Oh yeah, so the third ministry I participated in was at the New Faith and Family Children’s Home. It houses boys and girls anywhere from ages 2 to 17 coming from many gut wrenching backgrounds. None of these children have any safe or healthy alternatives to live. But at their core they are just kids who want to be known and to be loved. Sounds a little familiar…at least that’s what God showed me.
My “ministry” at the orphanage was originally just the Sunday night devotional I signed up for. All I had to do was come over on Sunday nights at 7 and share a little story from the Bible or a bit about my life. Then I could peace on out. But it’s funny, once you spend a few minutes with these kids you don’t really want to leave. So I began spending more 
and more time next door at the Children’s Home. I got to know them, talk to them, play basketball and other games with them. They brought so much joy to my life. They are extremely obedient (well, for the most part ; )), they are respectful, they cheerfully do their chores every day, the older kids take care of the younger ones. I see a beautiful family inside this little orphanage. And they seemingly know every Bible story ever…Everytime I try to teach them something they finish the story before I can!
Soon enough I began to absolutely love these kids. Their hugs, their smiles, their laugh will literally make your heart want to explode. If I had free time during the day I wanted to spend it hanging out with the kids. I didn’t understand what was going on at first, I just knew I wanted to give them everything they craved so much: to be desired, to be loved, to be cared for, to be heard. And it wasn’t because of anything they did. I just saw these children, created in God’s image, and desired only good things for their lives. Not only desired, but I wanted to give whatever I could to them to make that possible. And it wasn’t until I began writing the last blog when I realized it…God was showing me a little bit of what His love is like for all of us. We aren’t so different, me and the kids. At our core we just want to be fully known yet still fully loved. God grew my heart to match His in this way. These kids had never done anything for me. There is nothing they really can do for me. They don’t have anything to give me. I don’t need anything that they have. Yet I truly loved them. I don’t think I understood what God’s unconditional love for us really meant until I tasted a fraction of it in my own life. It was as if God was teaching me how to love like Him.
When I spend time with them, when I let them crawl on my back, when they squeeze me so tight I think they might never let go, when I hold them close and look into their eyes…my heart is theirs. I love them and would want to do anything for them. I want them to succeed in all that they do. I want to keep them safe from the evils of the world. I don’t need them to perform for me. I don’t love them because they do their chores or because they make their bed. I love them because I see their heart, I see their soul, and it is beautiful. I see children of God laughing and playing and loving. I finally understand what Jesus meant when He said we must receive the Kingdom of God as a little child.
After this experience I honestly can’t imagine not adopting a child someday. Sure that is a long way off, but these innocent faces are full of so much love and just want to feel the same love in return. What a beautiful way to demonstrate the same Spirit of adoption that we have received from our Heavenly Father. We were all once orphans and how joyous was it for us when our adoption papers finally came in.
Who am I kidding…I can’t end this blog without some more pictures of these incredible kids!
