Over the next few weeks, I’ll be introducing you to some of the lovely elders at Hogar Betania in Esquipulas, Guatemala.
First, we have Doña María.
Doña María was abandoned in her home by her two daughters. We don’t know why they left her without any care — perhaps they felt overwhelmed with her care and dementia, or perhaps they were both too focused on trying to survive on their own. Regardless of the reason, her neighbors found her malnourished and unable to walk from neglect, and rushed her to the hospital.
When Doña María was well enough to leave the hospital, a social worker approached Madre Vilma at Hogar Betania in Esquipulas, Guatemala. Of course Madre Vilma took her in. If Madre Vilma has room at the home, she finds a way to take in a vulnerable adult, and trusts that it will all work out.
Under the care and compassion of the nuns in Esquipulas, Doña María fully recovered and began to walk again. Then, her beautiful personality once again began to shine. Madre Vilma (the nun who runs Hogar Betania) tells me that it is just another example of the difference that love and compassion can make in this world.
And what did her daughters do when they heard she was safe at Hogar Betania?
They moved into her home.
Here, Doña María visits with a young woman who also lives at Hogar Betania. This young woman is named Romelia, and she is 36 years old. She has the intellect of a 6- or 7-year old, and — as Madre Vilma has described it — Romelia “has been deceived several times”, resulting in the birth of three children. It does not take a large stretch of our imagination to guess what Madre Vilma is referring to when she says this poor woman has been “deceived.”
Romelia’s children have all been adopted to other homes, as she has proven unable to care for them. She was first brought to Hogar Betania with the hopes that she could be “reformed” (read: cured of her intellectual and emotional challenges) and returned to her home to care for her children. Since there is no cure for her disabilities, or for the trauma she’s endured at the hands of others, Romelia has remained at Hogar Betania full time. She has lived here for many years, and arrived before Madre Vilma came to the home.
Madre Vilma says that when Romelia is feeling well, she participates with the elders and helps the nuns; when she becomes ill, she retreats physically, mentally, and emotionally. She sits down, away from everyone else, and does not even want to be spoken to.
Now, I know Romelia is not an abandoned elder. I wanted to introduce you to her, though, because I wanted you to understand the depth of compassion and love that these nuns have for those less fortunate than them.
This world can be a cold, dark place. It is unkind to those who need kindness, and unforgiving to those who don’t know any better.
Hogar Betania is a beacon of light in this world, and that is why we love them so very much. Also, the more I get to know Madre Vilma, the more I realize I have room in my life for more and more sisters.
Next week, I’ll be introducing you to another elder — someone whom Hogar Betania has recently taken in. Their rooms are now full to capacity, and we are hoping to provide even greater support to them this coming year.
To everyone who’s read this far: Thank you. Please stay warm, dry, and well. Please always know you are appreciated, whether someone tells you this or not.
With love,
Alicia Jean Demetropolis
