Johana

I have known Johana for about 2+ years. When I first met her, she was very "stand-off-ish". She never smiled - at least when I was around. There was pretty much a spirit of distrust - she was a skeptic. I think she just wanted to see what we were all about and to see if we really cared or were just coming to make ourselves feel better...

After about a year, I went with a group of folks to provide food for our friends. After the food, the group brought out a bunch of coloring books and crayolas - meant for the kids. The most amazing thing happened - about 1/2 of the people that were involved in the coloring were adults. That day, I sat down in the middle of the dump with Johana and we colored together. I believe that our friendship began at that moment. What it took was being willing to sit down in the mess of the dump and spend some time.

In the year plus since that day, I have become acquanted with all of Johana's family including her sisters, her mom, and her little boy. In December of '09, Johana told me that she was pregnant. She is already one of the young ladies with kids that I had been helping with milk (with the promise that they would not bring them into the dump). I was blessed to be able to help Johana with vitamines and folic acid. In July of this year, Johana had her baby boy in Hospital Escuela - it was a c-section and the baby was a bit early. Johana called me as soon as she went to the hospital knowing that I would come to visit and to help out with a few needs for the baby. When I arrived at the hospital, Johana went to the nursary and brought out her baby boy and told me that she was naming him Marcos! I was humbled and honored.

This week I was able to go up to Johana's house to check on little Marcos and to take a few pictures. He is doing well and growing and I am blessed.