The Leon Experience

Stories and memories from some of our participants...

This is a profound and for many of our past Leon volunteers, life changing experience. It's about the power of love. Four group homes and 20 plus families at Casa Indigena powered by the devotion and love of the staff, community and the many volunteers who have come over the past six years. It's the greatest example of what we can accomplish when we work together to help those less fortunate. We find the reward is so much greater than what we put in. Our attitudes of love and service have inspired Gaby and her staff over the years. We embrace each other as family and renew our friendships with each trip . They depend on us, and look forward to the comraderie and attention we give to the kids and Tios at each of the houses. They are warm and loving hosts.

We ask each volunteer to contribute $150 to Casa Hogar/Casa Indigena as part of the trip. The money goes to the houses and their staff for expenses we incur while we are there, as well as other house necessities. The local economy in Leon is very difficult. The project is on a shoestring budget and the contributions really make a difference.

Casa Hogar is comprised of four group homes in Leon:

Rosas Morenos: Home to the older girls ages 10-18. Near old central Leon within walking distance of the plaza.The nicest of the 4 homes- this used to be a private residence. The best "Tacos Al Pastor" are right next door. Rosa Morenos was originally the day care center for the indigenous children before Casa Indigena was built. .

Tierra Blanca is one of the two original group residences and housed the little boys, ages 4-9. It was converted to the little girls home last year.

Las Trojes: Home for the older boys ages 9-18. In a rougher part of Leon. Trojes is the other original group residence and has always been the home for older boys.

Trebol: The newest home opened last June and is for the little boys ages 4-9. Trebol has beautiful grounds and many possibilities. There is lots of room for a vegetable garden, chicken coop etc.

Recuerdos de Leon -- Memories of Leon

by Jim Burklo, SPC pastor, from the August 2005 Leon work trip

Nineteen of us went to Leon in August, including myself, Flora Sommers, and Linda Woodbury from Sausalito Presbyterian. Nine of our group were teenagers. We followed another trip led by SPC's Denni Locke in July '05. Denni's smaller team created a patio made of paver bricks that is a major enhancement to the formerly muddy and dusty area in front of the apartments (which our teams built years earlier) at Casa Indigena. Our focus was to conduct "campamento del dia", a day camp for about 50 of the kids in the Casa Hogar homes for abandoned, neglected, or abused children.

We stayed at Rosas Moreno, one of the group homes in downtown Leon, which is not in use in the summer, when many of the children go to temporary foster homes or, in some cases, to be reunited for the summer with their families. Rosas Moreno is an easy walk from the lovely plaza of Leon's old downtown.. After getting oriented to the city, our group took a tour of the Casas and of the site where some indigenous (Indian) families built squatter dwellings by the railroad tracks. This is one of the sites from which came the original group of families that occupied Casa Indigena.

The "campamento" was held for four days at Casa Trebol, the house for younger boys that is located on the edge of the city. It's a verdant spot with a nice yard (and clouds of flies that drift in from the odorous dairy "granja" next door). Flora Sommers of SPC led the camp, with special help from Maryellen Taylor, who organized the crafts projects. Casa Hogar's vans delivered children from the other group homes to Trebol for the camp each day.

The kids who have been in the Casas for an extended period were wonderfully well-mannered and cheerful. But it was obvious from the start of the camp that there were some new kids in the Casas, fresh out of very difficult circumstances. These few kids were a challenge for the first couple of days of the camp. It was beautiful to see these kids open up and reflect the warmth of the Casa Hogar staff and our volunteers, just in the short time we were there.

The kids decorated picture frames and had their photos taken individually on the first day. For many kids, this frame with their picture in it would become the only really personal thing they owned. They had a great time smearing paint and glue and decorations on their frames. Camp was off to a good start! The next day we decorated caps with wild colors and glitter and feathers. (All of us were glistening with glitter by the end of the week; no matter how hard we tried to wash it off in the dribbly showers at Rosas Moreno!)

In the afternoons, volunteers Cliff and Andy and Cameron taught the kids how to play baseball. Cliff Mettier, age 18, had gathered donated baseball equipment to bring down to Leon as his Eagle Scout service project. The kids were very excited about the game and serious about learning techniques of pitching, fielding, and batting from our volunteer "coaches". It helped a lot that Roberto, one of the "tios" or "uncles" who serve as house parents for the Casas, was a hotshot Mexican baseball player; he limed the field and "coached", too.... and will keep the equipment in use now that we have left!

As was the case last year, our planned "graduation ceremony" at the end of the camp was rained out, with thunder and lightning! Gaby Hernandez, Casa Loyola's director, made beautiful certificates for each child who participated, which she distributed later. But the hugging and crying of kids and volunteers as we departed more than made up for any formalities!

Most of the volunteers stayed on for a day of R and R in nearby Guanajuato, a lovely old colonial city in a mining district in the mountains. Our teen volunteers stood on the balcony of Hotel San Diego late at night to listen to Cervantes-era Spanish music being sung and played by college students in 16th century dress, on the plaza below. A smaller group of us then went on to San Miguel de Allende, another smaller, very beautiful colonial city in Guanajuato state, the next day.

Leon Trip ~ Impressions from Cynnie Rampelberg

Saturday, May 22, 2004 Nancy & Jim Osborn, Cynnie & Jerry Rampelberg and Sue & Sam Hoch left for Leon, as Ambassador representatives of our SPC to experience this project and the "vision" for these chldren. We arrived so unprepared for the disarming display of love and affection from these Casa Hogar children, who were neatly dressed, clean and appearing very happy as well as energetic!! Each one from the ages of 3 to 16 came up to us (as we went to each of the 4 "safe homes") with kisses & hugs and (handshakes from the older boys.). You couldn't help picking up the small ones and hugging them back as their spirits were so trusting and real !

This was an AMAZING experience for us.The incredible leadership and commitment to these projects and these kids is led by Manuel ( the pres. of the Board of Trustees) and Gaby (an atty who is the project director)...THEY are the true"ANGELS" who devote their lives to these abused or abandoned kids as well as at Centro Indigena, where the indigenous families reside .

At Casa Hogar, we were shown the dorms and how clean and neat they were especially their beds and locker areas. Each home has an in house adult who directs and watches over the 25 children as (aunt or uncle). There are several devoted and intelligent college students at each home to guide the kids with creative projects and classes for the indigenous families. These volunteers were amazingly loving and committed to these kids.

We spent time at all the homes and on the last evening the Casa Hogar children; all 100 of them gathered at Tierra Blanca (one of the homes) and put on a talent show for us at the Fiesta. It was awesome !!! The food was superb, decorations all in fiesta style and each age group entertained us with a dance, song or playing of guitars. It was so wonderful as they had rehearsed this and we were the special guests representing SPC.

We ended our visit with very full hearts and a better awareness of this VISION and the SUCCESS of this project and how very important our role at SPC is for the future for these kids

SPC can be very proud of all the people involved in Leon and at home in this wonderful and life changing project ...and we highly encourage more to "GO" and SEE for yourselves. These kids managed to say in English "Thank you for coming!" It was all we 6 could handle short of a deluge of tears. For Jerry & myself it was a life altering experience in which we were blessed with as much love as we hoped to share :>)

Thank you Gaby & Manuel, the SPC Mission Committee, and Bob and Denni!!!