The people in El Salvador are just so beautiful and so loving! They give the best hugs, and you just can't help but have a smile on your face when you are with the children!! Our group had so many neat opportunities on this trip, and I am so thankful that God gave me the ability to go. We went to three orphanages, two schools, one jail, one girl's home, and met over lunch with a government official regarding adoptions. I learned so much from each encounter! God allowed my heart to grow, and I am now in love with two countries in Latin America! I truly felt the presence of the Lord all around us!! We just kept running into others who truly loved the Lord and asked us to pray with them. At first I thought it was just crazy, and then I realized that God had planned every detail of this trip perfectly! Amazing!!
This sweet girl at the first orphanage was having a rough day, but the next time we saw her she had the biggest smile! Isn't she beautiful?!!
We played outside with the kids at the first orphanage. They are so sweet!!
The kids loved being close!
This is the second orphanage that we visited. It was very well supported by an American couple. There were only 8 girls and 7 boys and they were very well taken care of and happy!
The third orphanage we visited was very large(200+ kids). It was run by nuns and supported in a small way by the government. It was very organized!!
These little girls and several others surrounded me and another man when we entered. They pulled us down to their level and started singing to us and holding our hands! They seriously attacked us!! It was WONDERFUL!! I just kept laughing and smiling because it was seriously the most adorable thing ever!! I could have stayed there for hours!! I looked up at one point and my group was gone!! :) I was totally lost in the moment!
Oh my, they are just so cute! These were the one and two year olds. Precious!!
Here are the three and four year old girls that attacked me, eating their dinner. Even though they wanted to get up and talk to us again, they stayed in their seats and ate their meal.... such discipline!!
I thought it was hilarious that the three and four year old boys all had to wear a bib and the girls did not! Boys are so messy, no matter where you go! ;)
The cribs are all lined up. This made me sad because every little girl and boy should have a mommy and daddy to cry out to at night.
Visiting the men's jail was an experience. We attended a worship service that was very powerful! These men sang out to God with their whole heart! They had amazing testimonies and taught me a lot!!
All of the girls in this home had babies because of incest. The youngest girl was eleven and became pregnant at age nine. We handed out cosmetic bags and talked and prayed with the girls. My heart hurts for these girls, knowing that the road ahead will be so challenging.
On the last day we had the opportunity to go to the beach and eat an El Salvadorian meal. I ordered fried fish but had no idea that the entire fish would come out on my plate. Interesting!
Another girl in our group ordered fish soup. When her soup came out, she said, "Oh my, there is a fish in my soup!" The translator said, "Did you not order fish soup?" Apparently this is just normal! The van driver and translator had a great laugh on our behalf!! :)
The beach with the volcano in the background... beautiful!
When the van tried to leave the beach we got stuck in the sand! We were stuck for a good 20 minutes. The adventure continued through the country of El Salvador as we dodged cows and horses half of the way back to the city. Our group laughed so hard, and we all had such a good time together! It was such a great trip and now I am glad to be home with my kiddos! However, I will always have those precious children in my heart. We will hopefully be going back next year to support the first orphanage. (James 1:27) A religion that is pure and stainless according to God the Father is this: to take care of orphans and widows who are suffering, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
6 comments:
What a wonderful experience, Greth. I'm so happy that you got to have this opportunity. I loved each and every picture, and was hoping your post would go over forever. Seeing those cribs lined up just broke my heart. We definitely need to chat soon.
Lots of Love,
Joanna
HAPPY FOREVER FAMILY WEEK TO GILLY!
That just brought tears to my eyes. Those cribs...it looks just like way they were set up in Dmitry's orphanage. We lived in the orphanage house for over two weeks. I still cry when I think of the children we left behind.
What an amazing journey, so full of every emotion and beauty all around. How awesome, what a gift from the Lord.
What an awesome experience...ok, maybe not the fish or the fish soup....YUCK! Can't wait to hear more about your trip and all that God is doing.
What an amazing experience! Though, the picture of the cribs brought tears to my eyes. I am sure this experience has left a print our your heart forever.
What an amazing opportunity! I loved your pictures. . the cribs all lined up just touched my heart. There are just so many kiddos that need families. . .so heartbreaking.
wow!
This looks like an awesome trip!
My heart hurts for those babies as well. The scripture in James kept running thru my mind while I was reading this! I'm glad you posted it at the end :]
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