My first day of ministry in the pediatric unit at Viedma Hospital was admittedly a disaster. Kayla and I flashed our Moviemento Sonrisa volunteer badges and strutted through the door, giant smiles on our faces, ready to hold some babies, but the smiles soon turned to language barrier confusion and instead of comforting babies we found ourselves completely useless, so we walked outside and did the only thing we knew how, prayed, and then left
The second time I went to the hospital it was still awkward, but we found some toddlers and their mothers to pray for, but still… we didn’t feel like we were really doing anything.
By my third thrip to the hospital I was desperate to feel useful, and God, always faithful, answered my prayers in the form of three little girls that I fell in love with, and that broke my heart.
First of all was Delia. She really is a little firecracker. I’m sure she would have bounced off the walls if she didn’t have an IV attached to her arm. She would chatter away in Spanish, it didn’t matter that we hardly knew any, and then draw us a handful of drawings to take home with us.
Second was Lucia. This precious little girl couldn’t have been more than 4. She was propped in the farthest bed from the door with her legs under a sort of tent. The first day we went to talk to her she just stared at us, but by the last day I visited you couldn’t keep her quiet! I gave her my Justin Beiber notebook and she drew me pictures for a full 2 hours.
And last but not least was my precious Laura. Laura had been in the hospital the longest, nearing two months. She, like Lucia, also had a tent over her legs, and they were kept in traction, so she had to remain strapped in a laying position all day long. The first day we visited she didn’t really want to play and definitely didn’t want her picture taken. The second day when I went back I played only with her. We drew pictures and she played Angry Birds on my ipod. She was in love and I was in love with this little precious girl. My final day I brought my laptop to the hospital and we watched Mulan together. She loved every second of the movie and although it was bittersweet we both smiled as we waved goodbye.
These three little girls remain in my prayers every night. Although, because of language barriers I don’t know what was truly wrong with them I know God is holding them in his hands because they are precious to him.
