This month, I have had the absolute privilege of working in an amazing orphanage in Santa Tecla, El Salvador. Instead of calling it an “orphanage,” the staff and kids call it a “hogar,” which loosely translated means a home, and that is exactly what Mi Casa is.
The orphanage is was founded and is run by a man named Bob McDonnell, an American with a heart that is passionate for the orphaned children in El Salvador. He used to be a very successful business man in Oregon, but knew that God was calling him to bigger things. He says, “the Lord just gave me an internal download of what I needed to do.” Bob is a father figure to the kids at the hogar. Whenever he comes in the room, kids will stop what they are doing and run to him yelling “Poppy!” and “Daddy!” He always accepts them with such loving arms, mirroring the image of our heavenly Father.
There are two physical houses that encompass the hogar, a girls house and a boys house. The ladies on the World Race team live in a small little room at the girls house, and the WR guys find spare couches at the boys house.
At the girls house we get to live with the absolute coolest girls: Gaby, Agatha, Julia, Lili, Brisa, Angelica, Rosita, Ceci, and two babies: Fatima and Mary. At the boys house there are four older university students: Saul, Miguel, Xander, and Elder who grew up in the home and have stayed there as they have started University. There are also younger boys: Kevin, Juan Carlos, Nester, Javier, and Juancito.
These kids are amazing. There is so much love in their hearts to be shared. I can’t walk into either house at the hogar without getting huge hugs and kisses. But in the end, these kids are still orphans. Many have been abandoned by all family, some have seen their families pass away due to alcoholism or AIDS, some have experienced severe physical and sexual abuse from family members or people from their past. In their lives, these kids have seen and experienced so many things that many of us cannot even imagine. But because the hogar is a safe place, totally emcompassed by the Spirit of the Lord, the kids have experienced so much healing and can now love so deeply.
I’ve been reading a book this month called: “Spiritual Slavery to Spiritual Sonship,” by Jack Frost. It has been the absolute best book for me to read while living at the hogar. The book talks about how a lot of us, as Christians, are still living with an orphan heart, not fully embracing the intensity and fullness of the love of God. Even those of us that have grown up in caring and loving families can still have an orphan heart. Reading that book this month while living in an orphanage has not only taught me more about God’s love, but it has sparked in me the ability to love more fiercely than ever before, to share His love.
This month has been so good for me. I love being surrounded by kids all the time. And it has been a spiritually filling for me as well. God is speaking so much truth over me while living here about the kind of woman I am in Him and how I am a daughter of the Most High. I have been able to fill up here in order to pour out more and more in the months to come.
Much love from the hogar,
sisk
