I have a Home on a Mountain.
If you ever make your way to Swaziland and find yourself on the very tip top of a beautiful mountain at El Shaddai Children’s Home, that’s where you’ll find my heart.
I left my heart somewhere that I was never supposed to be. My frustration with God for changing our route has been transformed into pure joy for bringing to a place He knew I would fall completely in love with. God is to be praised for taking me to middle of nowhere, Swaziland so that I could love on the children who are orphaned and unwanted.
My heart is with a little girl who was never wanted by her father and wasn’t taken care of by her mother.
My heart is with a 15 year old girl who was sexually abused by her grandfather.
My heart is with the sweetest little boys who have the most contagious smiles despite the hell they’ve been through.
My heart is with a 19 year old man who was beaten more times than he can count and almost killed by his mother.
The kids at El Shaddai are some of the strongest kids I’ve ever met. Through all of the things they have seen, heard, and experienced, they still show so much joy and give so much love. Most of them have forgiven the people who have done wrong to them and genuinely rest in the truth that Jesus is their refuge and that Jesus is their strength. If i’m honest, the El Shaddai kids have probably had more of an influence on me than I had on them.
They taught me more about grace and forgiveness than I ever imagined they would.
They showed an overflowing amount of love that I will forever cherish.
Listening to some of the older girls worship God was probably one of my favorite things about this month. God has given them the most beautiful voices I have ever heard, and to hear them use that gift to worship Him and thank Him was so humbling.
Learning about grace and forgiveness from Jesus is something that is critical when you’re in a relationship with Him, but when you get to learn about grace and forgiveness from orphans through Jesus it makes the lesson so much more meaningful.
To all of the kids at El Shaddai:
Thank you for challenging me and making me better. Thank you for letting me pour out the love of Jesus to you every single day! I love you all more than you’ll ever be able to imagine!
