You will find places in your lifetime that will grab on to your heart. This will happen at least once in your lifetime, I can promise you that. If your anything like me it will happen often and instead of grabbing on to just a little chunk, they wrap themselves around your entire heart and being!
In Guatemala I was blessed with the opportunity to serve in many different places; and even though I don’t choose favorites, there’s one place that I hold very near to my heart. Located in Guatemala City, Hogar de Niños Luz de Fatima, houses approximately 30 plus children. Instead of being like the idea I had of many orphanages, cold and industrial. They house these children inside a beautiful home! I68 was blessed with the opportunity to work there for two separate weeks!!
Something you should know about me before I continue is that children have a strange way of breaking my heart, while repairing it at the same time!
Fatima had been at their new home for only a short time during our first week, which meant that most of the week was spent helping them organize and get situated. As well as organizing some of the girls and I got to help paint a mural in their main living area. Watching the joy spring across the children’s faces when the saw the finished wall(s) on our last day made the sleepless nights totally worth while!!
By far my favorite memories came from our second week there. Our travel to Fatima the second time around seemed to be so much longer, it felt as if we could have been driving around in circles. As the ride continued to get longer so did my excitement to see all my little friends; by the time we arrived there I hardly let the car stop before I was out the door and going in to the house! As I walked in I was greeted by excited shrikes exclaiming “CARMEN!” Tears began to well up in my eyes! Who am I that they would remember my name? The first night was spent meeting the new children, finishing up dinner and helping prepare the kids for bed! Getting kids in to Jammie’s at the end of the day and then tucking them in to bed and praying are moments of such unexplainable tenderness. As I watched the slowly doze off I knew that the Father more deeply for them than I could ever fathom! A place where I spent much of my time at Fatima was in the baby room. With 9 babies (weeks old-1 1/2 years old) and only one nanny at a time there’s a lot of help that is needed! From sorting clothes to feeding babies, from playing to getting ready for bed, every moment I spent up there was a moment of pure joy!!!
The biggest thing that Hogar de Niños Luz de Fatima taught me was that no matter our circumstances The Lord has His hand on it and is working through it. If your an orphan, The Lord will provide protection and someone to care for you. If you are a nanny caring for the fatherless The Lord will provide you with energy, strength and patience to love and laugh throughout the day.
One of my favorite songs is “Everything You Do” by Steven Curtis Chapman…
“Maybe your sitting in math class
Or maybe on a mission in the Congo
Or maybe your working at the office
Singing along with the radio
Maybe your a down and out rock star
Or feeding orphans in the Myanmar
Anywhere and everywhere that you are
Whatever you do
It all matters
So do what you do
Don’t ever forget
To do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you,
Cause He made you“
