Preparing to come to Honduras again hit me a little different this time around. I must have forgotten how hard it was to leave our kids for 10 days but I must remember that this trip is for their benefit as we gain clarity on how and where we will be able to make the most impact and what is also best for them. When we first arrived here at Manuelito we were greeted with many smiles and hugs...you'd think the kids already knew us. One particular little fellow (Donnie) was so excited to see us he just bounced off the walls the whole evening. He was singing and dancing, jumping and running around and pulling us by the hand to show us his world here at Manuelito. (There were so many of them that were equally as excited as he.) I shouldn't have been surprised by their obvious starvation of physical affection...there was not a moment when I didn't have someone pulling me by the hand, sitting in my lap or arm wrapped around my waist. Yet I'll have to say that the thing that got my attention the most last night was when it was time for bed. I watched as they all wandered into their rooms, one little boy being drug in by an older boy because he was doing what kids do best...finding anything he could do to stall the time of actually turning in for the night. As I watched, I couldn't help but think...who will tuck these little guys in? So as I returned to our room to prepare for bed as well, my thoughts pondered on that bed time ritual that our kids get and how I wished I could tuck mine in tonight. Yet there is great comfort in knowing that they are being tucked in by those that love them just as much as we do...but what about Donnie and Lois and so on. So as I began this morning, my first mission was to find out that answer. They have an older kid assigned to each room to do this and read scripture with them. Yet my heart wasn't satisfied...I'm here, longing to tuck my children in yet am having to rely on others to do this for me right now...but do you think they'd let me slip into their rooms tonight and tuck them in as I would do my own? Of course the answer was YES! So tonight, you can guess where I will be...and while my Spanish is still so poor, I know they'll understand that kind of love and I know they'll know the tune of Jesus Loves the Little Children that I plan to sing quietly in their ear as I rub their sweet faces.
What a priviledge to be able to tuck these precious children in at night. I always feel closest to God when I am loving on orphans.
ReplyDelete"Jesus te ama, Jesus te ama, Jesus te ama, la biblia dice si"
Just a little song if you want to sing while tucking in.
Hugs and Prayers from the Wiggins