On this mission trip I was prepared to paint houses and teach children bible stories. I was not expecting what happened today. All week our team has been serving in the home of a woman named Rosia. She is a widow with 8 children. The youngest child is a 2 month old with Down syndrome named Juan. They all live in a small cinderblock home with a dirt floor.
Chris, Maria, Dan, and I went to visit the family this afternoon. When I told Rosia that I was a therapist she got so excited. When I tell people in Savannah that I am a speech language pathologist they do not get excited, so it was a nice change. I was able to show her some mouth exercises to help strengthen Juan’s oral muscles. These exercises will help him eat and talk one day.
Rosia had many questions for me about her son’s condition, but one shocked me. She asked me if people with Down syndrome only lived to be 15 years old. I assured her that people with Down syndrome can live long lives. It was amazing to see the relief on Rosia’s face. It took all I had to not cry at that moment. She thought for so long that her precious little boy was not going to have a long life. I have been praying all week for God to use me. Today, God used me to not only better a child’s life, but also to ease a mother’s mind.
Thank you God for Rosia and her family. Thank for the blessing of children. Thank you for using me today. Thank you for your love!
– Kassandra Barrantes
Leave a Reply