Life in an Ecuadorian orphanage

Maria de Campi orphanage has about 43 children, most of which are under the age of 5 years old. The children older than 5 were in school, so our team spent the day with those under the age of five. They were so excited to see us! As soon as I walked into the orphanage a little 5 year old precious Ecuadoran girl jumped up into my arms. As I went to walk to meet the director of the orphanage, this little girl had wrapped her arms and legs all the way around my neck and each leg and was holding on with dear life. She was not going to let me go! Finally through redirecting her attention to another team members, was I able to walk out of her grip. Throughout my day this was the scene, some children, from 1 to 5 years old, crying until you picked them up. But as soon as your arms would start giving out and you needed to put them down, they would throw themselves onto the ground with their heads hitting the concrete in hysterical cries and would continue the behavior all day. The only thing that would console them was just holding or carrying them. They were so hungry for the love and comfort and attention.

The Director informed us that all of the seven babies, except one had just gotten over the Roto virus and so they needed to disinfect the baby beds. Simon and I got to work on this immediately. We carried the tattered old baby beds outside into the sun rays and pulled out the foam mattresses which were falling apart and ripping at the seams. Simon swept out all the crumbs and dried spit up and throw up and got to work on disinfecting the beds and I disinfected the mattresses.

They asked for two girls to help in the baby’s room all day. Adrienne and Stephanie volunteered to do this. They were busy changing diapers, kissing, holding and feeding the babies. They said that one baby stayed on this wooden rocking horse all day, rocking back and forth by itself until it rocked itself to sleep. I’ve seen many children in orphanages, who rock themselves back and forth all day long, just looking for something to stimulate them and to comfort them.

Then our team turned to washing the hair of the kids as they all were infested with lice. We had a great company that donated the lice shampoo and combs to us. So, as we turned on the outside facets, the kids ran to get their hair washed. They loved playing with the water in the hot Ecuadorian sun more than having their hair washed, of course, so it was quite a chaotic watery mess. But in the end, all children had been treated. Unfortunately our team did not have the hours and days we needed to sit for the endless hours which this task demands, to pull out the eggs the lice leaves behind or to wash all the bed clothes. Sadly, this may only give them reprieve from the lice for a few days. It’s such a common epidemic in orphanages in Central and South America. In Africa, you will find most of the heads of the children shaved at orphanages and those in school, as a way to deter lice. I don’t know which is best…to grow up with no hair at all to distinguish me between a boy and a girl or to have gorgeous hair like they did at this orphanage, but to endure the discomfort of the lice. Thankfully those of us in America do not usually have to make this decision…

Cherri found a sweet little African-Ecuadorian girl named Tabitha who was about 5 years old. She only wanted to be held for hours, and every time you saw her cuddled up in Cherri’s lap, you saw a tear resting on the hollow corner of her eye, waiting to run down her cheek. She was such a sad little girl. She stayed in Cheri’s lap all day until we were about to leave when we were able to give each child some new shoes and lo and behold, this made her so happy! Each child was so happy to pick out the shoes they wanted and exchange them out for the old shoes. Every trip I go on, there’s something so magical about new shoes for children in orphanages. They are such a luxury to them and in America, most of us have over 10 pairs of shoes in our closet at all times.

I can’t wait to bring a team from VO back to work a number of days with the children in this orphanage. A young selfless Christian missionary who had been working in this orphanage this year invited our team to come to Ecuador for the first time, solely to work in this orphanage. As our team left that day we left 30 cans of formula, many baby and children clothes and toys. We also purchased hundreds of diapers as they had just run out that morning! We then headed to the nearest children’s supply company and purchased 5 new baby bed mattresses and 3 new wooden rocking horses for the orphanage. We wish we could be there every day to rock these babies and toddlers. We know these caretakers, who maybe number about 5 for all 43 children do their best, but we know that in their busyness to care for the children, that there’s no way the babies and toddlers get to be held and rocked as they should. Maybe this will bring some sort of comfort until we get back there again soon….and we will! Soon...

not that different...

Well, this is the husband doing the blogging tonight! I just arrived to Ecuador yesterday only to realize that the city of Quito really isn't that different from the other cities that we visit. For instance... the buildings are very similar, the people are just as kind and humble, everyone drives VERY aggressive as if they make their own rules:), and most importantly- there are many orphans who need love in a way that we who have parents just don't understand!

Today, I was blown away when we pulled into the orphanage and I saw all the little 5 year olds fly around the corner as if they were in a race to get to us first. I remember this feeling like it was yesterday in Uganda... The smells, the sounds of babies crying, the children grabbing your arms... it is all a BIG cry for love, for help, for attention. The thing that saddens me the most is how small my offering is and that there is just such a need. It can overwhelm me sometimes... but as the song we have been singing goes:

God is big, all over me,
God is big, all over you,
God is big, all over us,
God is big, all over the world!

Lord, just let me remember how big you are! Thank you for noticing these little ones and for being their TRUE father. Please give them life Lord and redeem these children from a life of longing. Thank you Jesus.

Con Mis Manos in Quito

Con Mis Manos means "with my hands" in Spanish. We sang this song with the most wonderful children at an orphanage in Costa Rica and here we are learning it for the children and women we will be working with this week. This is a talented and inspired team!

The premise of this song is that we will honor God with our hands, our hearts and our lives. Our prayer is that we will be God's hands and feet with all those we meet and love on. Even if we don't know their language, may they know our hearts and see Him in our faces.

Tomorrow we will be working with special needs children in an orphanage and then on Tuesday with an orphanage with 43 children from babies to older children. Wednesday we will be doing a program at a Women's Prison. Most of the women in this orphanage are being held due to drug smuggling. There are American, French, Russian and African women. This is the verse I just got for today that I am holding onto:

Acts 2:5 Now ther were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? .."

Re-routed

Our flight to Quito was rerouted last night to Guayaquil due to a large fog cloud that had descended onto the airport. This is not the first time God has interrupted or allowed our itinerary in-country to change. I always trust that it's for our best and it usually means a great nice hotel and good night's sleep to start off our time in-country.

And I was right...we got a great night's sleep and had a wonderful breakfast. When I travel, I try to eat some if the local delicacies, so this morning I chose a fish soup called Encebollado for breakfast. It's a soup with fresh tuna and you pour a little olive oil in it and squeeze some lime into it and then you throw some plantain chips in there as well. WONDERFUL! It reminded me of Tum Cha thai soup. (I know i butchered the spelling of that!). They did have cow stomach on the buffet line as well, but I can't go there. I did once in Ethiopia and I just can't deal with that.

Photos and the Work Being Done at the Korah Dump

A professional photographer, Cherrie Cornish, traveled to Uganda and Ethiopia with our last Visiting Orphans team we sent to Africa. Her photos capture the spirit and beauty of each person she photographs. Here are some photos made of the children in the Korah city dump in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Our teams are forever changed and impacted when they visit these impoverished children. So much so, that a team member, Sumer Yates, from the last team that visited them in January has set up a not for profit called Project 61 to help send 120 children to school and in just the last 3 months she has gotten 102 of them sponsored! She and her family are moving to Ethiopia in fact in just a couple of months.

Cherrie took photos of each child at Korah to send to the children's sponsors. In fact, we have just planned another trip this Summer to Ethiopia for Project 61 just to help these children. The dates are August 18th to the 29th. You can find out more here.

***photos may not be reproduced or used without permission by Cherrie Cornish

Growing Weary of Well Doing..

Our agency is growing...within the last 9 months, we've grown from a one person show (me) to 2 full time employees and 2 part time employees. And all of this growth is happening in my home office! :)

As you can imagine, a not for profit isn't just rolling in the dough, so it saves us thousands of dollars to work out of my home for now. We have a growth plan in place...but we are definitely in that stretching time and that place of transition where there are growing pains.

Some of those growing pains are hitting home...literally. I decided recently to move out the two twin beds I had set up for my "children to come" bedroom so we could make it into a temporary office space. When the reality of what that indicated hit me, it stung.

See, when my husband and I moved into this new home, we (or I) decided that one of the extra bedrooms should be set up as a prophetic act that soon we would have kids. You know, the build it and they will come idea... and I fully believed in this act of faith. I have even been saving precious little dresses and boys clothes in this room's closet as I come across them. I just knew that one day soon God would call us to adopt a sibling group or that I would get pregnant and I wanted to show God that I was ready and prepared and our hearts were open.

However, it's not looking like this was God's plan for our lives yet. Right now, He is blessing Visiting Orphans and this home, which is His home to do what He wills with it. So, the act of moving out the baby and child furniture to make room for the growth of Visiting Orphans is very bittersweet.

I think laying down our lives for that of the Lord, looks different to everyone. I laid down my desire to be a mom when I was in my twenties. I remember literally dying to it, straightening my posture again and accepting with hope and promise what God would have for me. He led me into the corporate workforce where I was trained and prepared for what I am finally doing today. I wasn't married until I was 36 years old and there wasn't one day that went by that I didn't desire a family. Now that I'm married, that desire is even greater. So everyday I have to lay that down and choose to TRUST Him. To trust that He is good when my flesh wants to think He is just mean and selfish. To trust that He has my best intention in mind...when reality sometimes suggests otherwise. To trust that one day I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

I share all of this, because I want you to know me. I am not a woman who has it all figured out. Who is greatly blessed because I have a full time career in orphan ministry. Dont' get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE what I do and I am indeed blessed on every side. I am as Pastor Isaac from Uganda puts it, "a mother to the world". I told someone recently and I promise I'm going to make a t-shrit that says this...but I feel like I am pregnant with "multi-millions". Everyday I go to bed with hundreds of faces in my head from orphanages I have visited...Rosalyn, Daniela and Naomi in Haiti, Faida and Norbert in Gulu, Adongo in Jinja, Ababa in Ethiopia, Aracely in Costa Rica and many other nameless faces which in time and circumstances I have lost over my life. I pray for them, I desire them to each be here with me. The sad thing about each one I just mentioned is that they are "unadoptable" by whomever deems such things. So, I labor and carry them in my heart and in prayer. I hope I am truly "mothering" them in the Spirit.

But isn't it funny that I would lay all of this down in an instant if God gave me my own family. Maybe God knows this...He's quite smarter than we think! :) So, He waits and tarries...and I choose to love and trust Him. I know one day I will indeed be a mom to some of the most amazing chidren I could have ever imagined. I look forward to that day and in the meantime, I will throw this longing and energy into saving the millions of children, who like me, do not have a family and long for that which they are at the mercy of God to give them.

"Thank you Lord that my lot in life is what it is...thank you that this pain helps me to relate to the pain of an orphan. The longing they have to be loved by a mom and dad. The longing that I have to love my own child. May you infuse that longing and make it Yours. I pray you would fill it up and radically use it to make a dent in this unruly population of orphans. Don't let me forget this longing and this pain...use it for Your glory. Better is one day in your courts, LORD, than a thousand elsewhere. I'd rather be right in the center of your will than anywhere else or in any other situation. I love you...."

How Do We Help Many? Start With ONE!

The following blog was written by Frank Pass, the leader of our Chifeng, China team which just returned. It's so convicting!

Then those “sheep” are going to say, “Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?” Then the King will say, “I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.” Matthew 25:37-40 (The Message)

We had been in China for 7 days and it was day 5 of our time at the Chifeng Social Welfare Institute. This facility is primarily a special needs orphanage and we had been able to love on some very precious children. We had been there long enough that we knew them and they knew us and bonds were beginning to form. We definitely had developed a deep love for these kids.


For our morning devotional I read to our team from an article on “gendercide” in China. Gendercide is a term that has been coined to describe the practice of selective abortion based on the sex of the child. For years China has had a “one child” policy designed to stem overpopulation. This policy has led not only to the practice mentioned above but also to a deluge of girls being left in orphanages. In China a boy child will care for his family while a girl will become a part of the family of her husband. For this reason boys are much more valued as children.


As I read this article I was overcome with a sense of hopelessness. How could I make a difference in the face of such huge numbers? Regardless of what I do, millions of babies will still be aborted and millions of children will still be orphaned. It was with this sense of despair that I led our team to the orphanage that day.


It was a Monday. We had been at the orphanage since Thursday. The Chifeng SWI has about 100 children under their care. About half of these kids are “healthy” school age children who attend class at the orphanage but are cared for in foster homes. Most of the children who live at the orphanage have some pretty severe special needs. Over the weekend we had primarily been with the school children so it had been 2 days since we had been with the special needs kids.


When we arrived at the door of their room they screamed and ran to greet us. Their faces were alive with joy. They were so happy to see us and it was in that moment that a truth that I knew in my head, a truth that I had shared with our team, became alive and real to me. I could not make a difference in the lives of millions of children but I could make a difference in the lives of these kids.


Some people use the plight of children as an excuse for a lack of faith. How could a loving God let children suffer? Or maybe they say why should I serve a God that would allow such cruelty to exist? Such an attitude misses the truth about God’s heart for those who suffer. God does not leave orphans in their distress. God does not ignore the suffering of his children. God calls on us, His servants, to minister to those in need. When we let our anger over injustice stop us from serving or when we allow our inability to reach many keep us from reaching one then we have missed out on the calling that God has for us.


There are many ways that we can make a difference in the life of one. Groups like Compassion give us the opportunity to sponsor children, adoption is a real option and not God’s plan B, there are foster care programs in your community and Visiting Orphans sends teams all over the world to care for precious children. Scripture is clear that God cares for the orphan, He has a heart for the least of these and He calls on us to be His hands and His feet to reach out to them. What will you do and what will you say when you stand before the King?

The Gendercide in China

I wanted to bring your attention to this article written about, what they term as "gendercide" in China. My nieces are from China and this pains my heart so much. They are so incredibly precious to my heart. Since China has encouraged and enforced a one child policy for every famiy in China as population control and because girls are so devalued in China, and boys so esteemed, by the year 2020 men will outnumber women by 30 million.

This is why we send mission teams to China...to minister to all the children whose mothers were brave enough to risk giving them life. However, their "lives" are greatly diminished behind four walls where they lanquish with very little love. Our teams go in to breathe life into their desperate souls. We have 4 trips to China this Summer. Each team returns changed forever and even our travel agent, Mike Snyder, tells me that his adopted son, Liu remembers not only our Visiting Orphans team who came to visit him in his orphanage, but also the team member's name who loved on him so much: Zach. Short term mission trips to orphans DO make a difference in an orphan's life. His is living proof. (his picture with Zach is above.)

Here is an article which tells of this awful gendercide in China: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1265068/China-The-worlds-new-superpower-beginning-century-supremacy-alarming-surplus-males.html

We have a team in Chifeng, China right now. My co-worker Autumn Kerr, is there with them. You can read about her time in China here.

Our future teams to China include:
Heng Feng: June 4 - June 14
Chaoyang: June 22 - July 3
Chen Zhou & Yongzhou (Hunan Region): July 7 - July 17
Chen Zhou: Sept 8 - Sept 18.

You can sign up here for theses trips.

Why Men Should Visit Orphans

A trend that I see in missions to visit orphans is that almost always the women on the trip out number the men by 3 to 1 or more on some trips. Sometimes we are happy if we even get one man to join our mission teams.

My husband, Simon, has been an amazing asset to Visiting Orphans. He has such a passion for our trips and whenever he leads a team he is able to really influence some wonderful men to join our teams. This was the case with our January 2010 Africa team. There were 11 men out of 30 people, and this was fantastic, but rare. I want you to watch how this trip impacted Jesse Lee and Daniel Locke on this trip.

Jesse actually joined this trip independently from Simon's influence. He was so impacted that he is now leading our June 2010 trip. Hear straight from his mouth on this video interview why men are so crucial and needed on our teams to reach out to the orphans..(you will need to turn the music off on the player on the right side bar)

Daniel was a friend of ours who couldn't wait to go to Africa and has such a heart for the orphans. Daniel personally crafted collapsable full size soccer nets out of PCV pipes so he could travel with them. You can imagine the kids reactions when they saw him pulling these out of his bag and putting them together. These men are examples of the Father's heart to these children who have no fathers.

Most orphanages have plenty of women care takers but very few men on staff who ever interact with the children. So, the young boys and girls grow up rarely knowing the love of a father. This is especially true in China. If you are a man reading this post, I pray you would feel that desire in your chest to go and would understand that that is the Holy Spirit speaking to you and beckoning you to come...

p.s. There are still a few spots left on Jesse's team to Africa. You can find out more here. We need men on all our teams though..not just Africa. Join my husband Simon on our trip to Ecuador from May 22nd to May 29th. You can find out more about this trip here.

A Mother Bear's Heart

I'm mad this morning...and righteously so. There are a number of reasons what has triggered this. Maybe it's because I thought I was pregnant for the second time and I wasn't...maybe it's because I spent the weekend with my nieces who are adopted from China and I miss them...or maybe it's because I can't seem sometimes, no matter how hard I try, to get the Church of Christ to GO and help orphans. I do know this...all of this has stirred my mother's heart and I feel like a MOTHER BEAR and my children are in harm's way!!!

I commented on a friend's Facebook page yesterday that I have always felt pregnant with orphans. Both of these women were adopting and talking about how their lives and bodies are mimicing natural pregnancies. How about carrying multi-millions in your womb?! 147 million as you go to bed and labor to get up each day?!

I KNOW the reality of this number. I have traveled to multiple countries and seen countless orphanages. Add the number of faces I have met in each orphanage over the years and try sleeping at night, knowing what you know. Knowing what you know, but not having the megaphone you need to get this reality out to the church? Or maybe you have had a megaphone at times, and yet, the church is deaf or involved in their own "AGENDAS" that they think your missions to orphans are threatening or competition to their congregation's hearts and money. That will break your heart!

So, I am here this morning in particular knowing that there are one million orphans in Ghana alone and yet, no one is signing up to go and help these children in Ghana. Or the fact that there are two particular orphanages in Quito, Ecuador who are looking forward to our team coming, yet our team is not forming or coming together.

When I decided, 13 years ago to go on my first mission trip, I decided that if I was going to get out of my comfort zone, then I was REALLY going to do it. I didn't want to go to a country that was easy..so I chose SIBERIA! :) I wanted a REAL experience! And look where I am now because of what God started in my heart on that first trip to Russia. I was amazed at their culture. Everything was new and exciting. The food was rich, the showers were ice cold, the colors were bright, the people were fascinating and the experience was unforgettable.

My favorite day was ministering to the street kids. It was the first time I had ever shared my testimony while someone translated and I was talking to teenage boys. What in the world did I have in common with teenage boys?! But, I just opened my mouth and God filled it. I told them about how once I gave my life to Christ I had no more desire to party or drink as I had once enjoyed. I had no idea that alcoholism was so prevalent in Russia...but these boys had felt the affects of it their whole lives and they eagerly rushed to give their lives to Christ. I will never forget that. The rush and joy I experienced seeing these boys with nothing whose faces lit up as they received the love of their Abba Father for the very first time. God is faithful.

I share all of this this morning with a heavy heart. One that longs to be a mother personally and so I can desperately relate to the longing of these children with no mothers and fathers. I am the bridge God needs right now to hopefully inspire and move you to finally GO and make disciples of all nations. If you don't go like I did when I went to Siberia, there may be children, orphans who will never know the love of their Abba Father. They will never become disciples of His. And this I know Church, we are ALL CALLED TO GO! Matthew 28:19: Therefore GO and make disciples of all Nations...

We need you especially to go to Ecuador and Ghana. If you don't go...who will?! They are lives, forsaken, alone and abandoned. Their hearts cry out each day and night for the love of a mom and dad. If they cannot have a family one day, GOD, their ABBA FATHER is the ONLY ONE who can meet this need. If we do go and introduce them to this loving Father, adopting them into His amazing family and inheritance, how will they ever respond to this invitation? Please go....

Thank You from PANI of Costa Rica

Below is an email from the Director of PANI of Limon, Costa Rica. PANI is basically the Children and Family Services office of Costa Rica. The Director, Mirabell, and her daughter spent almost every day with our team. She was a very Godly woman who was SO thankful for our support. The photo above is of Mirabell hugging one of our team members, Jason Crossman on our last day at the orphanage. I see Visiting Orphans having a long term partnership with these orphanages and even this morning I received a call from a church who is interested in partnering with them long term! The Lord is so so good...

Hello. I would like to thank you for the wonderful moments that I could spend with you and the group, along with the children at the orphanage. It was a beautiful experience and the first of its kind for PANI's orphanages.

I think this type of activity in the orphanages is significant and Visiting Orphans has demonstrated that it is possible. Thank you for choosing us. God knows what He is doing; these are not random acts; God is the one who gives us these opportunities. Thanks to people like you, the work is bearable. Sometimes due to the daily chores, we don't stop to give these kids affection. Through this opportunity, these children were given the love they so desperately need.

I hope you have a good trip. May God bless you for everything I have shared with you. On behalf of the nannies, the PANI staff, and the children, thank you for your generosity. May God guide and bless you and your families always.

May God return you well to your families.

Maribell Urbina Oneil.

Images from Costa Rica

Here is a quick blog post about our amazing first trip to Costa Rica. I am currently on a plane home as I type. Can you believe there is now wifi as you are in the air on a plane?! Very excited about this as it gives me a great time to upload pictures and blog and just catch up!

This first team to Costa Rica was so sent by God. Each person was so called and it was obvious as they interacted with the children. I've been on many mission trips. I don't usually see children cry when we leave. Most orphanages we visit have already had visiting teams, and they understand that the team will come and then have to leave in a few days. The orphanages we visited here in Limon had never had a team visit them. The girls at the second orphanage all cried as we were leaving. I have noticed that I've really had a heart for the pre-teen girls I meet. In Gulu, it was Faida. In this orphanage, it was another girl. She is 13 years old and she cried the hardest and the most. She was in the orphanage as her step father had been abusing her. This is where my heart is... I will write more and show you her beautiful picture tomorrow...for now, please enjoy some photos from our time with these children God so esteems!

Bumps

Here's a great blog post by Alicia Jordan, a team member on our Costa Rica trip...
http://thejordansdna.blogspot.com/2010/03/bumps.html

Day 4 by Art Wasem

This is a blog post from one of our Costa Rica team members, Art Wasem:

Well today was our last day at the Coco Orphanage. We brought presents for the kids. We were able to spend about 6 hours there. We painted faces and shirts, played all kinds of games and just loved on them again. I didn’t realized how hard it was going to be. Of course the women were wrecks when we left. Jason and I are use to touring and saying goodbye to people. Myself I know that there will be another time in a better place called heaven when we will get to love them again. I look forward to that time. I hope we have made a difference in their lives, to know that someone would come thousands of miles to let them know they are important. Important enough that the God of the universe would die on a cross for them and maybe that we are willing to come and tell them that is enough to believe it. I know I do. I know they could see it in our eyes and heart it in our voices
So who are these kids?

Jennifer The baby. I called her Jen after a friend of mine. So sweet. The first day she just was looking around. Yesterday she was smiling and bubbling. She was there with 4 siblings. Her mother shows up and takes them then brings them back every couple of weeks.

Alexis, The blind boy. I hung put with him the most. Very funny and boy when he talked it was a blur of Spanish.

Katia, The oldest of the girls, such a beautiful young lady, She became very silent when we left and didn’t want to be in the picture. Please pray for her heart and body to remain safe. She is so full of joy.

Karen, a girl with I think MS. She was always in a chair and never talked to me but had a wonderful smile and eyes that knew.

Raul, we were told he was very protective of his space and he would lash out. He sat and didn’t pay attention to anything in the room. Whenever he was engaged he would play or take part in the crafts. I wondered if he ever ate. He was so thin.

Raphael the stud. The oldest of the young men. The last day he was visited by 3 Chiquita’s and became so typical latin cool. He loves football and has such a heart for the other kids in the home.

Ariele The littlest boy al typical always running always into everything smiling laughing boy

Antonio The skater. Loved the skateboard and fell perfectly. Scared the stuff out of Autumn

Mayury I didn’t spend a lot of time with her. Hopefully there will be a comment by someone on the team. She is the one I was pulling out of the pool when Jason squirted me with water and caused me to fall.

Maria I loved the way she jumped at jump rope. She totally did a heal grab kick type of move.

Jessica didn’t spend a lot of time with her either, OK team bail me out.

A funny Story

So I decided to take a walk on the beach at sunset. Nikki was on my computer and I knew I wouldn’t be missed for awhile. I walked across the street and down a 30 foot path strewn with coconut shells and leafs. There is a pile of driftwood at the high tide mark that hasn’t been swept out to sea yet. I remember from some discovery show that sea snakes sometime hide in there so I was careful crossing it. The water was amazingly warm. Mid 70’s and I love the black sand. I walked maybe a third of a mile to a creek that was running to the sea. The water was cooler and you could feel the texture was different from the salt water. I realized it was getting really dark so I turned back. As I took a step my feet brushed what felt like sticks in the water. As the wave receded I didn’t see anything. The next wave the same thing happened again. It felt as though I was walking over tiny little tree limbs. This time I noticed an outline in the sand. It was a crab. I wondered if it was alive and it stuck out its claws at me and made a jumping move and sound. The next wave I saw another one about a foot away from the first and then another one a couple inches from that one. As that wave receded I saw literally thousands of crabs with their claws raised between where I was and where I needed to be. Oh, did I ever mention that I was barefoot? All I could think of was. ‘Well, this isn’t good!!!’ There was no escaping what came next. It was dodging little pinchers not stepping on the crabs and running like heck to the drift wood pile. Didn’t see any snakes. Of course I didn’t stop to check anything out either.

Mental note, bring shoes to the beach.

Blog for our El Salvador Team

Here is the blog authored by our March El Salvador Team Leader. Follow along as they travel to orphanages on the coast of El Salvador:

The Boy Autumn Fell in Love With..

This post is from my co-worker and friend, Autumn Kerr:

The first full day we spent here, we visited an orphanage in Limon, Costa Rica called Coco's. There were about 10 kids there. And this little boy was the absolute cutest thing ever! He's 2 years old and he's really shy - I don't think he talks. Or if he does, he hasn't yet in front of us. He seems kind of scared and really does not respond well when you try to pick him up and hug him. He let me pick me up on day 1 but he clearly didn't really want me to so of course, I put him back down. He did let me play with him for a long time - I tried to get him to color but he didn't seem to know how or want to. But he was having fun putting the crayons in and out of the box - he probably did this for about an hour. And whenever he would get the crayons all back in, I would clap and say "yay" and he seemed to really love the praise. In fact, it was in that moment that I got a big ole smile out of his adorable face and was able to snap this most adorable picture. He's so cute!!!! I found out through our translator that him and his 4 siblings have been in and out of the orphanage - their mother picks them up and takes them for awhile and then drops them back off. I would imagine that's probably harder than if they had just been dropped off but I don't know for sure. I'm just thinking that they probably never get used to being any one place or with the same people and that's probably why all of them are really shy and don't seem to respond all that way to affection. In fact, I also noticed that they don't seem to be used to anyone playing with them - for how young they are, they seem to just play with each other and a lot by themselves. They are precious, beautiful children. And my heart so breaks for them. I wish I could adopt all 5 of them.

Today, we took the kids from this orphanage and another orphanage to the beach. It was a total blast. We all had so much fun. Thankfully, it stopped raining and we had a rain-free day It was very cloudy but I think that was good because then it wasn't super hot. There was also a pool there and covered pavillion where we ate lunch. And a local company that wanted our tour guide to bring future tours to them for business, took us on a free boat ride down the river and we saw monkeys, slauths and cool birds. And the kids seemed to love it.

The little boy I mentioned above was there today and shy as usual. He got hit in the shoulder by the swingset that a little girl was on and he walked in front of. He started crying and my natural instinct was to run over and just hold him. I tried to and that didn't seem to help. I decided to pick him up and take him to the caregivers that know him but unfortunately they didn't console him as I hoped. And he sat in the chair crying by himself and I was helpless to do anything because I knew if I went to him, he'd cry harder since he doesn't know me or trust me. It totally broke my heart. I had to walk away because I just started bawling. It really broke my heart to see him crying like that, knowing his little shoulder was hurting and he's only 2 years old and I can't even pick him up or do anything to make him feel better. Whew, it took me awhile to collect myself after that. But after a little while, I saw that he was no longer crying and he went near the pool with his siblings and seemed to be ok.

So many beautiful children here. I pray that they will all end up in loving families that will console and encourage and adore them the way they deserve. And I pray that somehow our time here has encouraged and helped them to see their value. And to point them to their father in heaven who will never leave or forsake them.

Mission Trip Fundraising Ideas

Meet Kari Gibson, blogger extraordinaire! She is one of the leaders for our July Africa mission team. She has created a wonderful blog for her trip. What I want to feature though is her blog post on fundraising. This woman sold over 800 t-shirts last month for Children's Hopechest, raising over $24K! So, if you are wondering how to raise money for a mission trip, I would take some of her ideas to heart...

http://mycrazyadoption.org/crazy-fundraiser-for-a-mission-trip

Britt Nicole's Video About Africa

I wanted to share Britt's new video about her newly released song, "Walk on the Water". She's shares her experience with Visiting Orphans and footage from her time in Africa. I just love this girl and her heart! Enjoy...

Costa Rica Bound!

Our Costa Rica team heads off to Limon, Costa Rica this Wednesday, March 3rd until Wednesday, March 10th. The neat thing about this team is that the entire team is from Nashville, TN, where our office is located! So this team has gotten to meet weekly and really get to know each other.

Our team members are:
1. Carrie Grace-Congdon
2. Mary Botha
3. Art Wasem
4. Jason Crossman
5. Autumn Kerr - the Team Leader
6. Me :)
7. Tiffany Lankford
8. Tara McWilliams
9. Nikki Dunaway
10.Alicia Jordan

This team will be visiting two orphanages in a part of Costa Rica that is still third world. I know most of you, when you hear Costa Rica, think resorts and vacation, or atleast I do. But honestly, most of Costa Rica is still very much still third world, especially on the Caribbean side of the country.

I have a wonderful friend from high school, Brian Benson, who runs an eco tour business and through this connection, he was able to meet with the government and the respective orphanage directors. He has been living in Costa Rica for years and had never seen the orphanages. He so happy we are investing in these children and is so happy that we opened his eyes to the plight of the orphans there in his beloved country.

These children have never recieved a mission team before. I can't imagine how special they are going to feel when our team arrives. This team is coming with toothbrushes, toothpaste, clothes, school supplies, towels, and bathing suits for each of the kids! They are leaving personalized journals for the older kids as well and a skate board at each orphanage! God has been so present in this team, confirming each team member in His unique and awesome way. This is a great trip for anyone who is going on missions for the first time and our two Summer Costa Rica trips are already almost full!! God so SEES these children. "I will not leave them as orphans...I will come to them!"

Here is the itinerary for the week:
Thursday March 4th
We get on the road after breakfast and drive to Limon (3.5 hours) where we meet the Director of the Limon PANI orphanages and her partner. We head to the Coco’s orphanage for lunch and spend the afternoon with the children.
Dinner is served in the hotel.

Friday March 5th
On the road at 8am sharp to commute to Limon ($5 min) and visit another orphanage called Villas del Mar. We spend the entire day (Until 3-4pm) at the Villa orphanage. In the evening we meet up with Barrett, a Christian man who runs a ministry and skateboard park in Puerto Viejo (near-by town 20 min. south of Cahuita). We will have a BBQ cook out dinner at the skate park and enjoy the evening. We head back to the hotel around 8pm as a group.

Saturday March 6th
Today will be a beach day with all the children for both orphanages. After breakfast we commute to Limon and spend the day on the beach. Bring your swimsuit, towel and sun block. It is going to be a great day!
Dinner is served at the hotel.

Sunday March 7th
On the road at 8am to Limon. Today we spend the entire day in the Coco’s orphanage (Until 3-4pm). The late afternoon is free.
Dinner is served in the hotel.

Monday March 8th
On the road at 8am to Limon. Today we spend the entire day in the Villas del Mar orphanage (Until 3-4pm). After we leave the orphanage, we drive to Puerto Viejo (near-by town 20 min. south of Cahuita) to enjoy the town and have dinner at 7pm.
Dinner will be at one of Puerto Viejo’s top restaurants, Loco Natural. We head back to the hotel after dinner as a group.

Tuesday March 9th
Free day for the team: rafting or beach and return to San Jose for our farewell dinner in our hotel.

How God Changes a Heart Through Missions to Orphans

The following is a letter written from one of our mission team members who traveled to Haiti this month. Dr. Amy Schroeder-Whipp, joined this trip at the last minute as the orphanage we were helping, Danita's Children had requested medical personnel. The letter is written to the orphanage director. I have to share it with you because it is an awesome testimony of what God can do in a heart which is totally surrendered and obedient to Him in walking out missions to care for the least of these. It's why I work so tirelessly and passionately to send people to walk out James 1:27 to care for orphans in their distress.

Dear Danita,
I am going to try and tell you my story to help you understand what God is revealing to me about my trip to your facility. My time with you at the orphanage was very brief and God does things in His own time.
As you know, I am a podiatric physician and surgeon. I live in the Chicago suburbs. I have been married to my husband for over 2 years. He was my first and last boyfriend; we met in college over 10 years ago and have been together ever since. He works as a financial planner/advisor for a Christian-based organization that works exclusively with physicians called Larson Financial Group.

I was fortunate to grow up in a Christ-centered home and cannot ever remember life without my Heavenly Father, Jesus or the Holy Spirit. My husband and I have moved about the country, living in Iowa, Florida and St. Louis before recently settling in Chicago, which is where the rest of my family is, and where I’ve always considered my home to be. My husband and I have always been active serving in church, being part of small groups, and spending time alone with God each day reading His Word and speaking with Him in prayer and meditation.

I have never desired to be a mother. My husband has never desired to be a father. We like kids, but never wanted our own. I never felt I had motherly instincts and I’ve never felt love for a child. My focus is mainly on my relationship with God, my marriage, and my career. I enjoy traveling and fitness as my hobbies. I also have a dog who I consider to be our “baby.”

Right before Christmas this past year, my husband and I individually felt God was speaking to us about adoption. I brought it up to my husband and we laughed together, surprised how God was telling us both the same thing. We said we’d just be open to His leading. We talked to a couple of families we know who have adopted, just to hear their stories. We decided to just keep praying for God’s direction and felt at peace about that.

The day I heard about the earthquake I was driving in my car to work. I immediately started weeping, not something I do frequently. I had no idea why I was weeping.
I did not want to go to Haiti. My husband received a text message from one of our pastors 72 hours before the trip, asking “Does Amy have a passport and can she go to Haiti on Monday?” My immediate answer was “No, I can’t go to Haiti on Monday!” This was followed by a list of various reasons I could not go: I just started a new job with a non-Christian employer who would never allow me to take a week off at the last minute, cancel surgeries and reschedule my patients. I did not have a passport and it was Friday morning, etc, etc. My husband however, encouraged me to think about it. After praying and submitting to God’s plan, not mine, I thought “Ok God, if you want me to go to Haiti, then help me get there.” Obviously, through a small set of miracles, my boss let me go, I got a passport in less than 2 hours, and I was on my way.

My plan was to go to Haiti and provide for the medical needs of the children at Hope for Haiti Children’s Center as best I knew how. I felt that God has blessed my life abundantly, and I should serve Him back.

My husband did not share this with me at the time, but he felt there was another reason God wanted me in Haiti. He heard God telling him that I would come back changed, not as the same Amy he knew. He didn’t know exactly what this would be, but that it would be something life-altering and very special.

Honestly, I was disappointed when I got to the orphanage. I saw there was already a pediatrician there, and I thought, “Lord, why did you bring me here? They don’t need my skills.” I enjoyed being with the children, but felt awkward around them, like I didn’t know what to do or say. I thought the kids were cute, but I really didn’t have any emotions or feelings for them.

It wasn’t until towards the end of our trip that I really noticed Jean. I don’t even know his last name or how old he is. I believe he is somewhere between the ages of 4 and 6. I believe he is mostly blind and has cerebral palsy. I know he has seizures. Anyhow, I was in the cafeteria. He was sitting in his stroller, drool all down his neck, rolling his eyes around, head tilted way back. I looked at him and started crying. I thought about him in his darkness. I wondered how often he got picked up and held. I wondered if he knew what love felt like. I wondered if he remembered his mother. I wondered about his story. I still wonder because I do not know much about him. I cried for his loneliness. I picked him up and held him. I tried to sing “Jesus loves me” in his ear. I felt his arms and legs slowly relax as I held him against me.

After that, I tried to spend as much time with him as I could, while still passing out medicine, changing bandages and making rounds on the other children. I slept next to him my last night in Haiti. I fed him breakfast and lunch the next day. I felt concerned about him getting enough calories since he eats so slow and has trouble chewing and swallowing. I left to get on the bus to go home. I was happy to be going back to my family. I felt a little sad about leaving, but I left knowing the children are all well cared for and loved there.

I boarded the plane to Miami, still wondering why God had wanted me on that trip. I just didn’t understand. I thought,” I hardly did anything for those kids. How did I help them, God? Why did you want me there?” I opened my journal to start writing and all I could think about was Jean. I felt a deep, painful ache in my heart that I have NEVER felt before in my life. I desired that child: To have him, to hold him, to love him, to care for him, to provide for him. I felt a tender mercy for him and his contracted and twisted little body. I thought, “What is this Lord?” I spent hours on the flights to Miami and then on to Chicago seeking the Lord for an answer. I feel uncomfortable saying this to you Danita, since you are his mother. I thought I heard God telling me he was my son. I was in shock to think this. Why would I have the desire for a child when I’ve never wanted one before? I’ve held plenty of babies, babysat for the children of my friends and family. And why would I want this child? One who could never really love me back, or care for me when I get old?
I was afraid to share this with my husband when I got home. He knew it was coming. I shared my experience with Jean to him and he started to cry. I have never seen him cry before. He had the same desire in his heart for Jean, even though he had never met him or seen him. We feel to our knees immediately and asked God for help, for discernment and a clear understanding of His plan for our family.

I have fervently been seeking ever since, trying to understand if this really what God was telling me or not. I have spent time in the Word, listening for God’s voice and seeking wise counsel from those I look up to spiritually. Some of the verses I am reading:

“But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Matthew 9:13
“My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.” Psalm 119:28 (my mother is praying this verse for me.)

“Freely you have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8

“He who began a good work in you will carry it out to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Phil 1:6

Now I know God sent me on the trip to break my heart towards children. He did not only want me to use my medical skills to serve Him, He wanted me to feel and experience mercy towards those children. And I did that, for the first time ever.
I picture Jean living in my house. I thought today of him feeling snow on his face for the first time, wondering what he would think of something so cold and so wet. I am continuing to journal. I am writing out my prayers to the Lord and little notes to Jean as well.

I was afraid to write you this letter; that you might find it offensive. Danita, I am not saying you and your staff cannot care for him properly. I know you can. I can too. Being a physician, and my husband working exclusively with physicians, we could give him excellent medical care. We would provide for him spiritually as well even though he understands very little. I know God touches Him and comforts him inside is dark world. I know your plans are not to adopt out children. I understand and respect your reasons for that. I know that if this is God’s plan for Jean, you already know this or He will reveal this to you. If this is not God’s plan for Jean, He will tell me that, too.

Please prayerfully consider what I am saying. I have thought about how complicated adoption in Haiti is right now. I’ve thought about the finances, the difficulty and commitment of caring for Jean’s needs, the amount of time it may take to carry this out, and the possibility that your answer may be no. But I know from past experience that often when the Lord speaks to us, we have to move forward in faith, even if we don’t know all the answers and details.

Please feel free to contact me at your convenience.

Sincerely,

Amy J. Schroeder-Whipp