DR Update - overwhelming

many of you are asking...how does your trip end?  what else happened?  did they finish the roof?  did you meet your compassion kiddos?  i realize...most of you are waiting for the "rest of the story".  so, let's go back to thursday...

my heart is racing with anticipation this morning!  i'm preparing the gifts for dismairy (dis-merry) and pavel (pa-bell)...wondering if they are also wondering about me...wondering about the day ahead...it's all so overwhelming!  the emotions that grab you and spin you around...i often feel like it is all a dream.  darin and i have said how the scenery here, the poverty, the experience...it feels like you are on a movie set...that somehow it really can't be reality, but then it shakes your heart and rattles your very soul that THIS is reality for THEM.

we headed to the compassion center with our new translator friends- johann, cindy, and julio.  today we also have a new driver.  let's just say we have been very blessed with eduardo and polo, our two drivers for the week.  our new driver today...antonio...took us on a ride that i will never forget!  i was so relieved when we finally reached our destination...in one piece.  :)  the center was nice...the older children greeted us and three told their stories of being sponsored and what that has done in their lives...it was beautiful.  we also saw the youngest class...they were finger painting and sang a special song for us.  then we entered the "office" where three children sat waiting.  our children.  megan smith was with us to meet hector, her compassion child...a bright smiling, full spirited 6 year old boy!  he likes to be called "junior".  it was a blessing to watch megan interact with him!  i recognized my two sweet children, dismairy and pavel.  overwhelming for all of us...i hugged them both and did my best to speak to them. 
i asked..."es Jesus en su corazon?" (...is Jesus in your heart?) they both shook their head yes and smiled as i told them...me too.   i brought them both a salvation necklace and told each of them the colors and their meaning...in spanish!  we hugged again after the last bead...amarillo (yellow)  viva en cielo (life in heaven!)  my children are so shy and i did my best to help them...we held hands and walked together to tour the center.  we left to visit their homes...so unsure of what we were about to see.  junior and megan were first.  this very happy child lived in a place that i can't even describe (overwhelming)... but his mother and 2 year old brother greeted us with smiles and welcomed us.  megan stayed with junior and his family with a translator and we left.  


pavel smiled as we got close to his house.  we arrived and were welcomed inside their home.  he sat with his mother as we communicated through a translator.  i gave him his gifts...our audience grew...no air, no electricity, no running water...the house filled up with people as pavel (8 years old) showed them his new treasures.  we knew pavel loved baseball, but did not own a glove or ball.  darin pulled a ball and a brand new glove from his bag...i can't describe that look on his face (overwhelming)...it gave us so much joy to see his reaction...i gave his mother a spanish Bible and told her we would be praying for her family and were honored to be a part of their lives.  i hugged her and we were on our way.

pavel came with us to dismairy's home (little pink house in pic)...we had to walk thru another home to get to hers...we did not go inside...it would not have been able to accomodate the group we had.  her aunt greeted us and we sat in chairs outside...we gave this sweet little girl (she just turned 7 a few weeks ago) her backpack of goodies and she smiled as she pulled out the things i chose for her.  she loved her little baby doll and darin asked her what she would name her...she decided on "jenny".  i don't know how my tears were able to be held in my heart and not roll down my cheeks...i wanted to hold her like she held that little doll.  dismairy, overwhelmed by the entire day, began to cry (a girl after my own heart!)  i wiped her tears and held her in my arms telling her i loved her and understood...i gave her to her aunt who held her....i was happy to see the love between them.  dismairy chose not to go with us to lunch.  it was so much to take in... i hugged her for the last time...and blew kisses as i walked away.  overwhelming.

we went to a mall and ate together.  pavel wanted fried chicken...we bought him 3 large pieces with french fries and a coke.  he quietly ate every bite.  overwhelming.  i watched and wondered if that was the largest meal he ever had...if he thought about his family as he ate...how would he describe it all to them?

we arrived back at our hotel to say goodbye.  i loved this time being able to laugh with him and we took pictures and i taught him how to take a picture with my phone...precious moments.  i gave him a big hug and told him i would write and pray...and asked him to hug his mom and thank her for letting him spend the day with me.  i gave him a finger light and told him.."brillar por Jesus!"  (shine for Jesus!)  then we waved as they drove away.  overwhelming. 

their lives here is their ONLY reality.  they do not constantly wish for more because so many of them do not know about what is more.  they find contentment and peace in what is their reality.  we live in the more and somehow find discontentment and unrest.  we walk around in a life full of blessings and forget where our blessings come from.  i thought my goal was to go and "be Jesus with skin on" to the people He would put in my path.  although i know i was faithful to do that...i also found these people...all the faces and lives i came into contact with...they were "Jesus with skin on" to me.  they have nothing yet, because of Jesus...they have everything.  OVERWHELMING.