After a long day of travel, we safely arrived at Casa Bernabe Orphanage around 3:30pm (4:30pm Michigan time) yesterday. Our team met at Cornerstone at 2:30am; our first flight left at 6:30am; and by 9:30am when we arrived in Miami, it felt like more than half the day had gone by already. Many of us had no sleep or were on only a few hours worth during our travels. God has been gracious to us in restoring our energy and keeping our moods uplifted. Getting through the airport security, customs, etc. was completely uneventful, quick, and flowed smoothly. Praise God!
Upon our arrival, the Rumbarger family was warmly greeted by smiling faces and hugs from the children that know their faces and their hearts so very well. Our team received a tour of the orphanage. It is beautiful here! Rolling hills, warmth, sunshine, singing birds, and laughing children. There is joy everywhere! That joy can't help but be contagious. Each and every one of these children have a heartbreaking story; they have experienced things that no person should ever have to endure, but they are in a place where they are experiencing love and healing. God has blessed this orphanage mightily!
After the tour, the whole team spent some time in the baby house playing with children from 4 months old to 3 years old. During that time, Tony came and took a group of 6 (Kayla, Kristen Forster, Mike McDonald, and Matt, Laura, and Dayna Muhleck) to Jesus De Mi Casa, an orphanage about 30 minutes away. There are 12 children from the ages of 5 to 12 there. They do not receive many visitors, so Tony makes a point to visit them every couple of weeks and we were blessed to be a part of his trip there. The home is beautiful! The house parents are so kind, tender-hearted and loving! We played different renditions of dominoes with the children while Laura took individual sponsor pictures of the children. The house parents kindly shared a deliciously sweet Guatemalan beverage with us during that play time, then Tony had brought Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for the children to watch and the house parents served us all popcorn and pop. Tony and Matt took turns giving the children 3 possible flying rides, which he developed hand motions for them to tell him which ride they wanted. At the end of the evening, Mike ended up being an amusement park as well. Kristen and Kayla were warmly welcomed by one of the older girls in the orphanage; she was showing them all of her things and desired to gift them to Kristen and Kayla. Of course they declined, but what a beautiful change of pace from the greediness that we so often see at home.
While the 6 of us were at Jesus De Mi Casa, the rest of the team spent time playing outside with the children at Casa Bernabe and enjoying a delicious welcome meal.
Today, we were all up and going at 7am. For the most part, the whole team slept very well. Marcia and Dayna (me) took on the morning baby house shift. Laura Muhleck and Jane McDaniels are currently in their now. By later this afternoon Bob Muhleck and Justin Rumbarger had gone through 3 pick axes already, and another gentleman encountered the first team injury; his arm battled a spoke of barbed wire while moving rocks. Nurse Marcia Forster bandaged him up and aside from his arm aching a bit, the gentleman is well. The men were working extremely hard, wheelbarrowing heavy loads of rocks and dirt from one hill top to another to repair eroded landscape. Also, we are all learning the importance of staying hydrated.
While the men on our team waited for more work tools, Josh Rumbarger found himself battling the tickling of his mom and some of the little boys from Casa Esperanza. That eventually turned into a tickle war amongst many of the boys on our team (Mike Rettler, Mike McDonald, Josh Rumbarger, Justin Rumbarger, Kevin Forster, Jon Forster, Matt Muhleck, Bryan Raycraft, and Mr. Forster.) Mr. Forster brought about the idea of being a horse and the boys began claiming the men on our team as their horses saying, "Eres un caballo! Vamos a la guerra!" Translation: "You are a horse! Lets go to war!" Their playing and loving on the boys of Casa Esperanza was so beautiful to watch! The men on our team will be tired tonight, to say the least, but those memories made will be lasting.
The shoes that were donated were distributed today. Thank you for blessing the orphanage! Almost every child was able to get a pair of church shoes and play shoes. The house parents and their children were blessed by the shoe donations as well. There are approximately 10 that did not receive shoes that we will go out and buy shoes for.
Blessings to you all at home! You are loved and appreciated!
Prayer:
- For continual energy and refreshment.
- For the language not to be a communication barrier. (We are very thankful for those on our team that can speak Spanish and help translate; every little bit helps.)
- That the children from Jesus De Mi Casa can join Casa Bernabe on New Year's Eve for our party.
- For whatever needs need to be met at Casa Bernabe, to be met.
- For continual flexibility.
- For continual team bonding.
- Reprieve and refreshment for the house parents, especially the baby house mom.
So glad to hear all is well! Praying for each & every one!
ReplyDeletePraying for you and the team <3
ReplyDeleteIsaiah 40
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.