Oh, For a Father's Love

On this Father's Day I would like to ask prayer for a young lady named Katrina (not her real name). Instead of love, she has experienced only hurt, neglect, and betrayal from the men in her life.

She was married, but her husband abandoned her and her little boy when her little boy was tiny. Unable to make ends meet, her mother sent Katrina to the Yucatan to work, while grandma stayed with the little boy. While away, Katrina was raped while waiting for a bus. 

When she realized that she was pregnant, she decided to try to make the man who was “sort of” her boyfriend at the time believe that he was the father and so take responsibility for the baby. But in the end her integrity won the day and she didn't go through with it. Her boyfriend broke up with her when he found out she had been raped, and she came back home to Mitla traumatized and in disgrace. Her mother is also traumatized and guilt-ridden for having sent her young daughter away to work. 

Enter Casa Compasiva. Katrina and her mother and little boy came to our “Pregnancy Fair” outreach at the municipal hall last week. Then again yesterday they came to the Mitla clinic for pre-natal class and her first appointment. Now she wants to have her baby with us at Casa Compasiva, but the thing is that she is due today!!! -- and she has had virtually no pre-natal care except for an ultrasound through the local Health Center. With no lab tests, we have no idea if she is HIV-positive, or anemic, or even what her blood type is.

Plus, she has no money and no dad herself. She and her mum are both lovely people—cheerful, kind, friendly-- but they eke out a living for themselves by sewing and embroidering. They have $600 pesos saved (about $40 U.S.), which is just enough to get her lab work done tomorrow. We are praying that she will NOT go into labour until after the blood-work results are in, so at least until Tuesday. And we are hoping that her health will be good enough for us to be able to accept her as a client without undue risk to our staff. Then she can be spared the additional trauma of harsh treatment at the government hospital. We are committed to helping Katrina--whether with a birth at Casa, or just labour-support until time to go to the hospital, and follow-up post-partum care. We ask you to please pray for healing and salvation for this precious little family. Both Katrina and her mum seem very tender and open to the gospel, and they are getting counseling from a local pastor's wife. 

The other thing is that if she can have her baby at Casa, we will need to provide her with a full birth scholarship. But this comes in the first month since Christmas that we do not even have sufficient funds to pay the rent and staff salaries. God has blessed us with a six-month rest from constant financial pressure (Thank you, Lord!!), but now the reserve funds are gone and we must again ask your prayers for coverage of these needs. I know that you may not be able to give money, but everyone can certainly pray for Katrina and for the other clients at Casa Compasiva. We had five new mamas at our class yesterday!

So that's it for now. Katrina, along with the many other pregnant mamas who do not yet know the Father's love need your prayers. Casa Compasiva needs your prayers.

Thanks so much!

Blessings,

Lila Quezada