I went to Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua wanting to do construction. We lived on a campus with several buildings: A few missionary and guest houses, the Pastor’s house, a church building, a school, and a couple orphanage buildings. I had invested so much into kids and women in the Philippines (and everywhere else in the world) that I felt I needed a break from the kids. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The first few days in Puerto were really hard. There were lots of squad and team meetings, things that we needed to work through. And our friends Brooke and Silas went home, which made us all sad. And the cultural atmosphere in Puerto was “heavy”; I hear there’s a lot of witchcraft mixed in with Christian religious-acts. A religion of works and superstition, rather than a faith based on Christ. Kind of similar to America, being a “Christian nation” full of any religion of your choice, 
yet very few choose to truly follow Christ as Lord and Savior.
So my heart was heavy. The first night I stayed after dinner to help clean the plates, etc. When I emerged from the kitchen, little kids surrounded me, hugging on me, over and over and over again. One little boy even climbed up on the wooden benches to give me hugs and kisses. These kids didn’t even know me. They didn’t know my name, where I was from, what I like to do. They didn’t know that my heart was heavy or that I REALLY NEEDED those hugs and kisses. They didn’t know anything about me…But I could tell that the Lord was inside these kids. His love radiated through them.
These hugs and kisses happened every night, before and after dinner. I began chatting 
with “my kids,” getting to know them a little in my broken Spanish. Wow, freshman year of high school was a long time ago! But some of the words came back to me as I spoke, thank the Lord. The kids speak Miskito as their first language, and they are learning Spanish at school. Soon I found myself hanging around the orphanage/kitchen a little longer after lunch, waiting for them to get home from school. I started going to the orphanage immediately after construction ended for the day so I could play, sing, and talk with the kids for a couple hours before dinner. I brought my mp3 player, letting the kids share the two ear buds. The girls and I painted nails together. The boys and I kicked soccer balls. And we all tried gymnastics and singing. They loved it! Spending time with them, I saw even more of their love, writing me little notes in Spanish, giving me their beautiful sewing projects, etc.
One night I was telling a couple of my friends about the kids love when it hit me: They loved me first. Just like Jesus. Unconditionally. I did not ask for their love, just like I didn’t ask to be love by Christ. The kids showed me over and over again how much they loved me, even though I didn’t even know their names! Same with Jesus! He DIED for me before I was even born. He knew me before I was made (Psalm 139). When I spend time with Him, He loves it! I get to see even more of His love. He reveals to me more about Himself. He teaches me. 
He even just has fun with me and brings me joy.
About 5 or 6 of the kids asked me, “Why don’t your friends spend time with us, playing with us, etc?” I told them that they were busy, at the hospital, in the schools, etc., which is totally understandable since we each had different ministries in Puerto. Yet their innocent question made me think. I bet God asks that about us a lot. “Why don’t you and your friends spend more time with Me? I have so much to offer! So much more love to give to you if you’ll take it.”
How about you? Are you letting the Lord love on you? Are you spending time with Him so He can show you more and more love? Or are you “too busy” with life? Remember, He loved you first. Love Him back!
“We loved Him because He first loved us” I John 4:19
