Our four-year old twins, Jenny and Julie, were in bed, quite asleep. They had been finally worn out with their new toys, their grandparents' daylong visit, and the late Christmas Eve church service the evening before. My wife, Cindy, had asked me to clean up the wrapping paper strewn about the tree while she drove her parents back to their home in Mt. Norton, about thirty miles distant.

I paused in my primary activity to scan the living room, with its wrapping and ribbon scattered about as though a tornado had just ripped through it. This had been a good year for us all. We had many blessings to count, and the bounty of our children's Christmas was a mark of that. I honestly felt that this past year had been a gift from heaven.

This notion reminded me that it hadn't been such a good year for everybody. Our nanny, Marta Rivera, had been deported in August. The INS had caught up with her and sent her back to Peru. Thankfully, they had taken her into custody at her at her own apartment, and she had categorically refused to discuss who had been employing her, so my wife and I had completely dodged any legal difficulties or fines.

Marta had known they were closing in. That is why she had approached us, asking for our assistance in one matter. We had agreed, and for this reason I had known not one moment of concern that Marta would breathe a word of our hiring her.

So when the agents had shown up to apprehend her, they found Marta alone. They found no one else, nor any trace of anyone else. As a result, Marta had been sent back to Peru and difficult economic circumstances alone.

Days earlier Maria, Marta's thirteen-year-old daughter, had moved into our basement guest bedroom, along with all her worldly belongings. Marta had wanted to ensure that no matter what, Maria would grow up in the United States. I recall the very last instructions Marta had given her daughter, on that fateful day when she had left for her own apartment and a date with deportation. She had made it very clear to Maria that no matter what happened to her, Maria was to obey us in everything, and to never give us any reason to send her back to South America. The cute little teen had nodded her head gravely, and answered "Si', Mama."....(cont)