Ana Cristina - House 9
Ana Cristina was born March 11, 1997. This makes her presently 8 years old. She is a sister to Taís and Ana Paula whom we have had among us for some 9 years already. She adapted well from the first day forward. Of course who won’t when on your first day you participate in the COL Christmas program (with no inhibition I might add) followed by more ice cream than you can eat, and then receive a Christmas present the very next day.
When Jessica our daughter took pictures of Ana Cristina she noticed that she was role modeling in a rather sensuous manner. She commented that she thought that there might be sexual abuse in her background, and then upon reading the report that the social workers left for us, this was confirmed. In the past this child had been exposed to pornographic films that the neighborhood men watched at Ana Cristina parents home. She had also complained at school that she was being molested by these same men. She was taken away by the authorities and placed in the half way house where her behavior was being observed, and which indicated that she was used to being sexually abused.
Ana Cristina was brought up in precarious circumstances, basically in the middle of the bush. Once at the half way house, she underwent surgery to extract various parasites lodged in her head, hands and feet. She was also undernourished and had a bad case of lice. Ana Cristina suffered from sexual abuse, in the home or with relatives or known people in her life. (At least 4 young men and the father are being cited by her). She was tested clinically and the results came back proving sexual abuse accompanied by various lesions. She has been tested for hepatitis as well as Aids, and fortunately these tests came back negative.
January 2007 Update: Ana Cristina is 9 and in grade 1. Ana is fairly new to the homes and a relationship to Christ is totally new to her. When she first came she would have extreme bouts of crying. One night after such a bout, Jaqueline, the housemother led Ana to a relationship with the Lord. She is learning how to walk in the light! Her old habits are gone and we see light in her life and a growing love for the Lord. She is especially fond of her housefather Joel. She sang in the Christmas cantata at church and goes to Sunday School. Ana is neat and tidy, obedient and loving. She is undergoing treatment with a speech therapist and ear, nose, throat specialist. Her speech impediment and difficulty hearing are results from toxoplasmosis acquired at birth.
Main Prayer Request: For her extensive medical testing and her health, especially her speech and hearing. She has difficulty in school retaining information.
2008 Update: Ana Cristina is eleven years old and in grade one at school. She has difficulty reading and has been handicapped with a hearing problem. Hopefully surgery is going to improve her hearing and her ability to learn and understand. At home she cleans the bathrooms and she likes to play with dolls and computer games in her spare time. She has a calm personality, although she is angry at times. She is progressing well in her spiritual life, showing a lot of interest in spiritual things and especially enjoying singing praise songs. She has accepted the Lord as her Saviour and has been baptized. She attends girls’ club and Sunday School. Please pray for good recovery from surgery and for Ana Cristina to succeed in reading.
2009 Update: Ana Cristina has been working faster at school recently. This is an accomplishment because she finds it difficult to finish all her work at school. Math is difficult for her, and in other areas, too, she does not take action to get something done. At times she can be very stubborn, and at times tends to just be a follower instead taking initiative. She asks us to pray for her biological mother.
Birthday: March 11, 1997
Sister: Tais