Quite unexpectedly (though I had been praying about this for some time) we encountered a one-story house for rent in Santa Lucia, the same town in which the mayor has given us the use of a building for our outreach center for children with special needs. After looking at it and consulting our Board, we made the decision to move our ladies to this home.
About 2 weeks ago the ladies moved in and are so excited to be in their new home. It is not as upscale as their previous house but they have much more outdoor space, and the yard is surrounded by chain link fence (not common here) and razor wire (which we use here to keep out unwanted visitors). They are surely enjoying their newfound freedom. The first morning in the new house, Griselda got up and immediately threw open the back door, took a deep breath and sighed a huge, "Ahhhhh," before running to get on her shoes and heading into the yard to explore.
This move will save the ministry roughly $250 each month in rent, and enable Pat to focus two full days each week to serving in the community of Santa Lucia. As often happens in our ministry, this change was not anticipated or budgeted for, but when a great house, and a reasonable rent, in a good location appears, you have to move quickly, and we did. We trust God will provide for the expenses incurred by this move, as He always has done in the past.
The women will be able to be more involved in the local community through participating in activities at the municipal center for women (within walking distance of the home), which coordinates our outreach center's activities with the mayor's office. This "taking part in the local community" has been our desire both for our ministry and our residents, and it is a blessing to see it happening.
The large yard will enable the ladies to have their longed-for dog and a garden where they can grow their own vegetables. Benigno, the husband of one of our companion-caregivers, will help with the yard work one day a week. He and the girls are already discussing what they will plant, and plans are underway to plant avocado trees so, in three years, they girls can sell avocados in the market. I love the sense of stability this indicates as our women look securely to the future.
While this looks like an acreage setting, it actually is located within the city limits, close to the Main Street and highway passing through Santa Lucia. It is as if God has given our women the best of both worlds. We are grateful.
While this looks like an acreage setting, it actually is located within the city limits, close to the Main Street and highway passing through Santa Lucia. It is as if God has given our women the best of both worlds. We are grateful.
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