We have learned recently that Fabiola has separated herself from her family. In talking with her and her family to find out what happened, we discovered that she was in an argument with her mother and has “had enough.”  We learned more of her story and that she has been struggling with abandonment issues since the age of 12, when her mother, Dipolita, first moved to Villa Nueva to seek a relationship with a man she had met.  Fabiola has also struggled as the main bread winner for the family since Dipolita is uneducated, blaming her mother for lack of responsibility and capability to care for Fabiola and Hamilton.

Since the split, Dipolita and Hamilton, Fabiola’s brother, have moved back in with Dipolita’s mother, Emilia Cordero, because she cannot make enough money to maintain a household.  We learned that Fabiola started renting her own room and providing for herself.  In the course of the 3 days we were seeking how to best serve Fabiola and her family, she ran out of money to pay rent and was forced to leave the room she was renting.  We discovered that she had been taken in by a “house of refuge” run by an elderly woman that practices witchcraft.

During a meeting with Fabiola this week, we learned that the woman uses her home as a refuge for troubled teens and allows them to stay there free of charge, providing room and board, as long as they follow house rules.  To put it simply, the elderly woman is using this “house of refuge” deceptively to disciple a group of teens from the community in witchcraft.  In just the few days she has been staying there, we can already see a change in how Fabiola is behaving, the words she uses, and also learned she hasn’t been attending school the past few weeks (confirmed by talking to the school director).  Fabiola also declared that she doesn’t believe in the existence of God anymore.  She has never received Christ as her Savior, but at least recognized God’s presence in her life and was working on seeking His purpose for her life.

In talking with Fabiola’s family, they have agreed to meet with her and attempt to reconcile their differences, but Fabiola still feels too hurt.  She refuses to return to her family nor give them another chance.  We discussed with her the desire we have to help her at least get back into a place she can rent (her place of work closed down to inventory for two weeks and currently has no income) as well as help her with basic needs until she returns to work.  Even though she feels and recognizes that where she is isn’t the best place for her, she does not want to leave it.

We are currently working to remain in close contact with her and maintain a Godly influence on her while asking God for guidance and provision to get her out of this place.  We cannot force her to move out, so we are asking for you to join us in prayer about God changing her heart 1) so that she moves out of where she is staying and 2) to receive His forgiveness so that she can fully offer it to her family.  Fabiola has put herself in a very volatile situation and every day that passes, digs deeper into being influenced by those around her.