Honduras debrief
Tom and I got the girls and we all arrived home at 3:30 a.m. Both girls were exhausted, but happy and eager to talk about their week at Orphanage Emmanuel.
While there, they painted fences and worked in the medical and dental clinics. More than anything else they played with the children. Jacy said that she and Sarah both used their Spanish, along with lots of hand motions, to communicate with them. They were hugged by the children constantly.
At 6:00 a.m. they got up and had "circle time." That was the worship and Bible teaching time for the orphans. At 7:00 a.m. they had breakfast, then went on to do the day's work: construction, painting, clinics, etc. Lunch was at noon. After lunch they played on the playgrounds with the orphans or took them to the store. The children had to be back in their dorms by 3:30 p.m. so Jacy, Sarah, and the other team members would go back to the "team house" and play Uno, Foursquare, or a ball game they made up. Dinner was at 6:00 p.m. followed by devotions, then bed.
Sarah said she learned to be grateful for what she has, because those children have nothing. They have a communal closet and she saw five different girls wear the same dress on consecutive days. Two special-needs girls who were sisters were there because their mother sniffed glue so she wouldn't feel hungry while she was pregnant with them. One young man had lived in the woods for two years before he came to the orphanage last year and was just now learning to talk and sing. When the team was leaving they passed girls lined up waiting to go to school and the children called each of the team-members by name and said, "I love you! I love you!" Both Sarah and Jacy said the children were starved for affection and wanted to draw out the time they had with the team members. The toddlers all had head lice and scabies so the team began treating them. God answered their prayers for enough medication to successfully treat all the babies.
Sarah says she's very thankful for the family God has given her, too. Jacy's thankful that she doesn't have to live with flies everywhere. Jacy said the verse about God being a father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5) really struck home as she saw how the orphans love God and live close to Him and believe that He is their father.
The children asked them to come back next year. That's exactly what Jacy and Sarah want to do.
While there, they painted fences and worked in the medical and dental clinics. More than anything else they played with the children. Jacy said that she and Sarah both used their Spanish, along with lots of hand motions, to communicate with them. They were hugged by the children constantly.
At 6:00 a.m. they got up and had "circle time." That was the worship and Bible teaching time for the orphans. At 7:00 a.m. they had breakfast, then went on to do the day's work: construction, painting, clinics, etc. Lunch was at noon. After lunch they played on the playgrounds with the orphans or took them to the store. The children had to be back in their dorms by 3:30 p.m. so Jacy, Sarah, and the other team members would go back to the "team house" and play Uno, Foursquare, or a ball game they made up. Dinner was at 6:00 p.m. followed by devotions, then bed.
Sarah said she learned to be grateful for what she has, because those children have nothing. They have a communal closet and she saw five different girls wear the same dress on consecutive days. Two special-needs girls who were sisters were there because their mother sniffed glue so she wouldn't feel hungry while she was pregnant with them. One young man had lived in the woods for two years before he came to the orphanage last year and was just now learning to talk and sing. When the team was leaving they passed girls lined up waiting to go to school and the children called each of the team-members by name and said, "I love you! I love you!" Both Sarah and Jacy said the children were starved for affection and wanted to draw out the time they had with the team members. The toddlers all had head lice and scabies so the team began treating them. God answered their prayers for enough medication to successfully treat all the babies.
Sarah says she's very thankful for the family God has given her, too. Jacy's thankful that she doesn't have to live with flies everywhere. Jacy said the verse about God being a father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5) really struck home as she saw how the orphans love God and live close to Him and believe that He is their father.
The children asked them to come back next year. That's exactly what Jacy and Sarah want to do.
Labels: family
posted by Laura at
2:52 PM
1 Comments:
A friend's daughter just came home from Honduras a couple weeks ago and she'd also been working with orphans. She went last year too and each time she took care packages over. I wonder if it's the same organization sponsoring the mission trips.
I'm glad your girls are home safe and sound and that all went well.
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