AGUASCALIENTES, Mexico - Jessica's mom was murdered and her dad is in jail. The 13-year-old orphan at Rainbow's Children Home doesn't have many possessions; most of what she has is immaterial. She said that is what she gets from the Americans' visits.
"We'll be sad when (the First Christian Church members) go," she said, "but content as well because we'll have the memories."Both the children at the Rainbow Children's Home and the members of First Christian Church expressed mixed feelings about the week coming to an end. The group of 25 plans to return to the United States today (April 10, 1998) after a week of helping build a new orphanage 25 miles from the current home in Aguascalientes.
Len Slagle, who spent Thursday at the construction site, said he wants to see the 42 orphans moved out of their cramped conditions in the city and into the home in Santa Rosa."If I had more time I'd spend six months here and help finish up," he said.
D.J. Butcher, a teen from the church, asked if he could sleep rather than eat the final dinner in a restaurant."The little work I've done may not seem like much, but it gets them closer to their goal,"" the 16-year-old said. "I'm doing the Lord's work; He called me here. It doesn't matter if I'm tired; it's His will, not mine."
The men went to the construction site the final day; everyone else spent the day at the orphanage. The brick plaza across the street from the orphanage became a mini-fair. It was complete with a clown, games and prizes.
"I like it here," said Janea Billings, sitting in the shade after a day of being pulled around by kids. "I'd stay another two weeks to help get these kids in the (new) orphanage. They're all squashed in there, the bathrooms are horrendous."Sergio, who has only been at the orphanage two weeks, said the groups that come are like his family.
"They're loving and bring us gifts like toys and candy. Most important, they're interested in building us a new home," he said.
First Christian Church members plan to return to Port Charlotte about 9 p.m. today (April 10, 1998).
