Hurt, Heartache, and Promise

Since we've moved down here to Guate, I have gotten to know quite a few kids and, in addition, some of their stories as well.  Some stories are enough to make me want to cry, others make me want to go beat someone up (to put it bluntly), and others are just downright sad.  Here are a few of the many stories of the children I have gotten to know...

This little girl has been in an adoption process for the past 3 years.  Her case was supposedly "grandfathered in" after the laws were changed, but not much has happened yet!  Who knows if/when she will get to go to the states, we can only hope and pray that she does!!

Although this little girl is only 2 weeks old, she has already been through more neglect than many people have been in their whole lives.  She was abandoned at birth and arrived at the orphanage straight from the hospital.  Thankfully she is in a good orphanage and is receiving good care!

Have you ever done a liquid fast for a few days?  Imagine doing that for a few years, but with coke and coffee instead.  That is exactly how this sweet girl lived the first year of her life with her siblings in the city dump.  When she was found, doctors and the court system did not expect her to live because she was so malnourished, they didn't even want to try to help her!  Now, she is a very energetic little girl!!

Speaking of the dump, this next little guy was found in the dump as well.  Supposedly the police got an anonymous call saying that they heard a baby crying in the dump.  Sure enough, here was this little man, only hours old.  Once again, he is now doing really well and receiving lots of love!

Although nobody is exactly sure of his story, it is obvious that something happened from the looks of these scars!  We may never know what happened in this boy's past, but his present is very bright right now!!

One final story that set me on my edge more than some others...  When you walk into this home, it's hard not to notice the beautiful little 4 month old sitting in her Bumbo.  At first, it is easy to think that her story is much like many others; her mother didn't want her and abandoned her.  While it is true, her mother did not want her, she didn't simply abandon this little girl.  Instead, she strangled her, wrapped her in cloth and buried her.  Thankfully, her neighbors were watching this whole ordeal from a distance and quickly exhumed the body, only to find out that the baby wasn't dead!  They turned her over to the courts and she is now well taken care of!

All these stories only begin to describe the situations that many of the children here have been in.  I wish I could say that they all end up happily, but that would be lying.  In the end though, one thing remains.  No child is outside of God's hands and He has every situation as close to His heart as the next one.  He loves these children way more than I ever could and their pasts and futures are no mystery to Him and He promises to protect them and give them a future!  I am just glad that I have to privilege to love on these precious ones for at least a little bit!!