"I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2
Monday was a difficult morning. We arrived in "Lomas De Marchan" which is a community just a few minutes from Hannah's Home. We were to go around the community and pass out VBS flyers and tell everyone about VBS later in the afternoon. As I was walking our group came across two little girls that were alone laying behind a concrete stone. They had such a lonely look about them and it was apparent that they were in need. Much more than the other children in the community. I approached them and through a translator they told me their names and their ages. The oldest girl (Maria) was 4 years old and Viviana (pictured above) was around 2 years old. I kneeled down in the dusty dirt and began holding their hand and trying to communicate to them. I immediately sensed that God wanted to pour His love through me and touch them. Dirt covered their faces and a sense of hopelessness was in their eyes. The only other time that I have seen such hopelessness has been in the children that live at the dump in Quito, Ecuador. It is an expressionless, glazed look about them that never changes. Tony Kay and I picked them up and began searching for their mom and dad. The neighborhood began telling us where they lived and that there mom and dad left them. More than that, they are telling us that they leave them all the time for hours at a time. My heart began to weep and immediately thought of my own children who are about the same age. I couldn't comprehend how someone could leave them on the street with no one responsible for taking care of them. I immediately knew that God ultimately watches over his children.
We went to their home which is a very small one room thatched hut where 4 children and two adults live. There is one bed lying on the dirt floor which has the bed springs exposed (photo to be added later because it Tony Kay took it). We immediately went and got water and some crackers. I could go even longer and tell what happened. But, long story short is that our group took the girls over to Hogar De Ninos and gave them a bath, a hot lunch, and some clean clothes. Maria now has a smile and has come with us to VBS the last two days. There is a different look about her. Today, I held Viviana (the youngest) during VBS as she slept in my lap. She was so tired.....as if she has endured so much in such a short life and needed to catch up on some sleep. It was such a blessing to hold her and pray blessings over her life.
Why am I sharing this with you? It hit me more than ever before today that there are lots of children that have the same hopelessness.....and it is real! I saw it and held it today. They are the fatherless. It is for them that Hannah's Hope (Esperanza De Hannah) is being constructed. All I can say is that HELP IS ON THE WAY!
I love you all!
Hannah's Hope Orphanage- Under construction!
