Finding Roberto

I had just showed Roberto pictures of the house
to which he would be moving momentarily.

This has been a difficult post to write; in fact it has taken me more than a week to do so.  This has been a time that has broken my heart, even while I have been called to stay strong and serve.  

More than a week ago, I was asked by Marisol, the principal of the school in Santa Maria where I teach, if there was any way I could meet her brother-in-law and go to visit a young man who was paralyzed as a result of a fall from a tree more than four years ago.  The more she told me, the more I felt I was in over my head:  he lived alone in a small room; his father brought him food and cleaned him once a week; he had a colostomy and catheter; he had bed sores.  With each fact I felt more and more fear, yet knew I had to go to meet him.  

A pastor and some men from a church in Patzicia, a small town about an hour and a half from here, had been visiting him.  They wanted to find help for him.  They would go with me to see him, but they had no resources to help.  Could I?  I said yes, fully believing that we would visit him, and recommend he either go to Hermano Pedro or the hospital for treatment of his sores.

I asked Dick if he could go with me.  I didn't know what I would face, and knew his experience treating bedsores would be valuable as we decided what to recommend.  I was counting on his detachment and cool head to keep me from making any impulsive decisions about caring for this young man.

So, Saturday morning we set off for Patzicia.  Marisol met us at the entrance to the town (she had traveled a good distance by bus to get there, but wanted to introduce us). We met Edwin, her brother-in-law, Byron, a doctor/pastor in Patzicia, and Diogenes, a man from the church who had been visiting Roberto.

We set out of town to go to the aldea of El Sitan.  I was grateful Dick was driving, because I don't know that my van would have made it through the dirt path that led to the house.  We were met there by Roberto's sister and step-mother.  

Roberto was lying on a plastic covered mattress in the corner of a small room make of concrete block.  There were only openings for a door and window.  There was no electricity in the room.  It was full of discarded items and trash, and we were told that at night the rats would swarm in looking for food.  I couldn't imagine what his place would be like after dark.  He was severely malnourished, and understandably sullen.

I hung back a bit and let Dick and Dr/Pastor Byron examine Roberto.  They discovered he had quite a bit of swelling in his legs, and pressure sores covering the majority of his backside.  Miraculously, though, he had no fever, and the bedsores were not infected.  I'm sure the fact that he has a colostomy helped this, since his family only would come once a week to change and bathe him.  I'm even more sure, however, that this was the hand of God protecting him and preparing for us to come and care for him.  

Dick called me over to translate and talk with Roberto. Roberto began to tearfully tell me his story, which I shared with Dick. After no more than three sentences, Dick looked at me in tears saying, "He belongs at your house."  I knew this, too, though was taken back a bit at how quickly Dick reached this conclusion, and the force with which he shared it.  (So much for relying on Dick's cool-headed detachment!) I asked Roberto if he would like to live with some other young men who were also in wheelchairs.

He immediately broke into a huge smile, and crying, said yes.  

God had been preparing me to invite Roberto to live with us, but I had anticipated it being in a week or two.  The Lord, however, had prepared the way.  Roberto was 18 years old, and had a DPI (national identification card) and was therefore an adult capable of making his own decisions.  There would be no need for any legal process, since he could live wherever he wanted.  Edwin, who works for the local court in this area assured me of this.  

His sister and step-mother were happy to see him come with us, and called his father, who gave his approval--he could come, as long as the family didn't have to pay anything for his care.  There is so much more I would like to say about this father, but won't.  It is enough to say that he had badly neglected his son to the point of abandonment, and will one day answer to God for his actions.  

We got him into his wheelchair, and the four men got him up the steep incline up to the road.  I now knew why God had sent four men with me this day!  He had it all planned out.  While the movement was very painful for Roberto (though he is paralyzed from the waist down, he does seem to experience pain in his hip and buttocks area) he never complained and cooperated with the transfer into the car.  We discovered his arms were surprisingly strong given his condition.

We headed back into Patzicia to take the men from the church back to their car.  We stopped by Dr./Pastor Byron's clinic, were he gave us saline solution, diapers and five injections of an antibiotic to prevent infection.  With as little as he has available for his clinic, he didn't hesitate to share with us what he has.  (I hope to partner with him more in the days to come.)

On the way back to Antigua, we passed the town where Roberto's dad was working. Roberto asked if we could stop so he could say good-bye to his father.  I went up an rang the bell of the shop where he is the guard.  He opened a small window in the door, and I explained who I was and that Roberto wanted to say good-bye to him.  With little expression on his face, he said the owner did not allow him to leave (he'd only have had to walk across a narrow road) and he'd talk to his son another time.

I could hardly bring myself to walk back to the car and tell this to Roberto.  He, however, did not seem surprised by his father's reaction, and took it in stride.  I had a lot of repenting to do, though, for the thoughts I had about this man.  

We stopped at Pollo Campero in Chimaltenango, and bought Roberto some chicken.  This was probably not our wisest choice, given his frail condition, but sometimes the heart needs to over-ride caution.  He eagerly wolfed down two pieces of chicken, fries, and some soda.

Fidel and Osmi were just starting to eat lunch when we arrived home.  I went in and explained the situation to them, and why we had brought home Roberto without any warning. (They had been praying for him for a few days, however, so they had some idea of the situation he was in, so this wasn't a complete shock.)  I was so very proud of how they welcomed him into the house, and began sharing their stories with him.  

Rigoberto had made a beef soup for the guys, and offered some to Roberto, who replied, "I'm so ashamed, but yes I want some.  I'm still hungry."  He downed the soup, meat and vegetables, along with more to drink, and began to settle in as part of our family.

This all happened so quickly I didn't have time to really think about what I was doing in bringing him home.  As I later sat in my room reflecting on the morning, the extent of the care he would need began to sink in.  The cost of his care became apparent.  The emotional support he would need was clear.

Still, I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that we had done the right thing in bringing him to live with us.  We knew it was God's call, and I trust He will be faithful to supply everything we need materially, financially, emotionally, and spiritually to care for Roberto.  

We estimate the cost of his care will be about $500 a month over our current budget.  We don't know where this will come from, but God does.  If you would like to help care for Roberto, as well as our other guys, you can send a check to:

The Josiah Foundation

Attention: Mission Guatemala

2112 S. 163rd Circle

Omaha, Nebraska 68130.

If you prefer to make an on-line donation, you can donate through the Josiah Foundation website, using the link for Mission Guatemala.

The Josiah Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization – donations are tax-deductible. Receipts will be emailed to all online donors.  All donations are solicited with the understanding that the Josiah Foundation has complete control and discretion over all gifts received.  The Board of Directors of the Foundation has instructed that your preference for Mission Guatemala be used in determining how your donation will be directed.