arise. For example, Team Carmody recently bought them a wall-mounted fan to replace one that broke so that the little kids don't die of heat exhaustion. We donated 10 gallons of paint so that they could finish a project that they've been working on for some time, and plan to order a large corkboard where they can display the children's artwork.
When we work with the kids at the daycare center it's completely different. Jesus' love seems tangible; it's almost as if there is something visible moving between us that is uniting our souls. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work alongside the nuns to help raise these kids in the faith. Although we can't quantify the impact of all that we do, I'm confident that the Lord is doing awesome things through each and every member of Team Carmody...so keep up the good work!!
or call Family Missions Company at
Thank you and may God bless you and all those
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| These nuns are among the most joyful that we've ever met - anywhere in the world. It's such a privilege to work with them! |
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| My intention was to snap a few shots of the neighborhood in which the nuns work but after a man stepped out of his house to blatantly glare at me I considered the high incidence of crime and illicit activity, decided it best not to take any more, and quickly returned to my vehicle. |
Each year the nuns' daycare facility has expanded. I imagine that they started with just a handful of little ones. Now they have over 90 kids, ranging in age from two months to nine years, that stay with them from 7AM until 5PM, Monday through Friday.
After feeding everyone breakfast, the nuns begin escorting kids to their respective classrooms at the elementary school next door, which can be quite a task. Unlike in the United States, where kids are at school for seven consecutive hours or so, the schedule here is fragmented and unpredictable. Sometimes kids are asked to arrive at 8AM but then are dismissed by 11AM. On other days they don't start class until 10AM and are expected to stay until late in the afternoon. The schedule is never announced more than a day or two ahead of time and is always subject to change, which makes it albeit impossible for working parents to manage. Thankfully, the nuns are able to ensure that all of their kids are in school at the appropriate times.
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| Santa Rosa de Pocosol is made up of 42 individual communities. Escuela Jamaica is in Barrio Refugio, which is the roughest of them all. |
At the daycare center, the nuns provide the kids with lunch and snacks, and make sure the little ones get lots of cuddle time and naps. They believe strongly in the importance of play and give the kids ample opportunity to just relax and have fun. Following are some photos of their facility:
I think my favorite aspect of their routine is the time the kids spend with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament every single day.
SO, WHAT DO WE DO TO HELP?
Following are a few short video clips to give you a feel for how silly and fun our time together is:
After we're done singing and dancing we often have time to just hang out and visit, which I think is the kids' favorite part. They especially love when our kids are there. Anna does a great job engaging them in conversation and Jack does silly things like lifting the kids up to touch their heads on the ceiling.
Back in February, we began teaching the kids Psalm 91 by using a kids' coloring book which has an illustration for each line of the prayer. Each time we visited we'd read the psalm in its entirety and then give the children a couple pages of the booklet for them to color, along with the corresponding activity pages.
When the kids finished all the pages of the Psalm 91 coloring book we compiled their pages to create booklets that each could take home to their families.
(They loved this activity so much that now we're repeating the exercise for Psalm 119.)
It was an extra special blessing to have the FOCUS missionaries there with us the day that we gave the kids' their completed Psalm 91 booklets.
In addition to helping through evangelization, we've also been blessed (because of Team Carmody's INCREDIBLE generosity) to help the nuns with some material needs.
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Now, they have a whole new dining hall filled with high-quality tables and chairs.... THANK YOU TEAM CARMODY!!!
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| I feel so silly posing for pictures like this. I guess I just want each member of Team Carmody to know how much we appreciate the generosity which allows us to do SO much for SO many! |
Sometimes the work we do is so abstract. We talk with folks on the street and sing with people in their homes. We share God's Word and pray with everyone that will allow us to, but it's hard to know for sure if any of it is making a difference in people's lives.
Thank you for taking the time to read about the work we've been doing at the daycare center. Love, Karen
We'd love to hear from you via email:
carmodyfamilyonmissions@gmail.com
If the Holy Spirit is nudging you to support us financially so that we can continue serving those in need, please visit:
or call Family Missions Company at
(337) 893 - 6111.
Thank you and may God bless you and all those
you hold dear to your heart!
