This month we had the opportunity to live in Latacunga, Ecuador and work at an orphanage. (Side note: this is a dream come true and when we found out this is what we would be doing I was so excited that I cried.) There were 18 kids and thirteen of those kids have special needs. We are working mainly with the special needs children. It was a little overwhelming the first day to walk in and immediately see eight different wheelchairs. Within the first five minutes of being in there two of my teammates had been bitten and I had had my leg grabbed in the most intense grip I have ever experienced. Needless to say the first day was a little overwhelming.
While the Tia’s (the staff ladies, that the kids call Tia’s, English word: Aunt) introduced us to the children a little boy in a wheelchair grabbed my hand. I looked down at him and he had the most adorable grin on his face. I missed the introductions of all the other kids because I was too focused on the boy by my side belly laughing. I immediately fell in love with this little boy. I will call him “X”.
My sweet “X”
The days were long and tiring. We played, we went for walks or pushed the wheelchairs on the wraparound balcony, we played blocks, colored, danced, watched movies and fell in love with the kids. I spent a lot of my time with X, not a day would go by without him locking eyes with me and grinning as we walked in at the start of the day. I learned how to communicate with him, which was difficult to figure out. He loved to color, go for walks and have me push him up and down the hall as fast as I could. He also loved cake and if there was cake in the room he didn’t want to do anything but eat it.
Going on walks outside of the compound was my favorite part. We had to first carry all the wheelchairs downstairs and then apply sunscreen to all the faces. We pushed the kids on dirt roads lined with Eucalyptus trees, up grassy hill and up a HUGE hill. We literally just laughed at our lives and said “Never in my life did I picture me pushing a little boy in a wheelchair up a hill, in Ecuador.” God has a crazy way of blessing me with opportunities to do things that I never imagined I would be doing, but end up loving.
The kids overtook a section of my heart, a part that will always belong to them. I loved when “J” would tap me and say “mmmm BA” and scrunch up his nose at me, waiting for me to do it back to him. I’ll miss “JL” who would waddle up to me grinning and then just collapse into my lap. I’ll miss “A” who would lift up his shirt, grab my hand and start laughing so I would tickle his belly. I loved when “V” refused to eat until I sang to her and then she would not only open her mouth so I could feed her, but laugh. She would laugh with food in her mouth, I got so many rice showers, but hey, she was laughing and she was eating, I’ll take it. I’ll miss doing a fist bump with “Jo” and belly laughing with “X.” I may even miss the hugs from “Ad” even when I wasn’t sure if she was coming to hug me or bite me. I loved “L” randomly singing the three words of a Spanish song that she knew. We could hear it even through the vent when we were in our apartment. These precious children have my heart.
Both our first full day and our last full day of ministry we got to be a part of adoption parties. Two little boys were adopted. We had cake, pinata’s, dancing and the children said goodbye to their friend. It was so sweet and such an incredible thing to be a part of. This ministry is forever making a difference in these childrens lives, both the children who get adopted into forever homes and the children who will forever call the orphanage home. What a blessing to be a part of.
Saying goodbye to these children was one of the hardest things I have had to do, it was for sure the hardest part of the Race.
Another blog is coming about the goodbye, my ramblings from the bus ride as we drove away.
Here’s some pictures of the precious children who have my heart!
“J” scrunching his nose at me.
“Jo” and “X” having a singing competition.
The little’s going for a walk!
From when sweet “JL” fell asleep on me. 🙂
