After church we headed home, changed, picked up the guitar and headed to San Jose. Cristina and her daughter Zuleima (11) were not there, but Omar and Vicki were in the outside area. Once we realized the lock was in place and we wouldn´t be able to go inside to be with them, I brought out the guitar and just started playing from outside. Vicki smiled. I told her to give me her hand through the upper area of the gate and to reach out and strum, which she did. Then Omar´s face lit up with this huge smile. I have never seen him smile before. We sang a few kids songs and I tried unsuccessfully to get him to strum. When I insited he walked towards Vicki and grabbed her hand as if saying "you do it!" I then said some words of encouragement to Vicki and asked her whether she was sad, to which she replied "who told you?" I told her I could perceive it, but that God loves her.
The next highlight was when their younger sister Z. (who is 11 and just entered sixth grade) arrived. We hadn´t seen her in a few years and she is much taller than the cute nine year old we had seen back in the fall of 2009. We gave her a box of 20 plus small milk cartons and a few cookies. Cristina often sends Z to help tend to Omar and Vicki, so it was good to reconnect with her. Since she opened the big gate, I walked to the threshhold and played a bit more on the guitar. This time Vicki came over and strummed vigorously as I changed chords and we did a song. Then I played a little and she and Omar held hands as if in a simple dance.
It was a brief and limited interaction, but seems to be a new and encouraging beginning. Z even said her mom and her had wanted to invite us to her first communion celebration later this month. We are so thrilled by these breakthroughs and new opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus. May He continue giving us wisdom as we share His love.
