Beyond ecstatic are the perfect words to describe my reaction when I found out my ministry for this month. We were going to be on an island in the middle of Nicaragua, living and working at an orphanage! For starters, I love islands! Being a Cali girl, if you put me anywhere near water I am happy! But to top it all off, I was being placed in the ministry that I had wanted more than any other ministry and it was only the second month of the Race!
I have always had a heart for children, especially children in need! One of my biggest fears for the Race was that I wouldn’t get an opportunity to work at an orphanage, but God is so good and gives us certain desires and passions for a reason, so that they can be utilized for His Kingdom.
As a child my parents showered me with their love. There was never any doubt that I was deeply loved and wanted. I knew that I was their daughter and I found security in that love. Giving me the confidence needed to venture out into the world and figure out who I was meant to be, knowing that I always had a home to go back to.
There is something so empowering about knowing you have a home, knowing you are loved.
And that is why I hate the word Orphan. When you’re an orphan, you don’t have a home. When you’re an orphan you feel as if no one loves you. Orphans live a life of insecurity not knowing who they are or who they’re meant to be. Orphans struggle with trusting others and believing that they are worthy. And the saddest part of all…so many of us live as if we are orphans.
When we arrived at our ministry I was surprised to find it was nothing like I had expected! We were greeted by a group of smiling boys and girls and a cocker spaniel puppy dressed up in a tshirt all of whom ran over to give us big hugs. Nothing like the image portrayed of most orphanages, of a neat line of boys and girls all wearing the same raggedy clothing with stern faces. And instead of an evil headmistress, there were smiling “aunties”and “uncles” holding the younger kids in their arms. With our new little friends holding our hands, we were given a tour of the “orphanage” where my expectations were once again proven wrong. There was no single giant room with rows of bunk beds where all the kids slept, but instead little rooms with bright colored walls with a few kids per each room. There was a basketball court, and grass fields, a little room where the kids could watch movies, a school, a garden with every fruit and vegetable imaginable growing, chickens and goats, and a big beautiful patio with hammocks hanging and overlooking the most spectacular view of the lake, also serving as their backyard. It is one of the most beautiful and relaxing places I have ever been.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that there was something different about this place. And by not long, I mean five minutes, while on the tour as I heard their stories and how Jesus has a specific plan for each child brought to this place. It didn’t take long for me to realize that these kids weren’t orphans…that they know who their Father is and that He showers them in His love.
These kids are quick to love and easily express it. They have no reservations giving giant hugs and kisses on the cheek. It is easy for them to declare that they think you are beautiful and that they are too! They run around singing Yes Jesus loves me. They are not ashamed to lift their hands in worship and give their Father all the glory. They are trusting, leaping into our arms as they jump off walls, or ledges, or into the water. They eagerly take our hands as we lead them to the park or to church. They are confident, throwing tantrums like most normal children, and expressing their uniquely bold personalities. They are loved and they do have a home…they are not orphans.
Jesus has given them a spirit of adoption. He has handpicked each one of them and given them a home in His Kingdom. Jesus has given us all the gift of adoption! But so many of us chose not to walk in that. So many of us live without knowing we are loved and wanted by the Creator of the Universe, that He looks at us and calls us by name. So many of us spend our whole lives searching for who we are, searching for something to fill the emptiness. So many of us will spend our entire lives chasing after the wrong things in the wrong places, money, success, fame, approval, love, companionship. So many of us will live as orphans. But as far as my new little friends are concerned, the twenty one adorable faces that have stolen my heart, they will not live that way. They will not and do not live as orphans. They are teaching me so much. Teaching me that I as well am not an orphan. Showing me how I need to live and come to my Father, as a little child, confident in His love for me.
My prayer for you as you read this is that God places a yearning in your heart to know His love for you. Even if you’ve never heard of God or adamantly don’t believe in His existence He knows and loves you deeply. And if you aren’t an orphan and know the Father’s deep love for you I pray that you walk in that daily! I pray that it takes you to the most amazing places, that it gives you the confidence to live a full life, a life where you set this world on fire! And finally I pray that all God’s children start living life like sons and daughters and stop living like the O word!
Prayer Request:
Upon arrival we were informed about Project Love. Project Love is a project ran by the president of Nicaragua and its goal is to shut down all orphanages, because orphanages give a bad look to the country. This project is ironically called Project Love because they send the kids back to someone in the family, however most of these kids were taken from their homes for very serious reasons, placing these kids back into horrible environments, eventually leading to life on the streets. The government has made every effort to close down the orphanage I am at, but because of God’s grace and power, they have been unsuccessful! Please pray that this beautiful safe haven that I have been living at never closes its doors and that it can continue to provide a beautiful, safe, and spirit filled environment for these children to grow up in.
