Josie

The next team has arrived! Team First Baptist Holly Pond from Alabama came in tonight and we have a busy week ahead of us. 

The past two days have just been spent preparing for their arrival, but I also had a chance to go back to Vida Nueva today. I spent all morning there and loved every minute of it. My hair was pulled, my shirt stretched out, my arms got tired from holding a kid every second (sometimes two at a time), my neck hurt from them climbing on my head, and there was at least one of them crying at every moment. But...I got to make them smile, I got to hold them, I got to hear them laugh and giggle, I got to play with them, and I got to comfort them. It wasn't easy dealing with ten little kids who all wanted to be held and who only spoke Spanish, but I wouldn't take any of it back. 

Each of them have something special and I loved getting to know each of them better today. One little girl in particular, Josie, completely stole my heart. She was laying down in the corner when I got there, and I heard her start to cry because one of the little boys was sitting on her. I picked her up and hugged her and only let go of her when I absolutely had to. Last time I was there I heard Chris telling Josie's story. It was impossible not to get emotional when hearing how she ended up there. To start, Josie is five years old and weighs only 24 pounds. She is covered in scars from head to toe and her poor, sweet face had too many to count. She has had countless broken bones gone unattended, and her hip is deformed, causing her foot to be turned in and making it hard for her to walk. She doesn't have much hair and she has this pitiful cry that makes my heart ache for her. Before she came to this orphanage she was abused, starved, abandoned, and hurt. Today I got to see her beautiful smile and I got to hold her fragile little body and cuddle her. 

I can't explain how precious she is, and I pray one day she will have a loving family. I pray every single one of these kids has a loving family one day because they deserve it. No child deserves to go through what these kids have gone through. 

I know God will take good care of them, and I know he has a plan for each of them. They are in a safe place now, away from all the hurt and pain, and I can only pray they never have to go back to a life of suffering. 

John 14:18, "I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you."