Aroldo

We have a new addition to our home, Aroldo Yuriel Sandorval Gomez, age 20. We met Aroldo for the first time last February when he attended the carpentry class, beginner's phase. At that time he was living in the Remar facility. God immediately joined our hearts to Aroldo. He was eager to learn all that was being taught in the our vocational school.What was more astounding was his hunger for more knowledge of God and the desire to enter into deeper intimacy with Him.

Our time of knowing Aroldo has not been without incidents. He has lived in and out of the Remar facility.  A month after we met him, he showed up at our home late one evening with another student.  They had been out in the neighborhoods trying to sell products for Remar (which is a source of income for that ministry).  Sales were non-existant on that day, so they decided to head to Managua thinking sales may be better.  After another attempt of selling and still with no results, they hitch-hiked back to Leon and came to our doorstep, afraid to go to Remar because of the consequences of being past curfew and blowing what little revenue from the day's sales on transportation and food.  Once back at Remar, we did not see their presence in class for a month because of the discipline.

Fast-forward a couple of months to when he ran away from Remar.  After a couple of weeks on the streets, he came to our door.  We let him stay with us, but he was only in our home for 2 days, he preferred his life of "freedom and sin" on the streets to safety in our home.

He came to us one more time in the middle of the day, after another month on the streets. He was drunk, tired, hungry, thin and in need of a bath.  After he showered and washed out the clothes he was wearing, he tried to give us a few cordobas to show his gratitude.  We fed him, put him to bed for a nap and kept him hidden from the students during class time. After classes, we had Pastor Jose come over to our home so that we could converse with Aroldo about his life.  We convinced him to return to Remar and we all escorted him over to the facility.  He stayed only one week.

After that time there were two more attempts of him having extended stays at the rehab facility.  Each time, we saw positive change, his health being restored and his relationship with the Lord being renewed.  Then he abruptly left the facility in September and we found him sitting on a park bench where he had slept.  He did not want to go back to Remar and we would not let him come to our home.

He was able to get a job as a cook at the small local hamburger stand in the park.  The owners of the stand helped him with a place to live.  It was a good beginning for him.   He worked alone seven days a week from 7AM to 10PM.  One of the things we have learned in working with people in recovery is they need to avoid getting lonely and tired.   Whether it was burnout or the lure of the streets, he vanished from the hamburger stand after two months.

As of one week ago, he has been in our home.  The people in the park knew that we had been looking for him and he was brought here.  After a conversation about his current circumstances and explanation of what we expected of him, he settled into his OWN room.  One night during dinner a couple of nights ago, he said he was grateful that we did not bring up his past bad choices and making him feel worthless.  

He is adjusting to a life of rules and procedures with us.  He is back in class, making friends with the newer students.  He plays soccer in the street out front of our home with the other neighborhood boys, which he loves.  We spent an afternoon at the beach with our neighbors and their sons.  He's reading his bible, watching a lot of Christian TV and attending youth group at our church.  He went with us to the weekly Remar evening service and connected with some of his old friends. He's experiencing life as a normal teen and we are seeing him flourish.  

There is a lot of work ahead of us.  Teens here are very independent and unsupervised; I have yet to see correction, no matter what the age (toddlers on up).   A new life of rules, correction and discipline is a huge adjustment for someone like Aroldo.  

His mother moved to Costa Rica and left him when he was 4 years old.  He has five siblings from different fathers.  He was raised by his paternal grandparents until his grandmother died.  He lived for a brief time with his father but he said his father drank a lot and would take Aroldo with him.  This may have been the start of his drinking habit.  He left his father because he did not like his life there.  Thus he ended up on the streets trying to survive.  

Aroldo's mother is coming to visit her other children this month.  She always spends time with the others and sends money to the others.  This is very hurtful to him, yet he says it makes no difference because he doesn't know her any way.  No child likes the feeling of abandonment, that stigma stays with you forever. 

Pray for Aroldo, for his healing and recovery.  Pray for us to have abundant wisdom to take care of him and guide him. He's a very special young man and we want him to grow into all God has planned for him.  

Would you consider helping monthly to defray the costs associated with Aroldo living with us?  As a young man, he EATS a lot and is in need of toiletries and clothes;  $2 a day.  If you have a desire to help in the care of and changing the life of this fantastic young person, please contact us direct at 336-793-1617 to discuss the arrangements and length of care, or email restorationofthenations@gmail.com and we will contact you.