Mariah

I had planned for this to be a post about my trip to Mexico. I wanted to share the great time we had there, working, blessing and being blessed by everyone at Santa Marta. I wanted to talk about Rosalva, the wife of one of the teachers, and mother to Andrea and Daniel. She and I prayed together, each in our own language, and shared a beautiful, God-filled time together. I wanted to share about how we were coming alongside those who were already there working with those beautiful children, but I can’t see those children right now because of the two children I saw tonight.

Tonight, I spent the evening at Galletto Ristorante at a board dinner, taking minutes and enjoying a lovely dinner with wine and dessert.  I’ve had the pleasure of taking minutes for this group for several years and have been able to join them for their annual holiday dinner.  Yeah, I was the one responsible for organizing the dinner, ordering the food and wine, preparing materials for distribution beforehand, and I had to take minutes and record the discussion, but I could drink good wine while I was doing it.  I don’t mind.

I left the meeting after dessert and headed home to bake cookies for another get-together tomorrow.  It was cold out and I was glad for my heavy sweater and scarf.  On my way to my car, I passed a woman standing in front of a store.  A little girl was bundled up in a stroller and I noticed another child lying on a low wall, no blanket, just a coat with a hood pulled up tight around her face.  The woman didn’t make eye contact when I walked by.  I wondered as I walked to my car if she had a place to go for the night.  I couldn’t imagine her staying there for the night.  It was cold then.  It was going to get colder. 

I got to my car and loaded my stuff in, but I couldn’t go much further.  I stood there, wondering, do I go back to see how she is?  Or do I just go home.  I needed to bake cookies and didn’t want to go to bed too late.  What could I do to help her?  What did it matter?  I knew she couldn’t stay there for the night, if that was where she was staying.

I went back to her and asked if she needed a place to stay for the night.  I could put her up in a hotel for the night and she asked if they could get food, too.  I helped her get her stuff collected, one suitcase and a few backpacks, and we went back to my car to load everything in.  She said as we were driving away that she had a couple of other bags that she left near the bus depot and I drove over to get them.  They were still there, where she’d left them, by the dumpsters.  We loaded them into the car, too.  I was pleasantly surprised that everything fit.  She then asked if they could stay at the Clarion over by Orangeburg.  Apparently, they’d stayed there before, but I didn’t ask more about that.  I said sure, and we drove over.  We went in and I asked for a room for the night for one adult and two children.  When the lady behind the counter told me the price, I thought what’s one more night, so I reserved the room for two nights.  We went back out, collected their items out of the car and took them in to their room. 

We then went back out to find something to eat for them.  There was a Panda Express nearby and we went in and they ordered food and drinks.  She, at first, only asked for one plate, but I encouraged her to get more.  So, she ordered a plate for her and the little one and the older daughter ordered another plate for herself.  Drinks, napkins, and flatware in hand, we went back to their room.

As all of this was happening, she was telling me her story, about losing her job a while back, and then gradually losing her home and bit by bit, her belongings, until all she had left was the clothing that was in the one suitcase and the two large garbage bags of things she’d collected at the Mission earlier that day. 

She said she’d gone to the Mission, and had been there a couple of days, but then got into an argument with one of the people who was supervising and was asked to leave.  She walked around until she wound up on J Street, where I found her. 

I told her, I was sorry for what had happened to her.  I wasn’t sure how much I could help, but I could pray for her if she’d like.  I was surprised when she said no.  She said when others had prayed for her, it hadn’t turned out very well for her.  She began telling me of other “church” people who had offered to help, who had provided shelter, but eventually turned them out, let them down.

She doesn’t know what else to do.  She has nothing right now, except what was there in that room.  She had said that she was eligible for section 8 housing, but she had no money for deposit or anything.  She didn’t even have any more belongings to put in a house if she had one.  She didn’t want me to pray there.  I told her I would try and see what I could do, but I have no idea either… aside from praying.  So, I’ve been praying as I write this, hoping someone reading this could help.  I’m praying someone reading this would know what else to do, would know how to help her.  She needs help, and I don’t know what to do or where to begin. 

I thought of World Relief, the local agency that helps refugees get settled here in Modesto.  She’s not a refugee, but she is suffering.  She needs someone to help her and her children get settled.  And I haven’t even talked about her children.

Temikah is 10 years old and her mother’s helper.  Akyah is 3.  They behave like a 10 year old and a 3 year old should behave which shows me they haven’t yet been broken by the circumstances that are rapidly breaking their mom.  She is trying to be a mom, but it’s a hard job even when you have a support system.  She has nothing. 

And that’s where we are now.  She and her daughters have room for two nights and then what, I don’t know.  I want’ to help but have no idea who to call, what to do, where to go.  I feel almost as helpless as she right now.  So, I’m praying as I write this, that someone reading this would know how to help, would know where else to send her for help, would be able to help. 

I know she may not be telling me the whole story.  I know there’s always more to the situation than appears, but I know, too, that tonight I couldn’t leave them there on the sidewalk.  If you can help… email me.  And please forgive the unpolished quality of this post.  Not feeling too polished right now.