We started the morning by going to church in a small Salvadorian church. I was reminded so much of my time in Africa. I was in complete awe as I stood there not understanding a word they said, but understanding their love of God. With holy hands raised, dancing because they could not contain their excitment to worship God, and singing with everything they had left, these people worshipped God with every ounce of their being.
We went to eat lunch and then went to cipi. I could barely contain my excitement as we drove in hoping to see some familiar faces and some new ones. We first worked with the teenage girls and over 15 of them accepted Christ. Praise God! Most of them have never even known their father or have been abused by their fathers. For them to hear that there is a God that wants to love them and take care of them changed their lives. So many girls found a new family today that will never be taken away from them. One of the girls shared with us that her family has never come to visit her, and it broke her heart. She felt lost. She accepted Christ and we all gave her big hugs and told her we were her new family. Today, three girls managed to escape while we were there. It broke my heart.
We also were able to work with the teenage moms, babies, toddlers, little boys, and special needs kids. At the end of the day, I was tucking the special needs kids into bed and telling them goodnight, and the weight of everything hit me. I was rocking a little boy with hydrocephalus. His eyes race back and forth and his head is filled with fluid. A stint has been placed in the back of his head to relieve the pressure in his head. Later, I walked into the dark room and saw Salvador sleeping. All day he had been laying on a tile floor with flies swarming all around him. I'm not sure what exactly is wrong with him, but he can't talk, can't move his arms or legs, and cant sit up. He is 12 years old and the size of a 5 year old. As he was laying in the bed asleep, he looked so peacful. All I could do was sit there and pray over him as I cried. I will never fully understand why the world has to be so unfair. Why am I so blessed to be healthy, and have no problems, but salvador has to lay on a tile floor with bugs crawling all over him in misery all day long? Carlos ( the one that has hydrocephalus) was expected to die a long time ago. He lives in discomfort and will probably never be able to communicate a word. Why him? Why not me? As I sat there crying while looking at Salvador, all I could say was "God, I would take his place if I could. Please bless his life, and if He has any way of understanding anything, please bring Him to know you. Send your angels to protect Him." I sit here on the verge of balling all over again. I ask that you please please pray for Carlos and Salvador. Day after day they lay helplessly, and uncomfortably in the same spot, trapped in their own bodies. I pray that I will never forget their faces. And after seeing the pictures above, I pray that you never forget these precious childen either.
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