Trip to Hogares Paz y Vida - Special Needs Orphanage
Last Saturday, a few teachers and 9th graders made a vist to a special needs orphanage called Hogares Paz y Vida, which means Home for Peace and Life, that the 9th grade class will be serving with this year. I was so excited to go, especially w/ Kaitie McCollum and two other 9th grade girls, because the Lord has given me a deep compassion for people with special needs. The lady who opened this orphanage has such a wonderful testimony and she is an inspiration to me. Valencia opened this orphanage for children who were blind. One day, a family came to her and asked if she would take in their daughter (whose only ability was her sight) because they could not take care of her. I later found out that this little girl was disabled because her parents had thrown her against a wall. At this time, the Lord laid on her heart to love all who God would send her way. The orphanage has over 100 kids, ranging from severly handicapped to more moderate needs. Valencia says that God is the Master of her orphanage - money, food, clothes - and that she is just supposed to love those that God sends her way. God is definitely working in this place - as every child is fed, bathed, and given clean clothes. While getting a tour of the orphanage, I got to see the LARGEST washing machine I have ever seen :-) The quality of care that this women offers them is beyond anything I have seen and is a testament to her love and devotion to Jesus. My morning was spent meeting and loving on these precious people. I helped a little boy named Andres, who couldn't walk by himself, walk up and down the ramps of the orphanage for about an hour :-) Even with all of my relationships and experiences with kids who have special needs, it was hard for me to see the life that these people were living. I eventually ventured in to the room where the more severe needs were. A boy in this room(who was paralyzed) just smiled at me as I rubbed his head for little while. While I came away completely exhausted, I look forward to going back to this ministry!!Welcome Jonathon and Lindsay!!!
My friends, Jon and Lindsey Henkles, are here visiting from the States!!! When ECA had a need for a social studies teacher for the first two weeks of school, John answered our prayers and volunteered to come down and help us start the school year :-) They arrived safely and have been such a blessing to the team here at El Camino. I have enjoyed having them here and getting to show them SantaFe Mall and the delicious Crepes and Waffles resturaunt. God also blessed us with having Lindsey down here, as she was able to step in and be a substitute for our Kindergarten teacher (which is HUGE because we do not have subs when our teachers are not able to be here). Thanks Jon and Lindsey!!!!!Introducing Miss Bergmann :-)
With Lord's help, we have started the school year off!! I am still learning to navigate this opportunity to teach in my own classroom and am depending on the Lord's guidance daily :-) A promise in scripture that I am claiming a lot lately is: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." I Timothy 3:16-17. Praising God that he is one who equips me for every good work, that I have His Word to guide and teach me - because I definitely cannot do this on my own!!!
Here is a link to my FaceBook page that has even more picture for you all to see :-0
Prayer Requests:
- There are a few families from ECA who are not able to start the school year due to financial burdens. Please pray that the Lord would open the door for their children to continue at ECA and that he would provide financially for them in miraculous ways.
- While I love worship at the Colombian churches that I have gotten to attend, the language barrier is hard to overcome! I am really starting to miss my home church (the Orchard), the deep feeding on God's word through Pastor Colin, and the support of my wonderful church home/family. Please pray that God would help me develop a church community here and give me guidance on how to keep myself spiritually fed :-) Also, please pray for God's leading on what to study during my personal quiet time - a have a few books of the Bible I am thinking of studying :-)
- Prioritizing my time and managing the amount of work for teaching 3rd grade.
Thank you all for your partnership in ministry!!
Ciao,
Carrie
Look at this. Look at all your children!!!
ReplyDeletePraise God for every life in your influence :)