Elena

Today was incredible. This morning we had a water day with the kids; I think we all had a blast! It was amazing to watch all of their faces light up the second they walked out, and saw all the fun water activities we had prepared. Then this afternoon we a dance party! It was amazing! At first the kids were scared, and shy to dance, but once they saw all of us having a good time, they quickly joined in.
I had the joy of meeting a little girl named Elena! She had gotten in a little fight with one of the other girls, and was crying on the stairs. I couldn´t just walk away from her though, so I grabbed at interpreter and asked him to help me figure out what I could do. She wanted me to hold her, so naturally I did. She just sat there crying in my arms for at least ten minutes. Then I asked the interpreter what she wanted to do; she was ready to play again! So we went back to where the rest of the group was, and danced for over an hour. By the end of the afternoon, she was, in Spanish of course, calling me her mom. She stole my heart! It was so hard to say good bye at the end of the day. I just wanted to stay there, and take care of her forever.
It was an incredible experience being able to be there for her, and give her that sense of security, and emotional support. I can’t think of a better feeling than that. I personally do not know very much Spanish. Before coming on the trip, I was so worried about the language barrier being an issue. But if nothing else, on this trip, I have learned that love is the same in ever language. And our ultimate goal is to show them how much we love them, and how much their Father loves them!
A piece of my heart will always be here in Guatemala!