After returning from Kuna Yala, Jeanette, Molly and I headed over to an orphanage in Panama City. Team Beloved was already staying there but they welcomed us with open arms. This orphanage was not your typical orphanage. In fact, most of the kids weren’t even orphans at all. There were three mothers who actually lived there with their children, however, there were three more little boys who were indeed orphans. No adult males were living at the orphanage itself, but occasionally men would help out with the kids and they would call them “tio” which means uncle. After about one day, the kids starting calling for me by yelling “Tio Tio”. One of those three orphan boys was Miguel.
Miguel is a small fella, 6 years old, and extremely full of life. It would be easy for me to say that I loved him right away. Perhaps, because he reminded me of myself, but nevertheless, I adored the little guy. There was an instant connection that I just can’t explain in words. He was very clever. In fact, I remember being very similar when I was younger. My sister and uncle could testify to the fact that I knew how to get out of trouble by appearing innocent and adorable. I say that because they were the ones who ended up getting punished. Miguel was just as clever even though he never really started much trouble anyway. Because he was the youngest and smallest, he tended to be the one picked on. But that didn’t bother him much, he’s a scrapper. As fascinating as it was to watch him interact with the other children and see him stand his ground, it was much more interesting to view his interaction with God.
Like me, Miguel connects strongly through music. It came as no surprise to me that he enjoyed hanging around me when I took my guitar out. Over the years, I’ve been able to learn a few Spanish songs but I picked up some more at the orphanage. Whenever I would start to sing, there was Miguel, singing along in the sweetest and most innocent voice I’ve heard. This was his daddy that he was singing to. Miguel has never known what it is like to have an earthly father, but that doesn’t seem to stop him. He sang his little heart out. I watched in amazement. One particular song that Daniel Calvetti sings goes something like this:
Me viste a mi, cuando nadie me vio You saw me when no one saw me
Me amaste a mi, cuando nadie me amo You loved me when no one loved me
Me diste un nombre, yo soy tu nina You gave me a name, I am your child
La nina de tus ojos, me amaste a mi The child of your eyes, you loved me
Te amo mas que a mi vida…. I love you more than my life
When Miguel would sing this song, it would flat out break me. I mean, could the words ring truer? God knows Miguel’s name, in fact, he’s even given him a new one. He is the child of his Father’s eyes. The way God sees Miguel is the same way that he views each one of us. How incredible is that?
That image will stick with me along with many others I’ve seen on this race. Miguel always ran up to me and jumped in my lap. He loved just being with me and hanging out. We talked about everything it seemed like. We just connected. Leaving him has been the hardest departure for me on The World Race. On the day I left, he was running a 103 temperature and was crying. I wasn’t sure if it was because he was sick or because he knew I was leaving. Perhaps, both. I know I was fighting back tears myself. I love Miguel and I miss him terribly. The saddest part is that I have no way of communicating with him. Please pray for Miguel and the others at the orphanage in Panama City. God is doing some awesome stuff in those young boys’ lives. 
