Welcome Home and Merry Christmas

I hoped to remember so many signs, wonders and miracles we had experienced during the 7 months in Miami.

St. Justin Martyr Catholic Church

During the next few days, David received many visitors John, Ricky, Tania, uncle Carlos, aunt Flor, cousins and others who came to say goodbye. On Thursday we gave Don Carlos, Stuckey and Andy the blankets that Noemy and Hector got for them. Their church in Ohio, St. Justin Martyr have a Prayer Shawl Ministry were they sew lap blankets as a “hug from God to those in need”. Not only are prayers said while they are being made, but after completion a priest blesses them. Stuckey was so happy to receive the blanket and Don Carlos could not stop crying. Many CNA's and nurses came to wish David a Merry Christmas and a happy travel back home.

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Jorge spent Thursday night with us and left Friday to Orlando in the van. He would pick us up the next day. Gaby, James, and doggies Lily & Clyde spent the night at Eddy and Ana Carolina’s apartment so that we could ride with them to the nursing home, wait for David to be picked up and drive together to the train station. I was so excited I barely slept that night. I was still in shock that we were leaving and going home.

Jorge & I.

Getting ready to leave.

When we got to the facility at 5:30 AM they had David in the lobby in pajamas and a blanket because they couldn’t get to the clothes in the locker, so we ran to his room and got him dressed in a hurry before transportation would arrive. The physical therapist, Julissa came to say goodbye. She told David to work hard and that she would try to visit us soon. I became a little anxious, as transportation hadn’t arrived at 6am as agreed. I couldn’t fathom the thought of missing the train, which was schedule to leave at 8:00am. At 6:45am STS arrived and explained the delay was due to a flat tire and was able to quickly change it to pick up David.

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As we walked into Miami’s Amtrak train station, a violinist began to play.  I thought, someone had arranged for this surprise. It was the kind of details that David would have thought of. I reminded David of the violinist he had arranged for me at my surprise birthday party at Segafredo the year before.

Now the treat was for him. With tears in our eyes, we listened to her and watched her do a little river dance for David. What a perfect way to leave Miami.

Gaby took pictures of every expression of happiness in our faces. It was hard to say goodbye to my sister Gaby. We had been on an emotional roller coaster together for 7 months with David's accident and the death of our father. It had been a blessing she had been transferred to south Florida as I remained in Miami with David.

They lifted David up on the train and off we went to a new chapter of our journey. Ana Carolina, David and I had a great time on the train. We ate, napped, played and talked about all the things that were waiting for us back home.

When we were getting closer to Orlando, David kept looking outside the window and sighing deeply as if he recognized the landmarks. Closer to the Winter Park station, he began to cry. Attendant Cassandra, who had learned our story came in and began to cry with all of us. She quoted Bible verses reminding us how much God loved us. Jorge was waiting at the station with a huge smile and as we spotted him we all cried again. We arrived around 2pm.

Ana Carolina rode home with David on the Lynx van and I rode with Jorge.

Ana said that as soon as they parked in front of our home David anxiously tried to unfasten his seat-belt.

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He cried from the moment they lift him out of the van and smiled all the way to his room. His eyes were full of joy when he saw Fernando, his cat Calle and our dogs B-boy and Princess.

As a surprise for David, the doorbell rang around 7:30pm and as soon as he saw Kimberly walking into the house – his amazement and joy was obvious. About an hour later, Kimberly, Fernando and I walked outside to the front balcony and shared emotions and stories. We talked of how God's plan was amazing and how he took care of everything so perfectly.

All of a sudden a group of about 20 people were walking down the hill in the middle of the street toward us. We didn’t know what to think of this. I couldn’t recognize who they were. They stood in front of the house and began caroling. This had never happened in the 15 years we had lived here.

I invited them inside and without any introduction or explanation from any of them or us; they circled in front of David who was sitting in the family room. A young woman addressed him and said that God had a message for him. A gentleman recited a verse of the bible declaring, “there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” and the entire group began singing “Oh, Come let us adore Him”. There were Asians, Hispanics, Blacks, Whites, children, teenagers, young men and women and elderly people. Every culture and age was represented in this group who for the next 15 minutes took turns to recite bible verses and sang Silent Night, The First Noel and other Christmas carols.

We were taken back by their warmth and joy. When I asked what church they were from, they answered they were from no particular church and left. We never saw them again. God was welcoming us home in His own special way.

As we embarked a new path, we reflected on what we had learned so far. No human being could have managed to orchestrate in such a perfect way all the events in the manner they had been unfolded for us.  It wasn’t about what fitted in our lives but how we lived fully our potential with what we had in front of us. Our days were not predictable but each day and moment became meaningful. It was about not fearing to experience new ways of doings things. We learned that by daring to open ourselves to God’s Will, He revealed Himself to us in ways unimaginable. We stopped guessing. We learn to pray about everything all the time. In the midst of suffering, we had encountered sheer goodness all along. And this became our best Christmas Gift.
 
(John 3:16; Luke 2:10-11)