You know that feeling you get sometimes when you walk into the doors of new place and immediately feel like you’ve found a home away from home? It’s not necessarily the physical place, but rather the people that cultivate an atmosphere that’s both warm and inviting.
A sense of belonging.
That’s what it felt like living in La Pintana – a neighborhood in Santiago, Chile.
(It may or may not have been my favorite month of ministry for many reasons. One of them being these kids. They helped me actualize a dream I’ve had for a while during our time volunteering at a special needs school.)
My team and I lived in Casa Esperanza (House of Hope) during our stay for the month. This is a home for orphaned girls transitioning out of orphanages after turning 18 years old. The girls can come and live for free while they continue to pursue their studies at a university and work. It creates a safe space for them to grow and mature, not only physically, but spiritually and emotionally as well.
This ministry and organization excels in cultivating an atmosphere of love and authentic community.
I absolutely loved my time here.
It was safe.
It was home.
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I was challenged in my faith by the girls at Casa Esperanza, especially one girl in particular.
Genesis. She always wore a smile on her face and loved to practice her English with us. We were on dishes duty together one night and we started sharing about our lives. She asked me if I had missed my parents because I haven’t seen them since last August. I told her that every now and then I do. (Eh..Let’s be real, I miss them way more than I’d care to admit.) She then told me how she didn’t miss hers. She proceeded to ask me if I wanted to hear her testimony/life story. I responded, “¡Claro que sí!” (Of course!) With a grin on her face followed by several giggles, she began to tell me all about her life.
Genesis shared her life and the hard struggles God had brought her out of. At the end of it, she gave thanks to God for never leaving her and spoke with such confidence, knowing that He has good plans for her life. I encouraged her to continue seeking truth and to surround herself with good influences.
Man. My heart was so full. She also told me how I was the first person in the whole house that she shared her testimony with. What?! I was so honored and impacted by the fact that she trusted me enough to share her story with me. I was encouraged by her boldness and strength because I’m not sure that I would have been as vulnerable.
Vulnerability has a struggle for me. Letting people in is hard. But, over the course of this year God’s been teaching me that it’s okay to let others in and let my walls down.
Genesis did that for me. She let me in. I didn’t beg her to. I didn’t even wrestle with her to get answers out. She just opened up. And, that for me was impactful. I wasn’t anyone special to her, but she still invited me into her life.
I want to live my life in such a way where I don’t hide behind my walls and fears, but invite people into my life. I want to be an open letter for others to see Christ in me. I want to cultivate a sense of belonging with the people I’m around just as Genesis did for me.
Thank you, Chile, for blessing me with beautiful friendships and beautiful opportunities to love on your people. I hope we get to meet again someday.
Xo
