Bogota June 2011: Day 4

This morning the Lord lead me to forgo my devotion in order that two brothers, Dave Beach and Luis Escobar, could share some things that the Lord had laid on their heart.  Dave started out by sharing a little of how they came to the Orphan Hope International family and what God has been showing them in the last year as a result. Then he shared his vision for Colombia and what the Lord is going to do here. It was very encouraging and challenging. After, Luis shared the story that I wrote about yesterday about the girl he wept and prayed with. It was beautiful.

We headed out this morning to Amparo De Ninos (Protection of Boys) orphanage. I enjoyed the wonderful worship songs that Jair led us in on the bus and the awesome fellowship and spiritual companionship of my brothers and sisters on the way there. I sat next to Frank Kiser and we shared some heavy warfare stuff. It was powerful.

The orphanage is an old monastery out in the country that houses 100 boys 8 – 18. I was especially excited because this is the first orphanage I ever visited in Colombia. When we pulled up there were red, yellow, and blue (the colors of Colombia) balloons everywhere and the boys came out so excited to see us. They lead us into an auditorium that they had decorated with the flags of Colombia and America and red, white, and blue and red, yellow, and blue balloons and a big banner that the boys had hand made with the message in Spanish and English, “Friendship knows no limits or boundaries. Welcome!” and another banner that said, “God didn’t create borders; my goal is friendship with the world.” Everyone in the orphanage and on the team introduced themselves and then the boys did an amazing presentation of comedy, singing, dancing, and so on. It was obvious how delighted they were that we were there. It was humbling to hear that they don’t get visitors other than us every six months and that they had been planning for weeks for this presentation. I can’t describe how my heart cried out to the Lord to pour His grace on them and allow us to show them His love.

After the meeting we took a tour of the facility and my old friend Juan David, the first Colombian orphan my daughter Beverly and I ever met, came up and put his arm around me and said, “vamos” (Let’s go) he showed me all over the complex (even though I have been here half a dozen times) and we caught up and remembered old times. On our first trip to Colombia I brought my 17-year-old daughter Beverly with me. She had never flown on a plane or been out of the country except on a cruise. We arrived at Amparo De Ninas and this 13-year-old boy Jaun David took her by the hand and they became fast friends. Our second day there was her 18th birthday and all the boys sang happy birthday to her in English. Juan David begged me to be his daddy and asked Beverly to be his big sister. Jaun David took us up to the long room of bed after bed and picked up a little pink stuffed pig, the only toy he had, and handed it to Beverly as a birthday gift. She profusely refused but he would not take it back. I remember that she cried and cried that night. I saw a transformation take place in her that night that has existed to this day. She went from being a sort of serious Christ follower to a radicalized soldier of the cross overnight and that fire has not dimmed one iota. For months after we got home if someone mentioned his name she would start weeping. We tried to adopt him as well as our Goddaughters but found that we didn’t qualify economically, my health, and we had just recently adopted our African daughter. When Beverly returned to Amparo De Ninas a year and a half later she brought the little pink pig and gave it back to Juan David and they renewed their friendship once again. Well today after Juan David showed me all over the grounds he disappeared for a little while and then returned and handed me that little pink pig freshly washed and smelling of shampoo. He told me, “I just washed it, smell.” Then he said, “Wednesday is Beverly’s birthday and I want you to take this little pig back to her. Tell her I love her and that she can bring the pig back again when she comes to see me.” I took the pig and packed it away in my bag. After the tears subsided I texted Beverly and told her that I was with Juan David and gave her the message and sent her a photo with him holding the little pig. She texted me back and gave him her love and thanked me for making her cry ☺ I never dreamed that I would have a son and two daughters in Colombia that I can never bring home. The good thing is that they know that as long as I have breath in my body and God is willing I will come to see them again and again. Truth be told, my daughters and sons have dozens of little brothers and sisters living in orphanages in Colombia that they have given their heart to at one time or another and that they keep in contact with. Jesus said in John 10:16 “I have other sheep who are not of this fold, I must go and bring them also, they will hear my voice, and they will be one flock with one shepherd.” We are so grateful to be a part of connecting those other sheep to Him.

Then it was time to play. We had brought some sports equipment to give them and the boys broke out the soccer ball and soon there was a big game going, the USA vs. Colombia. It was so fun to see them out there playing their hearts out. When it was Colombia 3 USA 0 it began to rain and then hail and so we went inside and finished the morning visiting. The team had a wonderful time with the boys and then we had a nice lunch of beef and rice and potato. Half way through the meal the boys told us that they had slaughtered their cow the day before so that they could feed us this lunch. We sat stunned. Then Sandy Byrd said, “They killed the fatted calf for us.” “Wow!” Little orphan boys on another continent teaching us about love, hospitality, and sacrifice, humbling. I had an awesome visit over lunch with some of the older boys 16-18. They asked me what I do and I told them about all of the ministry things I am involved in. One of the boys said, “Are you a Christian?” (as opposed to Catholic) and I answered, “Yes.” He asked me what I believe and I was able to share the gospel and my testimony. It was wonderful. They were listening so intently.

About 3:30 p.m. it began to rain harder and the river at the bottom of the hill began to rise and we knew if we waited 30 minutes longer we would not be able to get out and get home. We said our hurried goodbyes and jumped on the bus. The road was already washing out and it was touch and go for a little while whether we would make it out to the paved road but we did and headed off to dinner to reminisce and share stories and testimonies and dream of what God is going to use us to do in the years to come. Tomorrow we go back to the same orphanage and we have many gifts and a big surprise for them. I can’t wait. I have a suspicion that we will leave the bus out at the main road and walk in tomorrow like we did the last time the bridge was out ☺

Your prayers are mightily felt here. God is at work!