I wake up, make a pot of coffee, maybe eat a little breakfast, and commence with my set aside quiet time with the Lord. A pretty average morning. A morning that wouldn’t be much different if I were at home, and something I thoroughly enjoy every morning. Some days are harder to wake up than others, just because sleep is so great haha. However, the not so average day awaits me. Challenges are waiting, laughs are waiting, and love is waiting to be given and received. Come 8:30, the thing I have looked forward to most in my entire life gets underway, we head to the orphanage to see the girls that have completely stolen my heart.
After ringing the doorbell and signing in at the front office, we start to make the climb up the steep quarter mile, cobblestone hill that kids are constantly running full speed down, oohhh to be young again! Anyway, my heart starts to feel lighter, my feelings turn to pure joy as we make the slight uphill turn to bring the “Estrallita” (little stars) house into view. Sometimes there are some of the girls outside hanging laundry or raking leaves, and I get greeted by them yelling, “Jose” and running up for a hug. Most of the time though, they are all inside doing their homework and chores and we get the privilege of knocking on the door and the house mom welcoming us into the lives of these kids and the house moms themselves. Regardless, Shannon and I are always greeted with joyful hugs and excitement that we are there.
These girls have endured so much in their lives, and have worth, trust, and love issues that go very deep. We have been taught by the head psychiatrist that orphans will use affection as a cover to not let you into their lives on a deeper level. It’s tricky, and something that could be a whole blog in itself. I know we are not 100% through to them yet, and that’s ok. The house moms are the ones who are the long term care takers. However, they are still young girls who desire attention, someone to tell them they love them, to spin them around in the air, hold them while they cry, tickle them, and just flat out love them unconditionally. Anytime I am there and get to just sit and look around the room at each of them, which is rare, I see the most beautiful girl in the world in each and every one of them. Their smiles, laughs, faces focused on homework. They all radiate with the love of Christ. They may not all know it, but it’s the absolute truth. One of the things I constantly ask for is God’s eyes for each one of these girls, and it has truly been given to me. When I look at these hurt, abandoned, and at some point, forgotten girls through the eyes of Christ I see the most beautiful, funny, and cool little girls I’ve ever seen. They have not only made my days not so average, but my life. I view orphan care differently, I have had my fire flamed even more for the desire to show them an earthly fathering heart that leads them to experiencing their Heavenly Father’s heart.
There have been new girls come to the house since being here and one even leave. But it is just so evident the brokenness they experience before getting there. I leave there feeling so happy that I get to be a part of their lives, even if it’s just for this season. However, I also leave with a somewhat heavy heart, wondering how such incredible girls can not be spoken for by a real set of parents. They deserve it, they desire it. I just pray, and I hope you join me, that regardless of where they end up that they know how much they are loved by their Father who art in heaven. The “little stars” will forever be more than just stars to me, they will shape and mold how I approach fighting against the strongholds the enemy has on family destruction. The “little stars” will shape how I love even my own children in the future. As time winds down here, I hate the thought of leaving them, even though I am still contemplating future things with the orphanage, I never know what the future holds. However, I know that just like stars, they have been placed in a stationary spot, and that is in the Father’s arms.
