The Good Shepherd

Lisimaco lives with his wife of 50 years. They have 5 children, one of then who have died. Currently they live with one of their daughters and their grandchildren. Lisimaco is very active physically. As a young man, he worked as a security guard. As a lifestyle, Lisimaco also displays a spirit of discipline and a very good body posture. 

Lisimaco has been part of the Good Shepherd Center for 8 years. He greatly enjoys the food prepared by Senora Maria and the compassionate and dignified care received from her and the ministry coordinator. He also feels that the activities, interactions, and learnings that happen at the Good Shepherd Center are very useful and practical for daily life.

From the son that died, there are two sons for whom Lisimaco has custody. He welcomes prayers for improvements in his blood pressure and for wisdom to raise the grandchildren in a good and healthy way.

Silvio is a robust gentleman with a good sense of humor. He is married yet lives alone, as his wife is taking care of health concerns present in the lives of their daughters. Silvio has 5 children. His oldest son is the only one he has contact with sporadically.

Silvio and his family are originally from the department of Cauca and because of armed conflict, he was displaced from his home. After seeking refuge in different places, they arrived in Soacha, in Ciudadela Sucre.

Despite having active mobility and being able to move around with the use of a cane, Silvio has sight difficulties. This creates fears and prevents him from preparing food and some chores around the house. Silvio feels bad about living alone and would like to share with his children again, but his family is divided by wounds from the past, so Silvio finds himself in a situation of family isolation.

Silvio’s motivation for attending the Good Shepherd is his need for food, the desire to share with other people, so Silvio is always happy to chat with Mrs. Maria at the Good Shepherd Center. Mrs. Maria is the cook who prepares the food for everyone. Silvio also participates with other attendees of the different activities which are part of the Good Shepherd Holistic Ministry Center.

Silvio welcomes our prayers for recovery of his eyesight, for medical attention to improve his hearing condition, and for improved family relations with his daughters and wife, so that he is no longer alone.

Leito (as we affectionately call her) is a grandmother with a very elegant demeanor. She has been part of the Center for the last five years. She leaves alone as her children have their own families live away from Soacha. Though her health is not that good, she maintains a good attitude, has learned to live alone and to follow up her medical care. To provide for her basic expenses she relies on a little money the Colombian government provides as a subsidy. Leito also values the food provided at the Good Shepherd Center and the occasional help she receives from her children.  

Thanks to the support of the Good Shepherd Center, Leito was able to follow up on some medical tests to identify the reasons for her stomach issues. Though she was diagnosed with diabetes, she is in a stable condition and still enjoys the food provided at the center. She is very grateful for the support to follow up on her medical condition given the fact that she has no one else to help her.

Leito is very motivated to be at the Good Shepherd Center because of the physical and spiritual food the center provides, because of the socializing good conversations with other participants, the laughter, and the common activities. In her own words, this shared community experience is the best antidote for loneliness. Leito welcomes our prayers so that God will provide for her health and for fixing some basic home needs such as the bathroom and some paint in her humble home.

Mrs. Carmen has been attending the Good Shepherd for two years having been invited by one of the participants who is their close neighbor. Doña Carmen lives with her husband of 53 years.  However, because of the aggressive behavior of her husband, in the last 5 years they have barely  communicated with each other. This situation forced the reality to each live in separate rooms, which restricts the possibility of communication and generates an atmosphere of solitude for each one.

From their marriage they had 4 children, 3 of whom live geographically close to Doña Carmen. Despite the fact of living close to each other, because of the work activities and obligations the children have at home, there is little connectivity or communication. The fourth son lives away from Bogota.

Senora Carmen values the relationship she has with her granddaughters  who sometimes assist her with medical appointments. As a support network, Carmen has a sister who lives in the other extreme of Bogota and lets Carmen stay with her when Carmen has medical appointments in that area of the big city.

Mrs. Carmen is up to date with her medical check-ups and illnesses. Because she fell down about two years ago, Carmen has a hip replacement surgery pending. It is very difficult for her to decide whether or not to have the hip replacement because she fears that many of the medical conditions related to this situation will be too much for her. Part of this struggle is also Carmen cannot pay for these related medical expenses as she has no economic assets at all.

Regarding the motivation for attending the Good Shepherd, Carmen mentions that she likes to get out of their house and do other types of activities. Carmen also values, enjoys  and appreciates the worship services and of the times of prayer. Carmen feels very grateful for the loving care of the Good Shepherd, and she hopes that God will allow her to be part of the Good Shepherd Center for a long time to come.

Carmen welcomes our prayer for her medical conditions as she also fears loosing mobility.

Pedro Emilio was not born in Bogota, but from a very young age and due to working opportunities, he moved to Bogota, where he developed different activities and finally retired when he reached the required age. For the last 14 years Pedro has lived with Mrs. Adela. Both provide for their basic expenses with the small amount of money they receive from Pedro’s retirement. At home, they live with a cat and a dog that are their companions. At present, their support system is only the daughter of Adela because Pedro lost communication with his adopted children for different family situations.

In general, Mr. Pedro is in a stable state of health, and he has overcome kidney cancer treatment. On the other hand, Pedro is adapting to the use of dental prostheses, which will allow him to have a better consumption of food. Other medical situations include care for his eye cataracts. Our Good Shepherd Ministry is following up this situation and supporting him with these procedures, so he receives care as soon as possible.

What he likes most about the Good Shepherd  is the love he receives from others, the nutritional food prepared by Senora Maria, the good treatment by the coordination of the Good Shepherd Ministry and the visitors who come to share time with the participants of the Center. Pedro states that although it is difficult to walk to the Center, he does so because he has the desire to learn and share with others.

Pedro always expresses his joy and gratitude to the Good Shepherd and to all donors who make this care possible for the elderly of Ciudadela Sucre. Pedro welcomes our prayers for prompt medical care, particularly his eye cataracts so that his eyesight is not affected, as well as for the health of his partner Adela, who is undergoing medical studies to determine the cause of the pain and the bleeding she is suffering at this time.

Adelina lives in a free union with Pedro and both have been participating at the Good Shepherd Center for the last five years. Though one of her daughters lives nearby, there is not good communication or relationship. Her support system now is Pedro and her granddaughter. She also has a dog and a cat which she considers great company.

Though Adela y Pedro gets a very small subsidy from the local government because of health reasons, this subsidy is not enough to cover their basic daily expenses. According to her medical history, Adela requires mental health care as well as urology and gynecological services. It is very difficult for them to face these conditions and not have resources even for transportation.

For Adela, the Good Shepherd Center is a second family, and she always makes the effort to attend and participate. Adela welcomes our prayers to improve her health as well as the health of Pedro.

Eladio has lived in the area for 20 years, in a neighborhood that is somewhat far removed from the Good Shepherd. However, he attends regularly and with a good attitude despite his health ailments. He lives with his Alcira, who is also a participant at the Good Shepherd. In the past they got little money from gathering recycling materials but now that Eladio suffers from prostate problems, they were forced to stop that humble work.

From the marriage there are two children who sporadically and as they are able, help Eladio and Alcira with little money to buy food and to pay utilities. Eladio has a good relationship with Alcira, and although they sometimes have difficulties as a couple, most of the time the hey are in good spirits and very participative.

Eladio feels the Good Shepherd Center is very significant because he is being treated with love, he feels important and loved. Speaking about Senora Mary (Cook) Eladio says she is a friend who advises him and to whom he feels very grateful. About the activities that develop with the coordinator says that they help him to feel alive and that when he is at home feeling bored, he remembers some activities and starts doing them. Although Eladio has discomfort in his urinary system, he is also overweight and asks for prayer for his overall state of health.

Blanca joined the Good Shepherd Center a few months ago, shortly after arriving in the area. She comes from an area far away from Bogota where she has lived most of her life. The main reason she moved to Ciudadela Sucre for health issues, thinking that being in this place it is easier to access medical services, have the company of her daughter and other family members. By living with one of her grandchildren, the expense for paying rent is also less.

Blanca is currently helping her 29-year-old grandson, who suffered an accident last year and lost one of his legs. Blanca has dedicated herself to accompanying him and helping him now that his mobility is very reduced. Blanca is an engaged participant in the Good Shepherd, she is very grateful for the attention given to her. She mentions that he likes everything and is happy to attend.

The times of prayer are very important to her. She feels the need to be able to finalize the repair of the humble house she inherited from her father and thus be able to live there. Blanca asks prayers for the improvement of his grandson because apart from the amputation, he also suffers from epilepsy.

Inés is a small woman, but she has a giant spirit full of love, solidarity and a good sense of humor. She is very collaborative and of few words, but despite the fact that she faces many struggles, she does not have an attitude of complaining and always looks for the positive side.

Though Inés is another of our participants who lives within a 30-minute walk she attends very regularly. Thanks God she is in good health and is now following medical check-ups without complications. Inesita, as we affectionately call her, lost her son some time ago, who had problems with illicit drugs and for the same reason she was a constant victim of verbal violence on the part of him. The consumption of illicit drugs caused serious damage to his integrity and took his life so Inés was left alone. Because of this situation, Ines had a lot of legal problems. Because Ines had been part of the Good Shepherd Center, we were able to comfort and help her which is something Ines thanks the Center all the time.   

Inés continues to live alone and is facing some problems with documentation of her humble home. This place has faults in the power connection and with the gas supply, situations that affect Ines’ quality of life and cause her much anguish.

Inés finds in the Good Shepherd an important support for food and as a space for socialization, it is easy for her to share with all the participants, and she likes to support in the organization of the space.

Ines require prayerful support to find a way to fix the problems at her home, to improve her quality of life and to overcome these anxieties.

Tere, as we affectionately call her, is a woman who loves God with all her heart. She is always smiling and always has a friendly attitude. Tere has been part of the Good Shepherd Center for 6 years. Though she at times has to interrupt her participation, she does so because she is still doing work activities to help herself. She lives alone, she didn’t have children and she didn’t have a husband, so when some work opportunities appear such as babysitting or cleaning houses, she lets us know. This shows her care for other seniors to access our services in their time of great need.  Teresa lives four blocks from the Good Shepherd Center, lives with 3 cats and makes sure the cats don’t lack anything they need.

Tere has diabetes problems which makes difficult for her to work. Tere is very thankful for the spiritual and physical food she receives, loves prayer and worship times. Tere values the sharing conversations with participants of different denominational churches and affirms that we are all sons and daughters of God.

Teresa asks for prayers to improve her health and to get the small subsidy of the local government to have some income for her monthly expenses.

Luisa is a kind lady with a good sense of humor. She is one of the first women to arrive along with her sister, Elsa. Both were workers in the area of cleaning services and with a lot of effort have been able to build their own humble houses. Not having any retirement fund, they are still looking for other forms of some income to meet their needs.

Luisa lives with her grandson Michael, whom she calls son and the youngest calls him mother. The child has been cared for since his earliest years by Luisa due to the absence of his parents. Luisa is proud of her son and emphasizes that he is a good young man who is also a source of support and company. The young man is studying at SENA and the hope is that he will be able to find a job and continue studying.

Although Luisa is in good health in general, she rigorously maintains her medical check-ups. She maintains good relationships with her neighbors, likes to talk, is generous and in situations of calamity visits her friends. She offers to go with the coordinator of the Good Shepherd Center to make home visits.

For Luisa, the treatment they receive in the Good Shepherd is important and significant, she feels loved,

Luisa is so thankful for Senora Maria who is like a second mother and states that everything that The Good Shepherd Center teaches helps participants for their daily lives and to maintain better health. Due to her history of cardiac arrest, Luisa asks for prayers for her health and for all participants of the Center so that they may enjoy health until God calls them into eternal life.

Manuel has been living in Ciudadela Sucre for 8 years. He came to the sector after losing his job as a security guard. In the last 16 months, Manuel began to have pain in his hip and is currently waiting for transplant surgery to help him so that he is no longer in pain and can regain his mobility. Manuel currently lives alone and has the support of a close friend who helps him to attend to go to the doctor and do other daily activities.

Manuel regularly attends the Good Shepherd Center and maintains a participative attitude. Right now there is a pressing need for medical care, so that he can have surgery as soon as possible and alleviate the pain he experiences when he walks to the Center. For Manuel, the Good Shepherd Center is like his family where his companions are attentive to him and care enough to miss him, to take the food offered by the Center to him when he cannot make it himself to the Center.

Manuel welcomes our prayers so that his health will improve, that his surgery may be done soon and that his recovery may go well.  

Pedro is a very formal and helpful gentleman. In his younger days he participated in social initiatives in favor of collective well-being. About his personal life he does not talk much. He now lives alone in a room where he pays rent.  Pedro’s support network is people from different churches that are present in the area.

Just recently, Pedro has been facing some health situations, and this has prevented him from carrying out their normal activities, so he feels bothered and indisposed. We from the Good Shepherd Center have looked for ways to support him with attentive listening, food supplies, visits and prayer.

For Pedro, The Good Shepherd Center is a space for healthy sharing where he can learn from listening to other people, where he can also share his knowledge, support each other and be present with all the people involved in this ministry.

Finally, it is difficult for Don Pedro to tolerate bodily discomfort and to be limited in his ability to regain his health. Because health is Pedro’s most treasured blessing, he asks God our Heavenly Father to spare him from pain and to let him be active.

Marina is a native of the State of Santander. She married Reinaldo, with whom they traveled to different places in Colombia. Now they live in Soacha where they have decided to stay. Marina had three children and currently lives with her husband and one of their daughters. Because of her health, she can’t leave the house very often so her husband is the main caregiver. Marina’s mobility is very limited, her speech and eyesight is greatly diminished and, according to specialists, he has a picture of schizophrenia.

Despite all these situations, during the visits to her home, Marina is attentive and makes great efforts to keep the conversation going.

This elderly couple requires critical support so that Marina may receive medical attention, also so that Reinaldo could remain calm in relation to the care of his wife. Although it is not easy for Marina to participate in person in the Good Shepherd, she is grateful for the support she receives with food, the company received through the visits to her home, the support for medical appointments. For this vulnerable couple, this loving care is a way to overcome their isolation.

Please pray that Marina will be able to regain some of her mobility, that she will be able to do some activities at home and not feel like a burden.

Reinaldo is a native of Valle de Cauca. Because he knows many trades he has traveled to many places where there is informal work. This way he met his wife, Marina. They have been married for 55 years and despite the struggles with her health conditions, Reinaldo is very attentive to the care of his wife.

Reinaldo is of few words, so it is difficult for him to ask for and receive help. However, in the Good Shepherd Center Reinaldo has made a lot of progress and now is more open to ask and receive help.

For Reinaldo, as a caregiver, the care provided by the Good Shepherd Center with food is invaluable and so is the spiritual accompaniment. As a matter of fact, whenever there is worship at the Good Shepherd they attend punctually. For Reinaldo, his reason for prayer is health for his wife and for himself, and that his daughters may be able to be more attentive to their mom’s situation and express more love to her.