The Little Ones

Today was my first day hailing a cab and getting to spend some time at the orphanage, which from now on I will refer to as the Casa.  At this time my schedule looks like: M-F 9-2 at the Casa, and 4-6 doing Spanish language training.  You apparently can't always get a taxi all of the way because the Casa is in the country a ways, so I might be getting alot of walking in.  This I don't mind for now, although I'm not sure what that will look like when the rainy season hits.

The children are beautiful and hard not to love!  I was met with children wanting to be held and played with right away.  There are about 10 children at the Casa right now, with 3 away for medical reasons.  There are a couple of Downs Syndrome children.  One little boy wears a bicycle helmet all of the time because he gets seizures, and they have no idea of his history or even his age because he was found on the street and doesn't speak well.  When I walked through the door he immediately gave me a big hug!  3 of the children attend school in the morning, and I believe they are all under the age of 5.  Because of premature births, or malnutrition in the early months, some of the kids are so little, and look much less than their years.  Since the beginning of the year, 3 of the children at the Casa have been adopted out.  One boy with spina bifida, nearly blind, and at age 8 the size of a 2 year old is currently in the US, where a loving family are trying to get legalities taken care of to adopt him.
I will be sharing more about the kids as I get to know them better!  If you would like more information about the Casa email me, and I will send you the orphange's website link.

                                              
It was the first time since arriving, that I have felt somewhat at a loss because of not knowing fluent Spanish.  The director is the only one who speaks English, and I was alone with the kids and staff for the majority of the day.  I can play and interact with the kids okay, but when it comes to understanding the staff and their schedule and what exactly was going on, I felt really out of the loop.  It was good to get started on my Spanish classes this afternoon!

Reflecting on my first day setting foot in an orphange after years of dreaming of serving in one, I am reminded of where my passion is ignited from.  Over and over in the Bible, God upholds His standard for Justice, and His great Mercy on a fallen world...
Deuteronomy 10:8 "He defends the cause of the fatherless & the widow..."
God is "A Father to the fatherless..." (Psalm 68:5)  and He tells us to "Defend the weak and the fatherless, uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed." (Psalm 82:3).   
Psalm 10:14 "But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it and take it in hand... You are the helper of the fatherless."