The first day I arrived at Jubilee, a small women approached me and just pulled me over to sit next to her. She did not speak any English, but she had the biggest smile on here face. She pulled out her bible and kept pointing to different verses and laughing. The verse she kept pointing to was talking about her being a child of God and she kept reading the verse over and over. I knew right then that we were going to be good friends this month.
Mariana was born on November 18, 1979. Her mother could not and did not want to take care of her so she placed Mariana in an orphanage. A year later her mother also placed Mariana’s sister,Geta, in the same orphanage. Mariana grew up in an orphanage that did not spend time nurturing her or showing her any form of love. She was not ever held as a baby and she was never told that she was loved by any one. She was 
just another child amongst many in the orphanage. When Mariana turned 18 she was told she had to leave the home. They opened the gate to the orphanage and told her and a few of the other girls who were now 18 that they could not longer live at the orphanage. I asked Mariana how long she was placed on the street with her sister before coming to Jubliee. Her response was one day. I found out though that she was on the street for much longer then that, but that she blocks out the memory. The people who once ran Jubliee found 
her and brought her to their home, where she has now lived for ten years. Mariana turns 31 in November, but when you speak with her it is as though you are speaking with a young girl. We spend most of our time together playing “Miss Mary Mac” over and over to see how fast we can do it. She just will sit next to me if it was up to her she would just hold my hand the entire time I am there. She likes to give me some of the best hugs I have ever received from anyone. She does not speak or understand any English but today she came up to me and hugged me really really tight and said “I love you soooo much” in perfect English. I was in shock.
When I came home today after spending time with Mariana at Jubliee. I thought back to the first day when she kept pointing to the line that said ” we are now children of God”. I thought about how Mariana is a grown women who interacts with you as though she is a small child. I thought how to God that is what we are, we are all his small precious children, who he loves so much. Who he just wants to spend all day with holding our hands and smiling with us and laughing with us. Mariana has blessed my heart in more ways then she will ever in her life time realize. She has brought so much joy to my heart!
just another child amongst many in the orphanage. When Mariana turned 18 she was told she had to leave the home. They opened the gate to the orphanage and told her and a few of the other girls who were now 18 that they could not longer live at the orphanage. I asked Mariana how long she was placed on the street with her sister before coming to Jubliee. Her response was one day. I found out though that she was on the street for much longer then that, but that she blocks out the memory. The people who once ran Jubliee found her and brought her to their home, where she has now lived for ten years. Mariana turns 31 in November, but when you speak with her it is as though you are speaking with a young girl. We spend most of our time together playing “Miss Mary Mac” over and over to see how fast we can do it. She just will sit next to me if it was up to her she would just hold my hand the entire time I am there. She likes to give me some of the best hugs I have ever received from anyone. She does not speak or understand any English but today she came up to me and hugged me really really tight and said “I love you soooo much” in perfect English. I was in shock.When I came home today after spending time with Mariana at Jubliee. I thought back to the first day when she kept pointing to the line that said ” we are now children of God”. I thought about how Mariana is a grown women who interacts with you as though she is a small child. I thought how to God that is what we are, we are all his small precious children, who he loves so much. Who he just wants to spend all day with holding our hands and smiling with us and laughing with us. Mariana has blessed my heart in more ways then she will ever in her life time realize. She has brought so much joy to my heart!
