Day 7 from team: Hi friends! We are finally settling down at the hotel after a long and busy day. This morning we arrived at the teen girls center for their morning worship time. We sang songs of praise with them and recognized the music. We often recognize the songs, but it is hard for me to match the English lyrics with the spanish ones. This time I immediately knew, and I was singing the words to myself as they were singing in Spanish. The songs were Shout to the Lord and Power of Your Love. The music was beautiful. After scriptures were read and the praise music sung, Delo shared a testimony and a lesson with the girls. We then did a cardboard ministry skit in which we played music and each member of our team walked across as we held up a piece of cardboard and the translators read aloud, as many of the girls cannot read. On one side of the cardboard we told a difficult situation we have faced in our lives, and on the other side, how God changed us or turned the bad situation into good. The teachers in the room were inspired and one wiped tears from her eyes as Delo had used her as an example of living a Christ-centered life. She lost her husband this past year, and Delo used her as an example, telling how she turns to Christ rather than being consumed by grief. Phil was the last person to share his poster and the back of his read, Jesus is my hero! The teachers said they thought this was so awesome. Olga, one of the teachers, told me that this presentation of testimonies was incredible and had inspired them all in a powerful way. After this time, we did arts and crafts with the girls. We tie-dyed t-shirts and had brought caps for them to decorate with fabric paint. They love these activities because it gives them something of their very own to keep. They have no possessions of their own; maybe a small purse with a few items. They have no possessions or privacy. Their beds are stacked high and wide in tight quarters, and there is no privacy in the bathrooms. The toilets do not have doors on the stalls. For them to have a few items to call their own is hugely important to them. As we were sitting with the girls, I talked with Olga about some of their stories. One girl, Rosie, has recently come to the center after she and her 8 brothers were living in extreme poverty and found in the streets. Another, Vilma, is a mentally disabled girl who had a baby 4 years ago. The baby is in another center, and Vilma has no family to come and visit her. Stefanie, a girl we have seen every year, has been in the orphanage since she was a small child after being violently abused in her home. She is 17 and has been traumatized for many years. Another girl has special needs but has to be separated and have a close eye kept on her, as she puts her hands all over the other girls bodies. Another girl, Damaris, had a baby but does not have the mentality to care for it, so it is in another orphanage. When they took her baby away, she just smiled and said he will be better here. Another girl talked and cried with Joe, devastated because she will be moving to another center tomorrow where she will no longer be able to see her mother. The most shocking story we heard today was Marias. She poured her heart out to Delo and her teachers, telling of the horrendous events that have landed her here. She told about her and her brothers trying to escape and run away from Tegulcigapa (city in Honduras) to the United States, and getting caught and sent back from Mexico. She was surrounded by violence in her home and abused by her mother. She has a 4 year old child and does not know where her child, mother, or siblings are. She watched her grandmother get killed by a machete. She kept mentioning something about an airplane and fire, but was too traumatized to put the story together coherently. We ministered to and prayed over these children and I also enjoyed some time in conversation with the Orphan Helpers teachers who are so devoted to these girls. After lunch, we visited the childrens orphanage. Shelby and Kailyn taught a lesson to the children and did a craft with them, and gave them coloring sheets and markers. They really enjoy coloring. I spent most of the time there upstairs with the children with handicaps and special needs. I spent the vast majority of that time holding Valentin, the boy who never leaves his bed and yearns to be held and loved. He doesnt walk or speak, but held me so tightly and babbled the noises that are his language as he sat in my lap smiling and laughing for the longest time. He is 16 years old. A new baby at the orphanage today was found in a trash can. Another new child also arrived today, a 13-year old boy with polio. We were told the story of one child upstairs who cannot walk or communicate; he was tied to a post on the porch of his home for his entire childhood until he was found by police. One child in a crib has his feet tied to the crib rails because he is so violent and impulsive. I have tried to hug or hold him, but he is too defensive. The terrible scars on his face, neck, and ears make it evident that he has been severely beaten and abused. Please pray for these countless children and these unimaginable stories they each have, and that they might overcome these horrendous tribulations. There is hope for many of them to go to private facilities to receive better care, so this is or prayer, too. After leaving the orphanage, we went to buy birthday cakes, pinatas, and party supplies. Tomorrow we will be having birthday parties for the teenagers and the children. They have never had birthday parties, and most dont know when their birthday is. We have a lot of special activities planned. On the way home, it poured down rain. We had the van full with the 15 of us, birthday cakes, pizzas, shampoo and deodorant we bought for the girls, and pinatas. A road was closed so we had to take a detour through a dirt road (should I say, mud road!) between a village of houses. The road was only a few feet wide and two lanes of traffic trying to travel through. There are no enforced rules of the road in Honduras. Anything goes! On the ride home, I witnessed a completely naked child carrying fruit, a woman washing clothes in the river, a homeless man asking for money at a stoplight. There are endless reminders here of how blessed we are. I will be leading the teenagers devotion and prayer tomorrow morning. I pray that God will use me to speak hope to these troubled and hurting girls. We appreciate all of your words of encouragement and prayers. Thank you for sharing in this journey with us. His hands and feet in San Pedro Sula, Amy, Delo, Joy, Joe, Phil, Kailyn, Shelby, and Kai
Posted on: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 12:03:51 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015