I AM BLOG.

Wow, what can I say. The day we spent at the orphanage was so amazing and such an incredible experience. It was good that this was the last part of our trip, because if we had gone to the orphanage first, the team would have wanted to stay for the rest of the week.

There were so many things that God was showing me through the orphanage. Through His sovereignty, it was amazing to see how it all aligned with the vision that He gave me for the people of Guatemala. In a majority of my blog entries or even in my own journaling, I am always drawn to God’s love. God’s love really is such an amazing thing and something that I wish everyone could experience fully. The difference between the orphanage children and the children of the mountain villages was almost completely opposite. The moment we stepped foot into the orphanage, the children would run up to be hugged or held. We didn’t experience this in the villages. Even in something so little, I know that the defining factor was love.

The children of the orphanage all had quite a story. We didn’t get to hear all of them, but from the stories we heard, it was definitely an eye opening and heart breaking experience. Some were abandoned, others beat, cut, burned, some the product of rape and in some cases, incest. No matter how they ended up in the orphanage, one thing remained common: these children had no one who could love them and raise them in a Godly home.

And then there was another group of orphans that visited the Love the Child Orphanage that day. These kids were half Korean and half Guatemalan. Their stories were also heart breaking and provoked anger in the team. Their parents, usually businessmen from Korea, would come to Guatemala either on business or vacation, sleep around and then leave, unaware of the children they were leaving behind. When I heard this, I felt anger raging inside me. I even thought that these parents could never be loved or did they deserve love to begin with. But as my anger subsided, I began to see the good in all of the bad.

These children will grow up one day and will question why their parents left them. They will be confused and probably angry–and rightly so. Yet despite this, I can find rest and ultimately, joy in their circumstance. They are now being raised in Godly homes and are now experiencing a love that is so great. A love that will right all wrongs, a love that heals and ultimately, a love that saves. They and I both can share the same hope that we have in Jesus Christ. I hope and pray that these children will continue to experience this kind of love and grow to be Godly men and women.

If you travel here, you will feel it all
The brightest and the darkest
If you travel here, listen to your heart
And take with you what lasts forever

Future of Forestry – Traveler’s Song