In God I Trust, whose word I praise.

"In God I trust, whose word I praise- in God I am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?" Psalm 56:4 (Thank you Lauren for this verse in your first letter to me!)

We were attached the entire morning. What a smile to look at during VBS.

Playing the Leader game on Tuesday at VBS. They loved this. 

Halfway done with our first group! The Mother/Daughter Group has been so much fun so far and we have so much loved getting to work with them and getting to know them. They are a great group from all over the U.S. Each woman.. so inspiring and selfless. We have also loved getting to be around people who speak English! When I started responding to English speakers in Spanish, I realized it was time to be around more English speaking individuals! 

These girls loved the balloons.

Holly (one of the girls on the Mother/Daughter Trip) and I with our favorite Guatemalan treat, Hibiscus Juice!

Wednesday, June 8th. Day of Beauty. The Mother/Daughter group prepared a "Day of Beauty" for the mothers and daughters of San Jose Pinula. We got to pamper all of the ladies of the community by washing their hands, brushing their hair, styling their hair, painting their nails, and making big flower bracelets. They all absolutely loved it. We were able to get to know the team that day as well as emphasize to the ladies that God has created them each in His own image and loves all of them.

Showing off our beautiful flowers we made!

We made so many! Had to celebrate!

After we worked in San Jose Pinlua, we went on to The City of Children Orphanage. My heart was immediately broken as we pulled into this facility, looking like a prison. All of the kids walked around in single file lines and looked so devastated. The City of Children is an Orphan Home in Guatemala City that houses over 800 orphans today. The ages range all the way from newborns to 25 years old. The campus is buried in the Mountains and guarded all around by large walls, fences, and personal guards. So intense. The children are split up by gender, age, and special needs.

Photo courtesy of Kaitlyn Whitley. So precious.

Many girls at this orphanage are raped by the boys of the same place and it breaks my heart to see these young girls (as young as 12!) walking around either pregnant or carrying a baby in their arms. So many of them were sharing these horrific stories with me and I had to fight back tears all afternoon. It is circumstances like this where I have to ask God, Why? Then I remind myself that I am there to show them His love and that is enough for now.

Armando. What a boy. 

Cutest things ever.

When we first got there, we worked with the special needs girls. If you don't already know, I have learned that I have a special love and gift for special needs kids and love to invest in them. We had a day of beauty with these girls. And I fell in love with all of them of course. We danced to "Dynamite" led by the one and only Barb. Let me tell you a little bit about this woman. She just went through Chemotherapy and knows that her days are numbered. But, it has always been a dream of hers to go on a mission trip with her daughter. So they traveled from Chicago to Guatemala to serve together. HOW AWESOME IS THAT?! This woman always always always seizes the moment and I am so glad I have gotten to spend time with her.

Barb. Always smiling. Always dancing. 

Blowing bubbles at my face.. very entertaining! 

I fell in love with one girl at The City of Children that was deaf. We had a special bond and we both knew it. She tried speaking to me through sign language.. how thankful was I that my friend Kaitlyn can speak sign language! At the end of our conversation, she told me that she loved me, wanted me to take her home with her, and that she was pregnant. This afternoon was one of those moments where God said to me, "This is why you are here." That click moment. That moment where everything made sense. 

With my special, sweet girl. 

Thursday, June 9th. In the morning, we worked at the San Jose Pinula CTC again with the mothers and daughters. We had balloons, cookie decorating, bible story, skit, and a memory verse puzzle. It was so great to see the same faces again in the community and have them remember us and our names! That is what I love about relational ministry, knowing each other and feeling comfortable to go in for that hug and kiss again.

With our babies after a long hour of playing!

Tickling, playing, running, you name it... they love it.

This afternoon, we went back to the City of Children orphanage. At least this time I knew what to expect. I wasn't as overwhelmed as the first day here. When the group of special needs girls arrived, I was the greeter, best job ever. Once my girl from the first day came up, she hugged me and signed my name to me making me know that she remembered me. I just held her for a minute reminding her that I am back for her. So, we stuck together making fruit loop necklaces, coloring pictures, and dancing to Spanish Praise and Worship music.

Here we are again. Love her so much and I will do everything I can to make sure she knows.

After the Special Needs girls, we got to play with the babies! AHHHHH. They were just the cutest things to ever walk this planet. I forgot what it was like to play with such little ones. They were about 2-6 years old just running, playing, blowing "burbujas," wanting you to hold them, throw them up and down, spin them. Hate to say it.. but my arms are gonna be SORE tomorrow! These kids were precious and it was so hard for me not to just take one with me. All of my friends keep asking me, "So how many of the orphans have you already decided you are taking home?" Why am I so predictable?!

This is the boy I would pack in my suitcase if I could. 4 years old. So cute. So loving. Can't wait to go back and play with him soon!

If Guatemala hadn't closed adoption, I would be calling my parents right about now asking to come pick him up!

These past two days at the orphan home have changed me. I have been shocked, heart broken, overjoyed, humbled, and loved on at this place. I can just say that I am so glad God has placed me here for a month because I would not be ready to stop playing with these kids after just one week.

Oh How He Loves Us.