Interns in Guatemala

Hi! This is Lydia VanDerStoep and this week the interns are in Xela, Guatemala. We have been working with two different orphanage. One orphanage is a government orphanage and we work with this one in the morning. The other is a family based orphanage and we have been blessed to be able to visit this one in the afternoons.

I could spend much time talking about so many of the kids, but I want to focus on just one of the little girls at the government run orphanage who is special needs. I first met her in the morning when I was out of breath after running to chase a kid in the game pato, pato, ganzo, or as we know it, Duck, Duck, Goose. This particular group of kids love this game and we played it for a very long time. As I sat down beside her, out of breath, I asked her her name in spanish, and she replied, Lidia! I was taken aback because I do not meet many people with the same name as me. We began talking and I soon discovered that she was a sweet sweet girl, about 10 years old. She has short hair, a thin frame and a huge smile. All at once I began to think about how we were both named Lydia and how God cares for each of us. Why am I able to live with a family? Why have I been blessed so much? Why am I not the Lydia with autism? Why am I the one who is priviledged to go to college? Why did my parents love me and care for me? I know that I may never know the answers to these questions but I did learn so much from spending time with her.

The following day, I was able to be in crafts with her and as we talked in Spanish, I discoverd that she loved to sing. I asked her to sing me a song, and she very calmly began singing a beautiful melody of praise to her God and Lord, Jesus Christ. It was one of the most beautiful sights to see the room get progressively more quiet as she lifted her voice to her Savior. After one song, she did not stop. Other children began to join in with worship songs, and a spontaneous worship time in craft time broke out.

One thing that I have learned is that I am not God. I am not the one who ordained me to live and grow up how I did, and her to live in a different situation that has been much more difficult. Yet we both praise the Lord, and we both find peace and joy from praising our Lord. No matter how hard our life can be, when we praise God, He is so faithful to bring us into his presence and into his loving arms.