We left the mountains for Santa Cruz on Thursday, which was an all day trip. The next few days were full of meeting missionaries who live in Santa Cruz, visiting ministries, and laughter. One of my favorite things to do is leave the day up to God and see how He leads. There was one day in particular where we prayed for God's direction. Less than 20 minutes later, we had all the direction we needed through what many would consider "random" connections. I love it when that happens!

The next thing I knew, I was walking through a crowded indoor market full of raw vegetables and meat carcasses, boarding two crowded buses where I had to stand in the aisle as it stopped and started, hurtling across the city towards an orphanage/Girls' Home.

 

There were 17 girls at this orphanage, ranging from very young to older teens. Most were sleeping when we arrived. It was a Saturday morning, after all! But a few came to greet us. We played with a puppy and on the swings, toured the grounds to learn more about the ministry, and most of all, poured into the girls around us. They even gave us lunch!

There was this one girl, Silvana, who came up to me and wouldn't let go. She loved to smile and loved pictures. I leaned over and said, "Silvana, Jesus te ama mucho" and a huge grin split her face.

It was a great day.

 

 

 

 

(Silvana is the girl in gray above).

 

More stories to come... see you soon!