babies and judges

Precious jewels baby boy

Today we were privileged with a rare visit from the two minor court judges, the two authorities who carry all of our cases, and about ten lawyers and assistants from "Defensoria de la Ninez" Cochabamba.

In two hours, they met 29 of our 34 children (the other five were at kindergarten) and said they loved our hogares. Yeah! Very intense, but VERY good for our children. To Casa de Amor, we sense the responsibility of all the lives in our hands every minute of every day, but to those who only work in an office far from baby cries, shuffling files around, I imagine it's easy to see them more as, well...papers! So days like today are very promising for the future of each little one here at Casa de Amor. May God move hearts! 

Adding a favorite story from the day, retold to me later by our social worker: our precocious 7 year old S enthusiastically offered the two judges mandarin oranges. Standing in a corner studying our kid lists, they both shook their heads and continued on. As only S can, she ordered, "But you are too skinny and are NEVER going to get fat [=healthy in Bolivian culture] if you don't EAT!!" And with that she forced the mandarins into their hands. (And I'll mention here that both are already a little on the chubby side!!)

Another girl, possibly the same, asked Tio David if he would like one, wording it this way: "Would you like a mandarin orange that I bought?" Tio David about died laughing...the money comes from me and goes to him to spend countless hours tirelessly hauling in every single thing that goes into our kids' mouths. He asked her if she was aware where the dog Scott sleeps, and that she'd perhaps like to join him...?? :)