We’ll have roasted plantains rather than pumpkin pie. And I hope there’s a pinata involved. It seems fitting. We will have roasted chicken, green beans and some other more familiar dishes (no rice & beans) this year on Turkey Day. And we’ve got a LOT to be thankful for! We are blessed to be at Cicrin Children’s Home with some amazing teenagers, great volunteers and staff members. There is a love and a sense of community here that is unique.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to know and love many of the teens. Scarleth is feisty and loyal, sweet and strong. She is quick to serve others and quick to help others get back in line. She has a tender heart and loves fiercly. She speaks a little English and I speak much less Spanish, but we truly love each other. She is not alone in making fun of me for my quirks but I feel like she would also defend me to any outsiders who might do the same.
Sayra is one of the Tias (aunts) here who helps out with the kids and in the kitchen. She is bold and honest. She is fun loving and a woman of action. We have a blast laughing together and/or at each other. We enjoy working side by side. She is patient with me in my attempts to communicate and I’m glad to return the favor. I don’t mind showing her my fierce digging skills with the shovel in the garden. She may make fun of my ninja like noises in getting the job done, but I think she can respect the work being done. I love how she takes care of the younger children. She keeps them in line with lots of love!
We had an amazing night of worship last week with the children where we talked about God’s plans for our lives and how He makes us beautiful. We talked about how every aspect of life is somehow broken without Him. We have all had friends or relationships that have failed us. There comes a time when our natural talents and abilities fail us or we can’t use them. We have hurt, pain and disappointment come in various forms. But God takes our broken pieces and molds us into a new, beautiful creation. The kids wrote to God the things they were having a hard time letting go of and turned over all parts of their lives to Him. We burned the notes to Him to symbolize how we are letting go of that aspect and allowing Him full control. It was a beautiful moment for us to share in together. It’s so cool to see how seriously some of the teenagers (especially the boys) were in turning things over to God and how impactful the service was for them. After the service, we prayed over each person as the Lord laid it on our hearts. What a blessing!
