When I started this blog, I promised you that I wouldn't sugar-coat things. Life here isn't always sunshine and roses. Sometimes it really stinks. Today was one of those days. Let me explain.
Every Tuesday is a food delivery day for the widows in the Loving InDeed program, so I went out to Chicol this morning for that. When I pulled in, I was surprised to see G* (for privacy) sitting in the shade waiting for me. She had had a baby boy while I was in the states, and most Guatemalan women take at least 40 days of rest at home after a delivery. G* had been sending someone else to pick up her food while she recuperated. I had brought a gift for her and the new baby though, so I was excited to see her there. When I got out of the car, she approached me, and I noticed that there was no baby tied to her back. I greeted her and asked how the baby was. "He's dead." Before I had a chance to say anything, she continued, "No, he's not dead, but I don't have him." And then she left and went to help the other women carry in the food, leaving me there with my mouth hanging open. Later on, I got the full story from her. G* had to move in with her parents after her husband died. Later, she'd gotten pregnant again by some random guy who is long gone now. Her father decided that didn't want another person in his house, so he forced her to give her baby away to her sister. The sister lives in another village, is married, but has no children of her own. G* had no say in the matter whatsoever. Men make decisions in this country, not women.
As soon as G* and I finished talking, O* came and sat down next to me. A week ago I had given her daughter a scholarship application, and she just beamed! She was so very excited about the prospects of continuing to go to school. Today her mother informed me that she didn't want to go to school next year. Knowing that was complete baloney, I kindly explained to O* that the money I had was ONLY for scholarships. I think O* had it in her head that if she didn't send her daughter to school, I was just going to hand over all that money for them to use however they wanted. O* looked disappointed, then went on to say that even so, her daughter didn't want to study. I continued to push her...WHY did her daughter change her mind? She had been so excited last week! Then the truth came out. (Understand that I'm using the word "truth" here very loosely.) O* said that her daughter preferred to stay home and work in her grandfather's fields. (which means that that's what HE wants) So this bright little girl will likely end up in the same boat as all the other women out there--married young, lots of babies, living in a shack, doing hard physical labor. Honestly, I wanted to yell at her mother. I was offering her daughter a way out! A way to break this horrible cycle of poverty! TAKE IT!!! But truthfully, it wasn't up to O*. Men rule supreme in this country. Period.
Then just as I was about to leave, someone informed me that E* had gotten married last week. This might have been joyful news were it not for the fact that I just talked to E* less than a month ago, and she had no boyfriend and no prospects for marriage. So whoever this guy is, it's someone she just up and decided to marry out of the blue, which breaks my heart. We've had so many talks about the importance of choosing your mate wisely. FFF had recently bought her some land and was getting ready to bring in the water line and build the house. Now she no longer qualifies for their program. Not only that, but she will no longer receive weekly food deliveries, and her adorable three year old daughter is the most malnourished child I've seen. I can only hope that this new husband can provide for them.
So there you have it. I know you win some and you lose some, but three big losses in one day feels a little heavy. I left today feeling angry and frustrated, but it's time to shake it off and start preparing for next week. As always, I appreciate your prayer support, especially for discernment in dealing with these types of situations.
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