We Are Stardust (We Are Golden)

What would you do if you were diagnosed with a fatal disease? This thought is the reality that the directors are facing here. Clark has been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease which will wear down his motor neurons for the next few years. He had been experiencing difficulty walking while he and his wife were visiting churches in the States. In Boston, his friends told him to get checked out which resulted in various MRIs and being referred to two different doctors both of which confirmed his fatal diagnosis. Since returning to Quito, he has been struggling with the high altitude a bit, but not to any extent that an outsider would notice. He does carry a cane now though, without stress or difficulty. Today many people came forward in church to lay their hands on Clark and his wife Melinda to support them in this diagnosis, showing their love and respect for the work they have done and the people that they are. Though Clark and Melinda shirked any kind of pity, it was hard to keep a dry eye.

Clark was educated to be an attorney and in fact had a successful practice out in Mammoth, CA. He had come down to Quito on a missions trip some years prior, with his future wife Melinda, and a few years later felt moved to return and begin an orphanage here – moved by God, they would attest. Despite their friends’ concerns, they packed up their life and came down here 20 or so years ago and began creating a place where unwanted children could come in the hopes of being adopted. At first it seemed uncertain as they faced great difficulties, even involving losing the life of a baby in the process. But though they questioned this calling, they didn’t turn back.

They told people that they felt called by God to start this orphanage but would be challenged with, “But has God also called your children?” Ecuador is not exactly the safest country, nor is it on par with the United States in standard of living. They assured their children that if the territory were to affect their family, they could always go back to the states. This consolation provided enough assurance for the children to be on board with the decision. They could always go back if they absolutely needed to: family came first.

Now I’m sitting here, 20 years later, enjoying the fruits of their labor. There are three buildings here, all of which provide a loving environment for any child to grow up in. I sit on the porch of a guest house that welcomes any team willing to help. As of now, there is a team from Boston here, which makes me even more contented (they were showing us pictures of all the snow up there, making me feel a bit nostalgic). They’ve helped guide the process of hundreds of children to families. It’s amazing the things that you can do in your life and the lives that you can greatly influence. Helping a child find a caring family seems to be one of the most basic to human happiness.

And now, here they are faced with a life threatening illness. The difficulty of that only challenges their character even more to respond in a great way. Some people would fall apart when faced with such finiteness, yet many would only be able to respond with great strength and power. I have often thought that losing a spouse would be more difficult than losing a child, and here is a woman faced with exactly that. Time doesn’t stop for trials, it keeps moving along challenging us to cope. However, its incredible the support that you can find in the people around you. As Melinda put in, she feels like she has been injected with peace and comfort only by the grace of God, feeling the warmth of a thousand prayers.

Realizing how short life really is, reminds me that appreciating relationships and building a meaningful existence is paramount. Not allowing stress or difficulties overcome you is key, as you intentionally take advantage of all the goodness that surrounds you: friends, family and helping others. It sounds cliche, but most true things are. We often repeat these kinds of things for a reason. Life is really about giving and loving the best you can.