I am the baby of my family. Growing up with an older sister to look up to earned me the nickname “tag-along” as a little girl. My two older brothers constantly picked on me, and yet I always wanted to be by their sides. There is something special about the affection of older siblings.
Here at Zion’s Gate, the “family” is a little bigger. With about 30 residents, as well as our squad of 52 this month, I have adjusted to a different family environment than what I am used to. I now have about 15 little brothers, and as a temporary older sister in their family, I have begun to appreciate the role reversal so much. Their daily hugs and the way they hang on me shows their desire to both give and receive healthy physical affection. 
One of the young boys in particular craves love shown through a simple arm around his neck or a playful punch in the shoulder and warmed up to me immediately. He is quiet and gentle and getting to see him as a little brother this month has reminded me that it’s so important to seek out and show love to those children who can often feel lost in a crowd of extroverts and class clowns.
Living on a property full of little brothers has also brought out a little bit more of a playful side in me. I’ve always known boys are crazy (obviously), but this month I’ve found myself becoming less and less shocked at the crazy things they do and laughing alongside them more often than not. Our boys here climb up trees higher than two story buildings in the blink of an eye; they swing off of tree branches holding onto nothing more than a rope tied to a piece of wood; they spend their chores time chopping away at grass and weeds with machetes and ride their bikes up and down the main busy highway next to the property. More than getting used to their superman mentality though, I’ve enjoyed seeing their playful natures come out in friendly pranks played both on each other and on our group. Splashes of water, made-you-looks, and wet-willies are not uncommon shows of affection I receive almost daily here. The boys’ activities also include daily soccer games, getting involved in our work projects around the property, and not being afraid to dig in and get dirty with whatever task is at hand. These boys are hard workers. They know that one condition of their being here at Zion’s Gate is that they have to be disciplined in helping to care for the property, and they run at this task full force every day, especially when it means they get to work alongside their temporary American big brothers and sisters. These times are special, because even when we’re spending hours digging rocks out of the soil, sanding cement columns and walls, or raking up pine needles spreading dirt-we are blessed with smiles on the faces of our little brothers next to us.
Seeing these boys gives me so much joy for their futures. They have been brought out of a life of darkness, and I love having the opportunity daily to celebrate these new lifestyles of walking towards the light. One day these boys are going to be mighty warriors of God and are going to be leaders in Honduras that carry Christ’s hope to other boys. I am a proud “big sister” this month, and praise the Lord for all He’s done in the lives of my new little brothers.
