The Store

Several years ago, we started selling Casa de Esperanza t-shirts and a few other things with the profit going back into the home.  We have increased the items stocked in the store every year. Most groups that come see the store once or maybe twice. Casa de Esperanza could not survive without the income from the store. 

When we started the new mission house, we decided to build a room for the store.  We did not close the store here on the campus of Casa de Esperanza.  The new store is bigger and has more light and more room to breathe.  It also has more product.  We open the store every night for the groups to shop at their leisure.

I am training three kids, Brayan, Ana and Jackson, to work in the store.  Brayan has worked the longest and knows more of what to do.  As the mission house and the new store was being built, Brayan was a bit more excited than the other two.

When we get to the mission house and open the store, we have to clean and straighten.  We stock drinks at the end of the day so they will be cold for the next day.  Brayan knows more than anyone else to do these things.

Last night we got to the mission house and I had to leave immediately and forgot to leave the store key.

As groups come and go, most of the kids get to know people and get closer to some people than others.  When I returned, Brayan was talking to Eric Green, whom he met three years ago.  Eric has not been back since that trip three years ago, but obviously Brayan was very fond of him.  Brayan said to me lets go open the store.  And, off we went.  Brayan asked Eric to come with us.

We opened the store and Brayan began to say to Eric, "see our new store.  See how much room we have.  See our new product.  See this.  See that.  We sell ice cream now."   Brayan was telling and showing with much pride.

 Of course, I was a bit proud myself as I watched Brayan proudly showing the new store.