If You'll Let Me- Here's My Post

Written by Amy Merrill:

I asked Matt if I could crash his blog and well, what’s a son to do? Randy and I had a great weekend visiting Matt, spending some time understanding his world this summer, and just getting a feel for all the mixed emotions Matt has experienced throughout the past six weeks.
Our weekend started on Friday shopping for supplies at the Brownsville Wal-Mart with Larry and Matt. We were shopping for more pillows since Casa B. was due to increase its occupancy from a usual number of 7 to 9 to as many as 16. This is a relatively big jump for small space so much of our weekend was spent working on projects to comfortably accommodate all. Once we got across the border and over to Casa B we had the pleasure of getting to know the folks we’d only met in Matt’s blog. Lupita’s smile is fantastic; I enjoyed sitting with her and exchanging smiles and expressions. I could tell she wanted to convey all kinds of stories but doesn’t have the strength in her vocal cords to do so. She is slowly gaining strength in her neck through twice daily massage sessions.

We spent most of Friday afternoon at Casa and Friday evening at Larry and Nancy’s house. We spent time with Kayla who was very excited at having new visitors; she is 8 with a mental capacity of about 3 but is very sweet and loving. I would call her the “motor mouth” of the household but was very anxious to make sure she pronounced my name correctly and Randy’s. Through the evening and the weekend, I must’ve asked Larry hundreds of questions on how the system works in Mexico, how they get their families, who gets houses and how that is decided, and countless others. Larry very patiently answered each one as if it wasn’t really the thousandth time he’d been asked that question. Of all the questions and all the takeaways (and there are so many) I was most interested in how the community decides who needs the next house or where Larry should build the next school. It is obvious Larry and especially Dr. Nancy have become known throughout the community for helping so many and that the community takes the responsibility in deciding who is deserving of Larry and Nancy’s generosity. It makes for a synergetic relationship between the community and Casa B.

Saturday we embarked on our first “light construction project” building a wheelchair ramp. I asked Randy to take a picture of it – carpenter quality work! We enjoyed lunch with Larry, Dr. Nancy, Jesse, Nincita, Gloria, Jabez, and Kayla at a wonderful fish restaurant.
Gloria is 14, very smart, always smiling teenager who lives with Larry and Nancy. She is great with all the younger children and has a very quiet, kind soul. I could easily see her following Nancy’s footsteps to being a doctor some day.

Jabez warmed up to Randy and us throughout the weekend as he is somewhat shy. We played games imitating each other with peace signs, fists, and other hand signals – he is so cute and sweet. My heart still breaks and I tear up easily thinking about a mother leaving him for hours on end alone, hot, without anyone or any water. I think he will be far better off as the newest addition to Nancy and Larry’s household although how hard for someone that young to understand why he is not with his mother.

Unless you’ve been there you can’t really visualize the poverty. It is overwhelming. Walking along the dirt roads out to the canal where companies dump their waste, the smell is nauseating yet there are houses all along there as it was beachfront property. The roads are all formed by nature; if a big rainstorm comes it is difficult to get through the mud. There is no good water source, no plumbing, and in many cases no electricity. If there is electricity, there is usually a fan but that is the extent of the relief to the heat. It certainly makes one appreciate all they have and wish that there was more parity in the world.

I know it is hard when faced with such overwhelming poverty to wonder if the time you spend or the little things you do make a difference. If the short time you’re with someone, does it really impact the rest of their life? I don’t have answers for these questions but when we were at lunch at one point five children ranging in ages 2 to 14 were chanting Mateo, Mateo, Mateo
- I got the feeling one very special young man was making a difference the summer of 2008.


Thanks Mom; I love you.

Matt