I have been asked many times about orphans in Mexico. "Are there orphans, what we do to help the orphans, and what are the orphanages are like here?" These are all questions that are on people's minds. Well the answers may shock you. We have lived in the country of Mexico for more than 5 years now and have not seen or heard of many orphans at all. The only ones we have known of were children that were given up due to disabilities. We have tried to find orphanages to help and have not been able to locate them. I am sure there are orphans here, however; Mexico is definitely different when it comes to children. If someone is orphaned, almost always someone in the family takes that child in as part of the family. Now they may not be treated perfectly or provided for the way we think they should be, but they aren't alone.
Our good friend, Icho was orphaned as a child. He has 2 brothers and they were all taken in by different family members at different times and the family all shared time with the 3 boys. They all grew up, were educated and are upstanding men in the community today. I have even asked a lawyer about orphans here, and he said, there just aren't many. When I asked why, his reply was that the family units are so strong and it is looked at as such as bad thing, that families just don't let it happen. This is just what people say, it could be a big secret that they are keeping, but we just can't find orphans.
NOW, what we can find..... those who are abandoned. What is the difference? Well, I looked it up. An orphan is: a child deprived by death of one or usually both parents. (Webster) Abandoned means:to withdraw protection, support, or help from; It also says given up or forsaken (Webster)
The difference is that the first just speaks of a child, the second speaks of anyone. What we find here are mothers with children who have been abandoned by their husbands for many reasons. Love of other women, love of alcohol, love of drugs, love of money, etc... It is so sad to see and we see it all the time. These women are just left, jobless, uneducated, with mouths to feed. Normally, they just need food and clothes. It is tough. Greg and I were saying just last night we could spend all day helping women and kids that all have similar stories. They all want good lives for their kids and they struggle to put any food in their kids mouths and they see no hope. They really are hopeless. It is pathetic. So, although I would love to find all of these poor children who are hungry homes, they already have homes, they already have mammas who love them, they just don't have enough food to eat or clothes to wear. There are no places to go for help like an orphanage, not for mammas with 2, 3, and 4 kids to feed. Unlike in the US, there aren't homeless shelters and outreach programs that offer free meals or food to people in need. I don't have an answer. I am just sharing what is on my heart. I hear so many people talk about helping the orphans and I just had to bring your attention to those who aren't orphaned but are simply cold and hungry because they have been abandoned by their fathers, husbands, and in some cases, their mothers.
Oh PLEASE don't get me wrong and hear that I am anti-orphan. I am definitely not! I would adopt a child in a heartbeat if that is what God wants me to do! I just wanted to answer many questions that have been presented and at the same time share my heart about what I experienced just this week as I saw precious children starving because they have been abandoned.
Thanks for listening. Love you all. Please pray for the orphaned children, and those who have been abandoned for whatever reason. Thanks friends!!
This lady has three children. Her husband left her for another woman and doesn't give them any money. She struggles to feed the 4 of them. As you can see they hardly had any clothes on and it was about 50 degress out when I took this picture. Abandoned.
These are her other 2 kids.
Rachael took this picture when I was praying with this woman. Her husband was killed in an accident a few weeks ago. She is 19 and left with a 2 and 3 year old and no job. Widowed, but abandoned too as all of the money she was receiving is now gone.
This woman too was widowed at the age of 21. She has no job and no money, but she has her son to feed.
These two cuties were truly abandoned by both of their parents. Their father left them for drugs and their mother left them for men. They aren't orphans though, they live with their grandparents.
This is Juana. She has 3 precious children, 5, 3, and 1 1/2. She has been abandoned by 2 different men and they both left her with children. She has no money, no home and no job. She has been living with her parents who have no money either. They have a very tough life. Abandoned.
Juana's daughter and below, her son.
This is Estella. She has 3 children. 16, 15, and 1 month. Her husband abandoned her for alcohol. He lives in the streets and she is left to raise her children. She cleans houses and makes about $30 a week to feed all of them and her mother. (plus now she must buy baby clothes and diapers) Abandoned.
This is Chata, the proud sister.
This is Cesilia, and her 2 kids and niece in yellow. (With a very cool gringo named, Mike)
Her husband left her to go to the USA to make money about 8 years ago and said he would send money. He never sent money and he never came back. Well... not until his funeral which was because he had drunk himself to death. She now struggles to provide for her kids. Her oldest daughter now works to put food on the table for them instead of going to school. Abandoned.
These are the kids and women that we see every day. Please pray for them. Missy
