New Thoughts...

I haven't posted much lately. I haven't really known what to write. Being here in Nicaragua so far has been less like a missions trip and more like having a job. It's been interesting to say the least. This orphanage may be the exact opposite of what I experienced in India. I feel like a little kid just soaking up a lot of what happens and not really understanding why. There are a lot of things that I love about this orphanage and a lot that I don't quite know what to do with. It's so interesting to me that the Lord brought me down this road with Him. I'm re-thinking a lot of things at this point in my life :)
The orphanage here is on a good bit of land. There is an infants home with 14 little ones under six, and off at the back of the property is a boys home with 11 teenage boys. We've been spending the majority of our time with the little ones because they've told us that they need the most help with them. This has been a challenge for me because I don't feel like I have a lot to offer that age bracket, and so I feel a little like an inept daycare worker most of the time. The more time I get around those older boys though, the more I feel like I have a purpose here. The Lord has SO MUCH joy over them. I don't really know all of their stories yet, but it's clear that they've been brushed aside by the people who should have fought the hardest for them.
They are a tough bunch to get in with. I'm praying a lot that they'll see the Lord in all of us here, that they'll encounter His love in our daily actions and our words to them. I read this quote recently that said not to treat a man based on what he is, but what he can be if he gives himself unreservedly to the Lord. I am grateful for those words, they've been on my heart a lot since meeting these boys. I want to see them made new. Please pray for them. Here are their names;
Jaibon, Curling, Roberto, Martin, Marbin, Jairo, Germey, Olvis, Giovani, and Brian. I can't remember one of their names so I'll add that one later.