Category Archives: Survival Victim

Lydia’s Story

Working closely with the girls at Shadow of His Wings and hearing their horror stories made it difficult to find peace. I feel surrounded by pain.

A 13-year-old, Lydia, suffered abuses that no little girl should endure. Damaged and not having a normal bowel movement caused torment. The doctor said she required surgery. We made plans for that to happen, and I would be by her side.

The report on Lydia didn’t say who abused her. She did say the pastor was one of them. That tore into me that these children could not trust a person who claimed to be a man of God. There didn’t seem to be many safe places for these children. This is one of the reasons we started Shadow as a refuge for them.

The surgery went well, and I stayed with Lydia in the hospital until the next night. House parents from the Home came to relieve me for the night. The day after this, Lydia’s doctor released her. Joanne and I made plans for her to stay with me while she healed. This hyper child needed reminding to stay still for healing. Thank the Lord for TV.

One night, Lydia shared a concern. “Mama Carroll, I want to stay here in Shadow, but I’m worried about my sister.”

“What do you think might happen to her?”

“I’m afraid the same thing that happened to me will happen to her, and there won’t be anybody to help her.”

Her words were cries for help. “Lydia, we need to be in prayer for her, and I will talk to our social worker to see what they can do to help her.”

Lydia loved taking a shower with warm water. Most Guatemalans have cold water because they couldn’t afford a showerhead that warms the water. After she finished, I took my turn only to find out that she had used all the water. Oh well, I would wait. What little enjoyment she has in life is important.

Gerber and Joanne came for a visit and brought Lydia her homework. She completed everything quickly. As we visited, she surprised me by saying she wanted to be a forensic doctor.

“Oh my chica mia. Why are you thinking about going into forensics?”

“I heard the doctors talking about justice when someone had been seriously injured or killed. I found it interesting. I would like to see justice for what was done to me and others.”

She could set aside all the pain and abuse to think of a future to help others.

” I want that too, Lydia. Maybe the Lord put that desire in your heart. We can surely pray about it.”

Lydia’s walking improved with only a slight leaning toward the side with the stitches, so I took her back to the Home. I knew a time would come when the court would send her somewhere else. I continued to pray for the Lord to provide a refuge for her wherever she went. Maybe one day we could take a girl to the forensic doctor, and it would be Dr. Lydia.

Caty’s Refuge Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

ADVENTURE AT MAMA CARROLL’S

A time came when I offered the house parents a break, and had Caty stay with me for a week. I took her into the spare bedroom.

“This is your room, and the bathroom is across the hall. It has a shower, and I’ll show you how to turn on the water.” I didn’t hear any response but saw the glimmer of light shining in Caty’s eyes.

Caty went through the nesting process while I prepared lunch, and when I returned, I saw my Pooh Bear layered in three of her shirts. The rest of her possessions lay on the bed in neat piles. It impressed me to see accomplishments, but I would soon take a different view of the visit.

The adventure began when Caty put her dirty clothes into the washing machine, and dumped in Ajax. A day later a full bottle of shower gel stood empty after two showers. I don’t think being clean was her motive for the showers.

Her period began, and I found the paper strips from three Kotex pads lying on the counter. I guess she wanted to be prepared. I watched her with more caution but was secretly pleased to see the initiative she took in taking care of herself.

Caty loved watching movies, so one night I chose “Rudy.”

She rarely commented about what she saw, but pointed to a young woman and declared, “That’s Amy, I know her, that’s Amy.”

Amy worked as a volunteer nurse in the orphanage. I marveled at how Caty went through the mental process of identifying someone she knew with a movie character.

“Yes, it does look like our Amy, doesn’t it?” I said chewing on some popcorn.

I wanted this time to be special for our gal, and remembered a necklace of plastic Christmas lights I had in some stored decorations. I dug it out and showed it to Caty. Encouraged by her smile, I hooked it around her neck and pushed the button to turn on the lights, and then moved her in front of the mirror so she could see the colored twinkles. Bedtime came, and I removed the necklace, promising she could wear it the next day and laid it on the nightstand.

The following day, while sipping my coffee, Caty marched in with the necklace around her neck and the lights aglow. This amazing girl had it all figured out.

The time came for Caty to return to her casita, and I saw an attitude coming on when she refused to pack up her things. So, for an incentive, I told her I’d give her the necklace to keep when we got to the Home. Caty grabbed her bag and climbed into the car quick as lightning. That worked, and off we went.

Caty’s Refuge

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With Caty in my arms that first night, my heart resonated with a deep desire to help this lost child. I wanted her to find her rightful place in life without the chains of the past holding her back. At that time, I didn’t know what or to what extent had afflicted Caty, but I knew that the enemy held her captive. The adults and children at the project felt the same way about her. So, as a team, we reached out to Caty in love and compassion, encouraging her to leave her secret place and enter the real world. However, we had no idea what investment would be required from each of us to see ground gained.
As you read Caty’s story, you will gain perspective into her life. Still, her story will also open an understanding of the lives of other children walking a similar path. Perhaps her story will encourage you to make a difference in such a child’s life. You can work with God, the Miracle Grower, by planting seeds in hearts and breaking the chains off the captives. May God open your eyes to the changes you can affect when you let His love flow through you to children who have become victims of a sinful world.
I will post chapters of Caty’s story each week.
Some of the names in this booklet have been changed to protect the person’s privacy.