Medical Director
Anthony Lazzara, M.D.,
SFO

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The Children

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Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God.

Robert Pierce

We have had a difficult time of late. Our home, with a capacity of 40 children, now houses 54. When we are asked to take in another child and I demure the look of resignation on the face of the parents, forces our hand and we find a little more space to accept another child. It is not that the children mind. They delight to sleep two in a bed or share a sofa in the living room. All the more to play and talk past lights out. What bothers me is that we will reach a point in which we will have no more space to place a child and we
will have to start refusing admissions. We have yet to do that but the fear is there. Once a child is placed in our path, once we are asked for help, that child is ours. We have been made responsible for that child and our duty to him or her is irrevocable. Hence our desire, or better said, imperative, to accept him and offer him what he needs. To turn the child away would abrogate our duty to him and his parents since he has been made known to us. Objectivity in such a situation has no place. We have to place ourselves in the heart of the child and his parents and literally, in the heart of God. We have to reach out, overcome our reluctance, and nourish the hope which the child and his parents have placed in us, and through us, in God. This is an absolute that can be very hard to accomplish but one that must be enjoined. To do less would go against our charisma and our reason for being. Jose Antonio is a 17 year old who suffered a severe fracture of the left leg 6 months ago requiring surgery and pinning. When the family ran out of money 2 months later he was discharged even though he required further surgery. The bone that was pinned became badly infected but nothing could be done since the family had no money.

 Two weeks ago they knocked on our door. We had no room in the adolescent boy's quarters. Our 8 beds had 8 occupants. However, several weeks before we had been donated a folding bed. We pulled it out of storage and a room with a capacity of 8 now had 9. One week later we were asked to help Wilber, an 18 year old with a tumor of the right leg. We bought another folding bed and the room now has 10 occupants. The same can be said of the girls' quarters and the younger boys' quarters. We are thankful to be able to stretch our resources and revel in being able to accept these children but the anxiety remains: what will we do when there is no more room. I guess the answer to that question is to have faith and to hope that somehow we will be able to continue to help the children that come to our door.

God accomplishes in our lives whatever is humanly impossible.

Brother Benet Tvedten, O.S.B.

We re grateful for your financial and moral support of this work. We love you and wish you God's peace.