A Month of Thanks – Day 20: Hope

The two brothers came to the Casa Girasoles with only the clothes on their backs. The first picture of their arrival with the social worker shows two scared, dirty, lost little boys.

Neither boy spoke Spanish, and the first couple of weeks were marked by dramatic shifts in their moods and emotions as they tried to navigate a new world. At their first meal in the Casa Girasoles, they were utterly uncertain what to do or how to act – for they had never eaten with silverware or at a formal dinner table. Thankfully, the house directors spoke Quechuan and shared a deep commitment to the hope that the two brothers would find healing at their new home.

Within a month, both boys could navigate simple Spanish communication with the other children and staff at the Casa Girasoles home. Slowly, tentatively at first, the two brothers opened themselves up to the caregivers. As their feeling of safety grew, they leaned further and further into the hope of a new life. A life of purpose.

Today, the boys are like any other 7 and 9-year-old. They love soccer and Pokemon – and talk endlessly about their friends at school and their dreams of becoming a firefighter and a policeman.

We are thankful for the hope that comes from a caring, empathic connection. We’re grateful for your support in bringing hope to many children in the Casa Girasoles homes.

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