James 1:27

One little month left.  THIS.IS.CRAZY.

So much to do, so little time.  I'm crazy excited for what the Lord has in store for the next 4 weeks, but I must admit, it's going to be sad to see them pass by. This whole experience seems to have flown by, and there's no way 10 months have passed since I first got on a plane for Peru.  More on my mushy feelings later. Now, let's talk about babies.

While we were on a team retreat in the jungle in February, a man on our team told us about an orphanage just outside of Lima that had about 800 children currently staying there.  I first thought, "This is crazy. There's no way. He's exaggerating." But he wasn't.  A week later Jim took Tammy and me out to Ventanilla to see it.  We just went to the baby room, and it broke my heart.  I must admit, I just went to a corner and cried for a sec, and then realized that God put me there to love on those babies, so I had to dry it up and do just that.  Every Friday since, Tammy, some other short term missionaries, and I have taken a 2-3 hour bus ride out there to do that.

This "home" is different from most orphanages, in that it receives support from the government and various churches from the US, even though it is not a Christian orphanage.  They don't adopt the children out of the orphanage either, which I don't understand at all. Everything here is very institutionalized.  They wake up. eat breakfast, go to school, eat lunch, go to their career center, eat dinner, go to bed.  They eat in a large cafeteria together (except for the babies), and they cannot talk during meal times.  The dorm that talks or is late must wash the dishes for the entire community, and let's face it,  I could be quiet for 20 minutes if it meant washing 800 plates!  The older kids that we see do not look unhappy or anything. They all greet us with words and the cheek kiss, but that's about all the interaction we have with them.  Our focus has been to help in the baby room because there's about 30-40 babies and 4-5 workers in there. We try to come at lunch time to help feed all those hungry little bellies! It's mass chaos at times, but so fun and rewarding. I want to tell you about some specific babies to think about/pray for, and hopefully I'll get some pictures of each of them next week!

Lunch time with the first group!

First, I want to tell you about Lucy.  This girl is a MESS!! She's about 1 and a half pushing 2, and she is all personality.  The first week she seemed like a bully, especially when she was tired.  She climbed up in a high chair all by herself just to get away from everyone and fall asleep! No worries, she woke up just in time for lunch!  Lucy is a priss. She'll rear her hand back like she's going to hit you, but if you tickle her, she'll die laughing and just fall in your lap.  She loves to be held and hugged, but likes to do things on her own as well.  Like I said, I thought she was a bully at first, but she just has too much personality for such a little body!

Lucy and her snack that first week

 Then there's Jolisa.  She's probably 3 going on 4, and she's a diva. Not too bad, but she wants things her way.  She loves to dance with me, "ride a lil horsey" (caballito caballito!), play with my finger nails/try to bite them off.  She, alone with the rest of them, say "cargame" (carry me) with the pitiful whiney face that I don't buy at all.  She always acts like we're bff when I'm there, but the next week she asks me my name again!  Oh well, I love making that girl laugh and just have fun for a little bit.

Jolisa is on the far left, the only one you can see her face!

 Finally, there's Christian.  Christian was the first baby that we connected with, and he has won our hearts over.  He's about 7 months old, and just adorable.  I call him Mountain Man Miguel because that's what he looks like!  The little babies like Christian are usually in jumpers or walkers or cribs when we get there, and we just wait for the slightest whine and then pick them up and love on them.  Tammy has taken a deep interest in Christian, and he loves her back. Last Friday the workers told us that he doesn't interact with them like he does with Tammy.  The first 2-3 weeks, he was always mad.  It's summer here, and they keep them bundled up in long sleeves and pants, and they're just miserable.  After several hours of intense interaction with him, Tammy got him to smile.  We both saw it, and it filled our hearts so much.  The past few weeks he's been all smiles, and who doesn't love a toothless baby smile? 

Christian and I the first week. He's so much bigger now!

I want a such a better life for these babies.  I want them to get all of the love and attention they need at such a young age.  I want them to prosper. I want them to be healthy and happy.  I want them to have a family that loves them, that tucks them in, and that teaches them about the Lord. I want them to know they're special and unique and loved and wonderfully made by someone who knew them from the beginning of time. 

I've been wanting to post about the orphanage community I've started going to for a while, but it's difficult to really explain what its like just through simple words.  Until you've seen their faces, wiped their noses, smelled the smell, and heard their cries, I don't expect you to fully understand. I do, however, expect you to pray for these little faces and personalities that you don't know and may not ever know, because that's what we as Christians are called to do.

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:27 ESV)

falta un poco

i've only got 6 more weeks here, and it just really hit me today.  there's a lot that's going to happen, that needs to happen in this short time, so pray for guidance, wisdom, and patience this last little bit!


on a lighter note, things are going great.  we've got bust with random little things lately, but it's a good kind of busy.  i've started traveling with Tammy to an orphanage every friday. it's a long bus ride, but totally worth it.  i'll make a full post about that real soon. promise.


i just wanted to do a short post to say that i'm alive and well. my goal is to post atleast once a week from here on out.  i'll try my best not to let you down!