Poverty Knocks…

Two days ago three kids arrived at our door, aged 17, 14 and 12. The 17 year old Memo and Lucy are a couple and the youngest Sandy is with her older sister because she is neglected by her mother and beaten by her step father.

They were sent to our home by Don Miguel and his lovely wife Guillerma. Memo has been working with Don Miguel who is a glazier and has worked for us on our home.

These little guys had begged him for shelter in his windowless garage or in the back of his truck. Wisely he had sent them along to us as we have a little casita on our property which is safe and sanitary. In exchange for this little home, the water and the electricity they will care take our property and get paid for doing honest work.

These kids have no money and are extremely vulnerable. They could have ended up anywhere. A very scarey thought especially with two such young girls. Yesterday a concerned Humberto asked Sandy if she had some milk. She replied, ” Yes it was delicious.” On further enquiry Humberto was dismayed to hear that this was on the prievious day and that she in fact had nothing to eat at all. Humberto quickly put this right in a very tactful way.

One thing we forget about poverty is the necessity to retain human dignity. People already know their need and should not be humiliated too nor patronized. It is a fine line to tread.

Here in oil rich Alberta people love to let you know that they have money and they are rude and vulgar about it too. People of real quality don’t flaunt  their wealth, but are discrete, humble, respectful and well mannered to all.

It is a truly terrible thing to be in need. Most people shun the poor. Poverty is like leprosy.

But something very beautiful happened this morning which I am tearfully sharing with you on this blog. Dear little Sandy came to Humberto with a surprise. He had to close his eyes while she placed a drawing in his hands.

In the drawing on the right side are many blue figures. On the left are many red figures. In the middle a huge red heart sprouting lots of little hearts and a set of wings.

The blue figures Sandy says are the bad people and according to her there are a lot more of these than the good red people. And the heart in the middle? That Sandy says is Humberto. His big, generous, good and loving heart captured and recognized with so much affection and innocence by this dear little girl.

I wonder if in five years or better yet fifty years that this random act of kindness will have made a significant positive impact for the future lives of these desperately poor but wonderful human beings.

My heartfelt prayer (and my fear) is that they don’t get consumed by the dark side! Sandy is right there is a lot of that.