After my parents and I returned home from Honduras and Nicaragua, we had about 48 hours to wash our clothes and repack before leaving for Guatemala. My dad couldn’t come with us this time, but my mom and I headed down to Casa Bernabe for nine days. Casa Bernabe is an orphanage outside of Guatemala City for about 180 children who have either lost their parents, been abandoned, or been abused in some way and taken away from their parents. I first went there the summer after I graduated from Wheaton College. I had applied for a program through Wheaton that sends students around the world for the summer to help missionaries with their work. We could not choose where we went or what we did, so other than mentioning that I loved Latin America, I had no idea where I would be assigned. I was put on Team Guatemala, trained for a few months at Wheaton, then sent to Rainbows of Hope, a ministry that helps children in crisis, and then sent down to Guatemala to intern at Casa Bernabe. That was the first time in my life that I had ever worked with children, so I was intimidated, but God clearly knew what he was doing because I fell in love with the kids there. That summer, which I applied for on a whim, has turned out to shape much of what I want to do with my life in the future. After coming to know and love these kids, I want to fight for justice for them and others like them in even more difficult situations around the world. I don’t know exactly what that will look like, but for now I visit them whenever I can and just spend time loving on them. Of all the places I’ve been, Casa Bernabe is one of my absolute favorites!
It was a national holiday so they dressed the kids up in traditional Guatemalan clothes, and they performed a dance.
My family and I sponsor this sweet little girl.
He’s so squishy.
This little buddy was new to Casa Bernabe the week we were there. He’s very cuddly and sweet.
The tongue is always out. Always.
Stomach flu hit the baby house that week, so this little one wasn’t having a very good day.
He’s the best.
This is the house I first worked in when I was at Casa Bernabe with the Wheaton group. Most of the boys have moved to other houses, but a few of them are still there, and they’re precious.
I love these boys so much. They love baseball, and the one on the right is the older brother of the little girl we sponsor. One of these days I’m going to get Philip down to Guatemala with me to play baseball with them.
Every trip we take to Guatemala is special in its own way. Consistency is something that these kids crave, so going back, even if it’s not as often as we would like, is really important. My best friend, Kaylan, and I are heading down there next Friday, March 30th, for another visit. If you live in the Atlanta area and would like to help out Casa Bernabe, we are collecting children’s belts, rain boots, ponchos, umbrellas, blue and black socks, children’s books in Spanish, and bras for the teenage girls. If you have any of these things that are either new or in good condition that you would like to donate, please contact me ASAP and I’ll come get them from you. We’re trying to fill up two big suitcases with stuff to take down, so the more the merrier!
