Eva’s Heart

I did not wind up giving my heart physically away, but if I had I would have given it to Maria, the woman who’s house I worked on the second day (Tuesday) of the trip.

Her story was that her 46-year-old daughter had MS and lived in the house next to hers. Since the diagnosis, Maria stopped working to take care of her daughter (and grandchildren) full time.

On the day we were working on her house, I was working on the porch with Andrea and members of Manuel’s team to install the inverter and learn about how the electrical connection set-up worked. In our downtime, Andrea and I chatted with Manuel’s team and Maria.

Once it came time for lunch, Maria invited us in for rice and beans, and we were able to make conversation. She told us about what it was like after the hurricane hit, having to visit a refuge stuffed with tons of people along with her daughter. Essentially, it was so horrendous for her and her daughter there she has vowed never to return to a shelter like that and continues to prepare to be self sufficient through the next storm by keeping water and non-perishables in the house.

One thing I will remember, is that she was so adamant that anyone who was receiving solar during this delegation should provide coffee, water, and soda to whoever was working. It was very sweet and stood out to me, especially since she had mentioned that money for her at the moment was very tight, with her taking care of her daughter and grandchildren. Regardless, she said she continued to have faith that she would be taken care of, and that it would be okay.

This resonated with me since I also take on that attitude for when hard times come along. I thought it was special to feel connected in that way to one another.

Andrea and I were also able to meet her granddaughter (who is also named Eva) when she got picked up from school, and she was super sweet and sprightly.

I was truly thankful that Andrea could relay Maria’s story.

Thank you again!

Xoxo,

Eva