night two at the orphanage: complete!

I don’t know what it is about that place that draws me in. Our first time working the night shift at the orphanage was so hard, so when I heard myself asking the director to let us come again I immediately began dreading it just a tiny bit.

But maybe this excerpt from my journal entry from the first night at the orphanage (written at 2:26 AM) will help you understand why I had to go back:

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“Me and Joybelle are sitting in a closet in room #4 at the orphanage. I can hear teeth grinding, people snoring, and moaning. It’s kind of eerie.

It’s been an amazing experience so far. Daytime is to love the kids; nighttime is to love the nurses. They’re amazing. We’ve spent a lot of time with these five women tonight/this morning, laughing (a lot), telling stories, cleaning, and more.

And I’ve seen so many beautiful sleeping faces. At night this place transforms into a safe haven in a world of darkness. This may be the strangest experience of my life. Laying on the floor in a closet, surrounded by sudden screams, random scratching noises, and darkness. Oh and random giggles.

Oh how much I’ve grown in the last six weeks! At the beginning of this trip I wouldn’t have had the desire to volunteer here overnight, much less the courage to ask the director, Blanca, and the head nurse, Veronica, to let us stay. God’s moving here.”

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The orphanage has been so impactful, but every aspect of this trip combined has honestly made up the most life-changing, crazy, fun, at times strange, often hilarious, and very raw experience of my life thus far.

I’ve told my testimony countless times (something that even back at training camp used to be hard to do), I’ve loved these kids at the cerebral palsy orphanage so much that my heart hurts of fullness (love like that only comes from God), I’ve formed friendships that will last a lifetime, I’ve seen God move in AMAZING ways, and I’ve grown confident through the knowledge of God’s grace and how He redeems every situation.

I’m SO blessed to have been able to spend these last two months in Guatemala. And now as we get ready to go back to the US in about a week, my only question for God is: when are You brining me back here?

“God, my father, thank You for saving my life, for showing me that my plan sucked and that yours was a million times better. Thank You for loving me, romancing me, and leading me into a relationship with You. Remind me every day how small I am yet how great your love is for me. I love You, God.” (journal entry from second night shift, 12:54 AM)