Margarita and Ricardo

I've been asked to share a bit more about my work. My posts have been somewhat vague as to what I actually do every day and what kinds of situations I encounter. So I'm going to try to post every day this week (I know, I'm already a day behind) and share a story from my work.

Ricardo and Margarita are an elderly couple who are part of our Elderly Care Program. They receive a warm, nutritous lunch every day, vitamins, and basic pain medication as Ricardo has chronic back pain from a life of hard labor. Margarita is blind, leaving her unable to work. Visiting them is always a highlight for me, but no matter how many times I go to their home I always have to fight back tears when I leave.

Their is home is a wooden shack, with a dirt floor, and multiple piles of trash and cardboard boxes lying around. The walls and ceiling are black from the smoke of cooking over a fire. There are so many cobwebs hanging from the ceiling that you have to duck when you enter. Neither Margarita nor Ricardo ever had a chance at an education, so their life of poverty appears to be their fate. But there are other obstacles that make their story particularly difficult.

Margarita sleeps in a single bed inside their shack, surrounded by piles of newspaper, rusty pots, and some clothing. Ricardo sleeps outside on a piece of plywood, a thin tarp above him acts as his only shelter. He has no walls around him. He has no protection from the daily rain that comes during the rainy season.

Ricardo showing us his bed

Margarita and Ricardo have a son who has a drinking problem, which is far too common here. He goes out and spends the little money he has to buy home-made, especially strong liquor. He gets drunk and stumbles his way to his parents house. He becomes very violent, very easily if he doesn't find food to steal at his parents house. And this is exactly why Ricardo sleeps outside. To defend his wife. To take the blows and beatings of their son. Many times we've visited him and he is bruised and bleeding, from a visit the night before by his son. But they can't move to another home or purchase a door with a lock because they can't even afford food. So Ricardo sleeps outside, never knowing when his son will come and beat him.

About a month ago we had a volunteer group come to work with Mayan Families for a few days. As I was working with them I came to find out they were a church group from southern Indiana. Small world. Paul, the pastor and leader of the group, had a huge heart and always looked for ways to give. I was taking the group through the market one afternoon when we ran into Ricardo carrying a heavy bag full of scraps from the market. I introduced the group to Ricardo, explaining he's part of our Elderly Program and then Ricardo walked off.

Paul, quite suddenly, turned to me and asked if we could follow Ricardo and help him get home. We left the market to find Ricardo walking up the street in direction of his home. He probably had a good half a mile to walk, with the huge bag on his back. We went up to talk to Ricardo and I explained that Paul would like to help him.

I thought that Paul was going to put Ricardo and his bag in one of our Mayan Families pick up trucks and drive him home. But Paul wanted to carry Ricardo's bag himself and walk the distance home together. I was moved at Paul's desire to sacrifice and journey alongside Ricardo, instead of just "fix" the problem easily and quickly with a pick-up. So Paul, his daughter, and Ricardo walked together all the way to Ricardo's home.

Later on Paul and his group went to the market and bought food for Ricardo and Margarita. For a brief moment their stomachs were full and they were smiling.

Ricardo and Margarita still suffer from poverty. They still go to bed hungry. Ricardo still sleeps on a piece of wood outside. Their son still steals from them and beats Ricardo. But every once in a while someone comes along and lifts their burdens and makes them smile. And those are the moments that keep us here.