3 Ran Away and 1 Returned

I planned on writing a very different blog today but I will wait until tomorrow. Instead I will tell you about what happened today at work.

First of all, you must know that I love it up there with the girls. I’m building rapport with the girls and staff members and tomorrow (Tuesday) we will be discussing what my exact responsibilities are going to be.

Second, let me introduce you to three girls that this blog is about. Wendy is about 15 years old and has been in our program for 1 ½ months. Last week she just moved into the second house and phase of the program. Wendy came straight from the streets and had spent a long time there. I was told that everything about her was of street manners and behaviors, but she has changed so much in just the short time she has been here. She and I have connected some and at times she will rush to be the girl who is sitting or standing by me. She has a sweet heart and a very hard exterior.

Shenara is also about 15 years old and she has been in the program for 4 months. She is in the second phase and I believe the second level of it. She is a sweet yet quiet girl. She interacts well with her peers and has come a long way from where she was at. Shenara has a family but I don’t know what her home life is like.

Carolina is 16 years old and has a birthday coming up. Today was her 1 week anniversary. She is a short and quiet girl. Her parents are not involved and she is part of a program called PANI which is what our foster care service program is in the states. She appeared to be making friends and starting to adjust to the program.

So back to today’s events. We had been at work for only about 10 minutes when we looked out the window of the cafeteria and saw Wendy walking up the road to the gate. We got worried that she was going to try to run. I thought it was going to be pretty hard since the place is surrounded by high gates with barbwire and barbwire gates as well. But she climbed right up that thing and struggled a little with the barbwire before she was gone. Staff went after her but she refused to come back and hid.

This sent many of the girls into a panic of anger and sadness. While the more advanced girls (in the program) tried to comfort those who were hurting. It was incredible to see the family life that they have created and how they do try to look out for each other.

After our devotional service, about an hour later, all the girls were doing their daily chores when all of a sudden Shenara was gone. She climbed a barbwire fence and went through a little forest area to the street where we saw her meet up with Wendy and they began walking away.

At that moment Carolina was getting mad at one of the social workers and out of her anger she ran up to the gate, with staff in pursuit. She was screaming and being irrational but couldn’t be talked out of it. She climbed up the gate, with much struggle, and got caught on the barbwire for a few but finally made it over. Staff went out the gate to try to get her in but she refused to and took off down the mountain, trailing close behind the other two.

Once again many of the girls were really upset. While the girls were in groups Wendy and Shenara came back but Shenara would not stay. Wendy reports that she was really scared once she was out there. She knows what the streets are like and didn’t want to go back. She apologized in the group and said she is happy that she is getting her third chance and is committed to change. She didn’t want to go back to that lifestyle and knows she has it well off here at Renacer.

So that was today. Please be praying for Shenara and Carolina as they are out there, who knows where. Pray for safety and that they will find help and not turn back to the lives they came from.