My heart broke as I left the precious orphans I grew to love in the past 3 weeks. I kept asking myself, “why is this so hard for me?” Before coming on this world race, I actually thought I really didn’t like kids that much, but now….I couldn’t leave them.
About 4 days before I left the orphanage my 4 beautiful teenage girls kept asking to stay and not to leave them. One of my girls, Priya, told me she had a dream. She said, “Auntie, in my dream you came for me.” Oh….those are words that go straight to your heart! She also told me that different Aunties and Uncles come to visit them but I am the first Auntie who truly loved her.
I spent many hours with my girls just talking, laughing, singing, praying, and teaching them many things about life they just didn’t learn in the orphanage. When they get a little older, Emanuel Orphanage will send them to Bible School. It is very challenging and if their English isn’t up to par many of the orphans will drop out and end up on the streets or get tricked into the sex slave industry. I have posted a few blogs about this disgusting industry while I was in Thailand.
My girls are at the age when they will soon head to Bible School. I decided to be honest with them and tell them of some of the terrible people in the world who take innocent girls and trick them into becoming sex slaves. Once they are tricked into it getting out is almost impossible. I love my girls so much and I would never want that to happen to them. I bought them each a bracelet and told them it represented Jesus’ love and the love I have for them. I also told that if they ever decided to drop out of Bible School to call me FIRST and I would help them not to end up on the streets. Looking into their eyes I saw their amazement that someone really cared about them. They said when they look at the bracelets they will remember the pact we made.
When the bus came to pick up the world race team to take us to the airport, my girls helped me carry my bags on the bus. We stood in front of the orphanage with tears in all of our eyes. I didn’t want to let them go and they didn’t want to let me go. The last thing I said to them was “I love you and don’t ever forget that!”
Oh how my life has changed after living in an orphanage for 3 weeks. I feel so honored to be chosen by God to show His love to these precious orphans in India!
God Bless you. Here are a few pictures of my time in the orphanage.
