Nothing But Jesus' Love Can Make A Way

"To believe in a child is to believe in the future. Through their
aspirations they will save the world. With their combined knowledge the
turbulent seas of hate & injustice will be changed. They will
supply humanity with music & beauty it has never known. They will
endure. To these ends I pledge my life's work."
-Henry James

I have sat here for the last few minutes watching the cursor flash in and out waiting for me to type something profound to articulate the events of the weekend. I was stalling, racking my brain for that perfect adjective to describe my thoughts and feelings. 
Friday, was the fiesta for children inside a community of Nicaragua. We were told there were around 70 children anxiously awaiting our arrival. I was so excited, I love children! I love spending time with them, singing with them and learning from them. We could not get across the border fast enough to get to these children for my satisfaction. When we arrived we discovered there was well over 70 children and the final count came to 200 children. While my Dad and Pastor Rudy filled the pinata, Catherine, Susannah and Matt helped entertain the children with games while I set up music for worship.
Worship turned out to be a hit with all of the kids. They learned the motions quickly and joined in whole heatedly. We were having a blast. It was hot and I was dripping with sweat from all the jumping and singing. However, the look of excitement on the faces of those kids kept me going and I soon forgot the heat, dirt and the malnutrition surrounding me. After worship it was pinata time! However, this was the hardest part of the day with so many children and one pinata. I will leave you to your imagination as to what that particular event was like! 
We wrapped up the fiesta with a lesson on how Jesus is our friend and then we passed out cookies and Koolaid. It was not until I was in my hotel room that I allowed what I saw to settle into my heart and think of all the hunger I saw. Hunger for love, attention and food. Have you ever seen a malnourished child? I am not talking about the advertisements you see on TV. I am talking about real life, in person? If you have then you know the absolute heart break I felt that night as I tried to sleep. Some of my little friends in that community, their hair is falling out, they have worms, distended bellies, dirty feet, deformities and do not go to school. For two hours they laughed, played, sang and hugged my neck as if there was not a problem in the world. When they say my name, my heart melts. They are not statistics, a project or a cause they are people with hopes and dreams and feelings. They are becoming part of my life and the reason I stay and fight.
Saturday, one of final fiestas inside the border went better than I could have ever asked! LightForce partnered with World Vision to host a talk on HIV awareness and to answer question the women may have on medical problems. Due to time restraints, we were unable to have the doctors there for the exams but next time we plan to host a medical event with doctors. World Vision has agreed to do this for me and I am so grateful as I do not have those resources yet. Between thirty and thirty-five women showed up for the event and it amazed the people from World Vision. The head representative told us that it was incredible the women come to us and have a re pore with Susannah and I. He told us that we must be doing something right to have a turnout such as that and if we ever needed anything not to hesitate in asking him! Many of the women are learning our names and slowly we are beginning to earn their trust, slowly. Many of them I had not seen since the last fiesta and it was fun to catch up. I sat with one who is considered the ring leader and the biggest trouble maker. The "big trouble maker" calls me friend and sat there teaching me Spanish words I had not learned. I love how God is not bound by language.
When it all ended, they asked us when they could see us again and made sure we knew how to get in touch with them. My heart was overflowing. True contact and connection, finally.
Susannah, Catherine and I ended the night in our hotel laughing and sharing Root Beer Floats. A long, successful and fun weekend was coming to a close.
The next morning we went to Pastor Alberto's Church where Dad preached. It was an awesome sermon about Jesus and our place in history. To say I was proud, would be an understatement. 
Dad and Matt left this morning and as always, I fought tears when I hugged my Dad's neck goodbye. Sometimes, the little girl in me doesn't want to stay. Instead she wants to climb in his suitcase, or beg him to take me with him. I don't though, instead I smile and we say see you soon and I watch him walk away.