Hermano Pedro & Chimaltenango

April 3-4, 2010

Today I’m gonna take a lesson from my friend Dick Rutgers, and borrow Brianna’s entry for the last two days. You can see the heart of the young people on this team through her words, more than anything I could say about them:

I meant to write this yesterday but time passed away from me!! It seems like that happens a lot here, one minute I am waking up and the next it is time for bed. Even though the time passes quickly though my days are full of love, adventure and LOTS OF FUN!! I am so sad that tomorrow is our last day with the kids and in Antigua at all. I really do love it here. Me and Laura are planning on coming back for the summer or at least part of the summer next year and we can't wait! The kids at Hermano Pedro truly have found their places in my heart (just like I guessed) They are all so different and have their own personalities yet they are all so much a like in many ways. They all need love and affection. They LOVE attention! It seriously amazes me that just by walking up to a kid and smiling at them brightens their faces. They smile and giggle sometimes and though most of them are non-verbal they even respond if not in words in their own ways.

This is a picture of Arianna! She is probably one of my favorite kids at Hermano Pedro her smile brightens my day and she smiles a lot! It makes me feel really guilty sometimes though. After the first time I held Arianna I was thinking to my self of how selfish I am and how ungrateful I am. How many days do I get irritable or cranky because I am hungry or because I am tired or because I have to work. These kids work everyday. Staying alive is work for them. They sit in their chairs and in their beds by themselves for most of the day. The nurses are great but they are so short staffed that it is hard to give all the kids the attention and affection they deserve.

As I think about what I will take away most from the trip it is this... I have so much to be grateful for and so much to praise the Lord for! I hope that is something I won't lose after I am home for a little bit. I also hope other people can learn from what I learned too. There is so much more that has gone on the past couple days! I had planned on blogging close to everyday but time seriously does fly!

The first day we were at Hermano Pedro we only brought ourselves. The second day we brought bubbles and puzzles. The kids are so much more fun when they don't have all that stuff. They love the bubbles and the toys but all they truly want is to be loved on and held. Picking a kid up is like the perfect icing on a cake. This picture is a picture of Elmer. He and his brother are both at Hermano Pedro. They are for sure the favorites of the nurses and pretty much have free reign of the place. They are so independent but even still they love to give hugs and Mayno (Elmer's brother) will give us kisses on the cheek. It is so cute!

We also went to Chimaltenango which is where Dick Rutgers live. He has kind of been our driver all week. He is one of the nicest guys I have ever met! He has such a heart for the kids and for Jesus. He even has like foster kids in a way from the neighborhood he lives in that stay at his house and when they don't have school they come on trips with him to Hermano Pedro and to do wheel chair distributions. It is so awesome! Last night we went and met some of his "kids" and played soccer with them and just hung out with them. It was so awesome. Though they aren't handicapped like the kids at Hermano Pedro they still needed love and when we were with them they also lit right up! It was so fun to get to minster to kids in such need of love.

Dick was telling us that of the twenty or so kids on the soccer court only 2 of them come from homes with 2 parents (a mom and a dad) a few of them are being raised by their 24 year old brother and the rest may have just one parent and most of which are abusive. That is something that makes me sick to my stomach. Abuse is just kind of accepted down here. Though it is not okay nothing is done about it. It makes me so sad that kids are punished and beaten and it is okay.

There is so much more I could tell you about the trip but I feel like blogging doesn't do it much justice! When I get back you will just have to come and talk to me about it!! Keep praying for the team. Though we only have one day so much can still be accomplished. Also be praying about more teams to come and for Pat's move.