We are finally in Cusco! Austin mentioned in his previous blog that it was a little journey to get here. I must say, out of all Peru, I am the most thankful to be here. Cusco is surrounded by beautiful mountains and has a lot of character and beauty in the culture. We are thankful to have running water, unlike Lima with deaths, mudslides, floods, and many people out of water. It seems like a different world here, but yet there are many needs to be met.
We are staying with an amazing family who are missionaries, they work with the orphanage, helping construct a guest house to host more groups, and help encourage others who are planting a church in village near by. Their vision is amazing, and I am so thankful we get to partner with them. Most of the week we are scheduled at the orphanage, which homes seventeen children from two months to twelve years old. Our hope is to bring lift to the workers who at times are working days and days in a row, sometimes many nights as well. The girls and I are helping with night shifts to help feed and change the babies. I have done this once so far, and I must say it was hard to get up each time a baby cried. I can imagine it feeling how a new mom to a newborn would feel like.
The kids that we are working with are sweet kids. They don’t listen well, have energy most of the day, but overall they need the love of our Heavenly Father. Unconditional love is something I am trying to grasp myself and seeking God to help me pour that on these kids. There is language barrier but that is nothing to show the love of the Father. My heart is already overflowing with love for these babies and kids. I wish we had more time here to just play with them and love on them. Some of my favorite times with the kids are us playing in the yard, gathering flowers to make necklaces and coming up with “meals” to eat. Watching them play brings me back to when I was a kid, just wanting to imagine and run around.
The culture here in Peru, or at least in Cusco, is based on what things are worth. If it doesn’t have a need or to get things done, it is not needed or wanted. There are some special need kids at the orphanage that were not wanted simply because of the mindset the culture has. If it can not help around the house or on the land, it is not helpful or wanted. Beauty is also not a concern, if it does not serve a purpose it is not necessary. I want these kids to know how beautiful they are and how much worth they have.
When I think of orphans, I believe there is hope. Our hope shouldn’t rest upon this world, or on people, but through Christ alone. Some stories of the children being abandoned or found in bad conditions, there is hope for each of them. Hope to have a loving family, a childhood and good health, but over all there is hope in Christ Jesus. We were all lost, we were all without a Father, now I have a Heavenly Father who loves me like no other. I am found in His grace.
John 14:18 ” I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
