Palm sunday was a sad day for us. Pedro, one of our lab technicians, younger sister, a deaf mute, had got on a town bus in the early hours by herself to the city. No one heard her leave the house. Dilia is 24 years old. She is a pretty indigenous young woman who lived quietly with her family. She would go places only accompanied by her family. On a few occassions in the past she had left alone but was easily found in nearby homes. Her family did everything they could to try and locate her. In this country there is little assistance available for the handicapped. She had no skills of communication. Prayers services by both catholic and evangelical churches were happening. The family went to the city, and other towns, to Police stations, put out communications and appealed on the radio. They put it in Gods hands and went on with their lives but were positive that she would return.
Yesterday, three months to the day, her picture appeared in the local newspaper. She was in a home for the aged and the handicapped in Guatemala City and was looking for her parents. We were overjoyed, tears of JOY. Her brother, our lab assistant, her mother and a friend, myself and a clinic driver left immediately for the city. We went to the center of the Attorney General for Guatemala, as it was from this office that the ad was placed in the newspaper. We were late arriving as we had to obtain official copies of her birth certificate. We were unable to visit her and bring her home, as their office was closing and we only finished the necessary paper work, no time for the official receiving of Dilia. We did learn she was 12 days on the street before it was denounced to this office and she was brought to a safe environment. This too was a relief as we now knew she was not three months on the street but 12 days. We still knew we would have to see that she had a complete physical and was welcomed back into her home and community. 5PM today with the Catholic Community we received Dilia with firecrackers and hugs and prayer. The neighbors gave coffee and bread to those who welcomed her home and supper to the family. The clinic provided her with a bed, which she did not have, as she had slept on boards. We all went home grateful and with peace. For all present it was a miracle amidst difficult moments when all came together to celebrate her welcome HOME and give thanks to GOD for bringing her home SAFE!
