happy summer. where do I begin. life has been full of coziness and adventure. that seems so corny to say. going to Bolivia was great. the worst part has been coming back and having no very effective way of communicating with the girls anymore. some of them connected on instagram, but it’s really no good. what can we say besides hola and como estás for now? it really feels like the only thing I can do is go back. otherwise I feel like this was all in vain. i’m struggling with that a bit. with feeling like it was all in vain. it was a wonderful trip, but in the aftermath I don’t know what to do with myself. I really loved those girls, but now I don’t know if I will ever see some of them again. while we were there, everything felt like bliss. haven of hope is truly a haven. this safe little playground of happy, loving children who loved me. and it was only like two weeks ago, but it’s already slipping from my memory. Lord, if I didn’t go to haven of hope to change the orphans’ lives forever, then why did I go?
well, I can tell you some of the things I learned on this trip. that I do know.
- following god is the best thing you can do with your life, and following god in your marriage is even better
- marco and gladys sought god’s will for their lives one year into their marriage
- at HoH, when something becomes a dream the lord eventually provides for it. miracle after miracle brought each building on the property to fruition
- prayer of the righteous is powerful
- I am an observer. “marry pondered these things in her heart”
- I was so worried at first that bc I sucked at volleyball and was shy that I wouldn’t be doing enough and that the kids would not be interested in me. but they did love me. all I had to do was be myself
- on the first day when rob facetimed his daughters and the girls at HoH began crying, I realized how vulnerable they were. they seemed so happy and carefree, but in an instant when there was a moment of emotion, their precious hearts leaked out. it made me cry too.
- how partially heartbreaking that for a few times every year, they fall in love with people and those people must leave after a week. and this is so weirdly normal to them.
- I was liked there. that really meant a lot to me. to be befriended by these girls was such an honor
- the night that I didn’t get a bracelet I felt like such a failure. I wondered if it was a sign that I had actually failed this mission trip. but the Lord redeemed this moment and it became one of the best parts of the trip for me.
- peggy said that my gentle quiet spirit may have been just what those girls needed
- abby said that I have the purest heart she’s ever seen. and so many other things 🙂
- I may not be able to communicate with them right now, but I can still pray for them.
in other news. we went to disney!! it was so much fun. it was also so hot. disney was amazing because of all of the detail that has been put into the park. it’s hard not to go there and just observe every little detail of park creation. from the diction of the “cast” members to the strategically placed AED’s to the incredible line designs. like, it’s just a lot.
our plants are doing well. work is going. change is coming. the beach is nice. paddle boarding is nice. life has been good. I pray that I respond in the best way to the trip i’ve just been on. and that I would become more charitable in my own country. and I pray for guidance on the path ahead. and I pray for brittany and kimberly and maria.
mp 