House #1

House #1 was built for Santos Alicia Marie Reyes, who is 30 years old, her son Fredy Antonio Reyes who is 10 years old and in grade 3 and Maria’s mother, Santos Emilia Alvarado, who is 66 years old.

Maria is separated from her husband, who lives in San Felipe with 3 of their children, and works incredibly hard to provide for her mother and son. Each day she rises at 4 am and walks, because she can’t afford the bus, more than one hour to the market where she sells tamales, fruit and whatever else she can. On a good day, she makes about $2.00. Compare this to the $5.00/day the men earn as farm workers, and her poverty becomes clear. When the market is not open, she goes door to door selling what she can. Some days they do not eat at all.

Fredy is cared for by Santos Alvarado, his grandmother, while Maria works. He enjoys school, soccer and farm labour.

Maria has siblings but they have moved away and left their mother solely in her care, a task that can be overwhelming for Maria. Maria, her mother, and her son have actually been living in a house owned by Maria’s brother – if in fact we can call it a house.They have been praying fervently, waiting on the Lord to provide for them a house that is safe from storms, and safe from intruders. “Now He has answered our prayers.” Said Santos Alvarado.

During our interview, a young friend of Fredy’s came into the house asking for a drink. Maria directed him to three buckets sitting by the wall. He lifted a piece of plastic and said, “There is a rat swimming in here!” She said, “That’s OK  We still drink it.” (Some even eat rats here in their desperation. In fact, we met a couple who did this.)

Santos Alvarado then broke down crying, wishing she could just buy some food, wishing there were not days when she and her daughter and grandson went hungry. She is very thin and ill, and sometimes falls into depression in their poverty. But, she said, “God has promised us a house, and now we have it. God has promised us food, and we will have it. It is beyond our ability; it is nothing we could do. It is all God.”
Valerie and Patricia gathered her in their arms and comforted her with compassion and words of hope.

by Jeff Davison & Dick Craig