Every morning, for the last two-and-a-half years, we at Love & Hope Children’s Home knew exactly when Mandy entered the house. She offered a hearty greeting to everyone – sometimes in English, sometimes in Spanish, sometimes in Spanglish – and it was usually accompanied by several little voices vying for her attention, “Mandy! Mandy! Can we play a game? Can I go grocery shopping with you? I need help with my computer homework! Can you make me a costume for dress-up day at school?”
Mandy was Love & Hope’s jack of all trades. She was the administrative assistant to Yanira (our administrator) and the first point of contact for visitors, donors and people who were interested in our ministry. She made sure that every birthday, holiday and outing was special. She kept our storage rooms and kitchen organized and well-stocked. Mandy worked with our teams from start to finish, a process that took months to organize. On top of this, she took the time to know each one of the Love & Hope kids, spend time with them, support them, love them.
In December we said goodbye to Mandy, as she moved back to the states. Love & Hope already misses her. She made sure that many, many things at Love & Hope ran smoothly, that every person felt special, that every visitor had a great experience. Mandy explains below the impact that Love & Hope Children’s Home had on her life:
“One of the hardest things I had to do was leave El Salvador. Since my first visit 6 years ago, I never imagined that it is where I would be spending the last few years. Before I went, people would ask me, “Are you prepared to go there?” I always was. I never had a hard time adjusting and life became normal very quickly. However, no one prepared me for was the day I would have to say goodbye: goodbye to the kids that I have loved and invested my life and time in for the last few years, kids that have played such an important part in my life, kids that I didn’t know how to say goodbye to. I know life brings different things and God has seasons and times for everything. As much as I knew it was time to move back, it is always hard to say goodbye.
“I hope and pray that my time there has impacted the kids in ways that they will remember and hold on to all their lives. My hope is that in the last few years I made a difference in El Salvador. El Salvador has taught me so much; it definitely changed my life. It made me stronger, more fearless, more loving, and forced me to step out of my comfort zone. It gave me a new view of life, of people and of the world. Before I decided to ever go to El Salvador, I met many people who said, ‘I wish I would have done this or that with my life.’ After hearing that statement many times, I knew that I never wanted to say it. I always wanted to go to a children’s home but was afraid to just let go of everything and do it. I am so glad I let go of that fear, trusted God and did it. It was amazing to see how God truly provides for you when you are where he wants you to be. I now can say I did what God wanted for me during that time of my life and I will never have to regret not doing it or wish that I had done it. Now I am excited to see what God has next. I know that Love & Hope will always be a part of me. Even though I can’t be there physically to watch all the kids grow up, I am excited to see where their lives will go and I will always continue to support and love them no matter where I am in the world.”
We are so grateful that even from a distance Mandy continues to be involved in communications and organizing teams and volunteers. Mandy, we love and miss you! Thank you for giving your all to this ministry, even from far away. The house is a little quieter without you here, and we don’t like it. Come visit soon and make some noise with us!
