The Samaritan’s Feet mission team met Ms. Clara and her family while serving on a mission trip in Belize. We loved her instantly, and we think you will, too.
MEET MS. CLARA
Ms. Clara has a gentle voice and kind spirit. She is a mom of six, with one on the way. She has four girls, Sanare, Ivoina, Cordelia, and Maryln, and two boys, David and Jenarno. Her husband’s name is Santiago.
She smiled as she carried her younger son, Jenarno, while two of her other children, Marlyn and David, ran around her energetically playing. Maryln’s eyes were filled with curiosity as she shyly said she loved playing with her toys. David, in a soft-spoken voice, revealed he loved playing with trucks, and although he wasn’t sure what he wants to do when he’s older, he knows his favorite thing to do in school is math.
Ms. Clara and her beautiful family live in Conejo Creek in Belize.
Conejo Creek is difficult to get to. It’s located in the Toledo District of southern Belize, just a few miles from the border of Guatemala. One must take a long, bumpy dirt road to get to this Kekchi Maya village, with jungles spilling down both sides of the road. There are no nearby shops, medical facilities, or employment opportunities.
Santiago does odd jobs around the area. He will often spend a half-day working somewhere and then make the journey back home. Since Ms. Clara has mostly daughters, she says only her two sons will be able to help their father work.
Ms. Clara’s chores and family keep her busy. When the family wakes each morning, they usually have some tea and breakfast. Then she helps the children get washed so they are ready for school.
Their home in the forest is a bit of a distance from other places in their village. The school, for instance, is about a 25 minute walk one-way. The three oldest children go to school every day, and they are very enthusiastic about saying they do. Ms. Clara walks her children to school daily, then she walks home to prepare lunch, then she walks back to school to give her children lunch, then she walks back home, then she walks back to school to pick up her children, and then she walks back home with her children.
Ms. Clara said one thing they were in need of right now are books. She said her daughters need books for school, and that they were willing to stop going to school, but she encouraged them to continue in school and continue reading.
The day Samaritan’s Feet met Ms. Clara, there was a shoe distribution in their village. Ms. Clara noted that her daughter Marlyn had the shoes she was wearing for a long time. So, they were both excited that Marlyn was getting a new pair.
Ms. Clara’s kids were able to sit and have their feet washed, giggling throughout the interaction. As they each had new shoes placed on their feet, Ms. Clara stood behind them with a relieved smile.
Ms. Clara is clearly proud of her sweet, beautiful family. She wanted the best for them.
