Laughter needs no translation

Hello! Or, as they say here in Lima, Peru, Hola! My name is Ariel, and I am with the Ash Creek Baptist Church of Azle, Texas. Today was our first full day in Peru. Through God´s grace, we had a safe journey, and none of us are ill or travel-weary.

Today was a day of firsts for many of us, both cultural and spiritual. We from Texas saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time and experienced sixty degree weather in July, things we don´t normally see or do. For many of us, it was also the first time to go to an orphanage. When we first arrived, many of us were shy and nervous around the boys. It was the first time to become tongue-tied around an eight-year-old boy, but what could we say? How could we convey the love of the Father to them when we didn´t even share the same language?

We wanted to say so much and convey love and tenderness, but the language barrier was like a brick wall. After a few games, something new and exciting happened. We started forming relationships through a broken mix of spanglish and hand gestures. These relationships that we started with these boys were different from the ones we have with others in America. For the first time, we cared for people without expecting anything in return. All we wanted to do was to make these boys smile and laugh, whether they remember us or not.

As we were playing a game of Tag, something struck me for the first time. Laughter is universal. Giving a smile needs no translation. Sometimes our Father does not give us words to use because we don´t need words. I pray that each person on this trip may find some way to show love and hope for these boys, in whatever language, whatever way. Thank you God for this opportunity to be here in the city of Lima.