Lily's kids

Lily's kids

Monday, December 7, 2015

December Update :)

Hello my blog! I am so sorry for not posting regularly. It's been almost 5 months...

Quick update  for those of you who still check this... :)

It has been a very busy few months. With 10 little ones in my house it is always go go go! Several new little ones arrived and I now have a baby living with me. Josias just turned 4 months and arrived at my house when he was 3 weeks. What a joy it has been to have him with us. He's FINALLY sleeping through the night and is so happy and smiley and he makes my heart explode every day!

I took a week long trip with some gringo friends to the salt flats, Salar de Uyuni and it was amazingly beautiful. Then we spent several days in Santa Cruz and made some amazing friends and got to visit an amazing church where God is touching so many young hearts.

All the kids here are doing well. This past weekend was the graduating for 5 of the oldest kids here at Casa de Esperanza. We are so proud of Ruddy, Esteban, Juan Carlos, Miguel and Raquel. Ruddy had the highest grade in his class and received 1,000 bolivianos from the government. We are so proud of him!!!!

Thank you all for your support and prayers. I will try try try to be more diligent in posting! :) But it's almost Christmas (which seems weird here with no snow haha). So thankful for all God is doing here and in my heart. To HIM be the glory!!!!

In Christ,
Lily Fluharty

Sunday, August 30, 2015

11 kids

It's amazing how very different each and every child is...

2 new additions to my house means that I know have 11 kiddos...

3 weeks- our little sleeper (except from 11-12 pm)
1 year- sweetest grin, loudest scream
1 year- giggler and just started WALKING
1 year- what a monkey... loves climbing everything
1 year- so chill and sweet
2 years- big helper and what a talker
3 years- mischief maker
4 years- adjusting to our family and gives the sweetest hugs
4 years- the "Boss" of the family
4 years- little Mama and loves on all the babies
6 years with special needs- squinty grin and LOVES to eat

These precious little ones remind me daily of my need for Jesus. Without Him, I am nothing. Without Him, I have nothing. He is my everything.
Gives grace when I don't know what to do.
Gives love when I am lonely.
Gives mercy when I fall short.
Gives rest when I have no strength (thanks baby for the weird sleep schedule)
Gives joy EVERY day.

The beauty of walking day by day with Jesus is that I am never alone.
Just like my kiddos, I am very different than others but the Father's love reaches down to each of us. He sees us with joy and love and gives us grace to love like He does.
REJOICE! We are HIS!

What a joy it has been to love these kids. Please join me in praying for the two newest little ones that moved in. Pray that God would touch their little hearts and that they would know Him! Also for wisdom and strength to raise all these crazies!

One more prayer request, Peniel went to Cochabamba for surgery to put a new shunt in her heart but we are waiting for one doctor to arrive from Colombia. Please be praying for wisdom and peace as we trust God's perfect timing.

Much love from Bolivia
~Lily Fluharty


Sunday, August 9, 2015

Our home is with HIM

This past week was a very full one. A very emotional one. A bittersweet one. A week filled with grace.

A team from Holland was here for two weeks working on several different projects like fixing up three of the houses, putting on a new roof where we eat lunch, fixing the trampoline, doing crafts with the kids, soccer games at night, and a very fun goodbye party. What a blast it was to get to know them and see the way they served and loved the kids. Goodbyes are always hard but it's so amazing to see God unite brothers and sisters in Christ no matter what language is being spoken.

On Thursday, all of us here at Casa de Esperanza participated in a parade which meant waking up at 5am (and waking up all my little ones) so that we could get them dressed up in their costumes and do their hair and still get them to eat some breakfast and clean the house all before 8am. We barely made it out the door on time. Pretty sure I carried one of my little ones half dressed and without shoes on to the bus so we wouldn't be left behind. But oh how precious the little ones looked with their adorable outfits. Maybe I'm biased, but they are the CUTEST kids ever!

In the middle of all of the craziness, my heart was hurting as my Uncle back in the States passed away after fighting cancer for 15 months. Losing a loved one is so hard and I realized how far away I am when I wasn't there to hug my family. God is so gracious though and His peace is beyond anything I could imagine. My Uncle is now face to face with Jesus, praising Him and rejoicing in the presence of our Savior. There is such beauty in the fact that death here is just the beginning of life. Oh how I long for the day when Jesus calls me home to be with Him!

The same day that my Uncle went to be with Jesus, a new little life started here in Bolivia. And this little life came to join our family here at Casa de Esperanza three days later. This little boy doesn't have a name yet, but he is joining two of his sisters here at Casa de Esperanza. Elisabet is 8 years old and Abigail is 1 and now they have a new little brother. We are so excited to have this precious little gift from God!

Amazed at God's nearness and faithfulness. I don't deserve it, but He gives it freely. My reaction is to cling closer to my Savior. There are times where we don't even have the strength to go on, but God is our Shepherd and will lead us safely to Him. The rest and peace there is beyond words. Thank you Jesus!

Much love from Bolivia,
Lily Fluharty

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

More pain for more grace

Life goes by so quickly...

I blinked and suddenly I'm not a kid anymore.

There are times where I realize where God has me today and it blows me away.

I feel like I was just eight years old playing dolls with my sisters.
All those late night conversations and how we all thought it would be so weird when one of us got married.
Well, I just watched my oldest sister get married to the man she has been praying for all these years.
I stood there, watching her dance with her husband and it made me realize just has quickly time is passing by.

I think about that list by my bed when I was just learning how to write. With the numbers 1-100 all down the side and how I wanted to name all 100 of the kids I yearned to hold and protect and love. That desire is still there but now I am living a small piece of it.

All through my childhood I dreamed and prayed about the day I could move overseas and work with children. Today I just bought chocolate and smarties to bring back to the little ones I get to love on each and every day. It's been four years with those cuties.

Four years of loving those precious little ones that I had dreamed about loving. 18 years of praying and dreaming and hoping and planning.

God was preparing me those 18 years and has continued to teach me and grow me during these 4 at Casa de Esperanza in Bolivia.

Every struggle and hard moment was worth it. All the closed doors only meant that God would open the right door in His perfect timing. At the time it didn't make sense and it hurt. But now looking back on it, I see more clearly how God was leading me. I won't fully understand all of it but I have learned that God has it under control. But I still have so much to learn.

Watching my sister get married made me realize just how much more God has in store for me... it's not over yet! I feel small and young but remember that God is so much bigger than my weaknesses and youth. He is GOD. Pretty much all I need is in those three words.

He will NOT let me go.
He will lead me in His PERFECT plan.
He LOVES me.
He is FOR me.

My only reaction is to reach out and let Him wrap me in His arms and lead me on.

More abandoned babies, more hurting children, more broken single mamas, more pain.

But more of God's love, more of his healing, more of His forgiveness and more of His grace.

Every bit of brokenness I encounter or find in my own heart, I get to see God heal and restore.

Ashes to beauty.

I love seeing God work. I am excited to see God continue to work.

May He keep refining us and making us more into His image!
All glory to Him!

In Christ,
Lily Fluharty

They make me smile

David, Cecila and Ismael
After a quick break of being home... two weeks of sunshine and my sister's beautiful wedding...

I am heading back to Bolivia this weekend and I cannot wait to wrap up my little ones and smother them with kisses. I am missing them. Excited to finally be able to upload some pics! I don't get to do it enough and these smiling faces light up my day!


All my babies... well one is missing

Enjoying coconut milk

Ariel sewing with Anna

Mateo 
Love these beautiful kids

July, Peniel, Emanuel and Abigail

Perfect excuse to come home. Congratulations Lindsey!
Will hopefully be writing again before I head back! Until then,
God bless!!! Excited to see Him lead and guide me!

~Lily Flu

Sunday, June 28, 2015

8 under 5

8 under 5...

New little guy makes the crazy kid count in my house 8... plus the other Tia I live with has two kids who are 3 and 1...

10 under 5...

watching my littlest giggle and scrunch up her nose

seeing our newest learn to smile and receive love

hearing my 4 year old pray at night and pray for my family

watching my biggest little man jump around and be So HAPPY

hugging my 3 year old and hearing her call me "Mami"

Laughing as my chubby 4 year old FINALLY learns to jump

singing with my 1 year old

getting BIG hugs from my precious 5 year old with special needs

Oh the beauty of loving these children and receiving so much love...

I'm heading to the States for a couple of weeks for my sister's wedding and I'm excited to see God continue to work!!! Hopefully in the States I can get some more blog posts written... hooray for bad internet here! ;)

Continually amazed at what God is doing in my heart and in my house. Love seeing Him so graciously leading me in His perfect plan.

His great love will lead me through. My peace, my joy, my Father!!!

Much love,
Lily Flu

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Screaming

Screaming.
One of my little guys decided that this week would be a week of screaming.
Wonderful.
And one of my little gals decided to join him.
Let's just say this was a very loud week in my house!
It's in moments with two little ones screaming and two babies on their potty chairs waiting to be changed and two little girls running around laughing and kind of putting on pajamas and one looking for her toothbrush and another one yelling, "Tia Lily, toilet paper PLEASE" that I either just about lose it or start laughing.
So many times do I need grace in the midst of the chaos.
It's not always kisses and hugs.
I LOVE and treasure those moments. ALOT.
But all moms know that in between those beautiful moments there are moments of pure chaos where you literally don't know which kid to tend to first and usually go towards who is screaming the loudest just to bring the noise level down a few notches.
Beautiful chaos how redemptive you are.

Seeing God refine and work in me in those chaotic moments. In the moments where I would much rather sleep in than wake up and re-clean the house and restart the chaos.

But God.

That's where my hope lies. In the hard days, in the good days, it's all up to Him! I am not here because of me. It's all about Jesus and His goodness and love. It's beautiful. I can find rest in Him even in the craziest of crazy moments.

And every hug and kiss completely wipes away every frustration.

We have been working on a memory verse all month and I have been amazed seeing the little ones memorize it! It's Hebrews 4:12-13 (In Spanish) and each little one LOVES it when it's their time to recite it by memory. Even 2 year old Emanuel knows most of it!!! Mariros (3 years old) usually throws in the word Princess here and there too... ;)

 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

God is ALIVE AND ACTIVE!!!!

So blessed at everything God is teaching me and learning to trust Him isn't always easy but it's All for HIM!!!

Thank you all for your love and support and prayers!!!!

In Christ who completely blows me away,
Lily Flu

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Mother's Day

Today we celebrated Mother's Day at church with a special lunch of Sajta de Pollo which is my favorite dish here in Bolivia. It's chicken with chuños and potatoes and a spicy sauce! So delicious! After lunch, as we drove back up to Casa de Esperanza, the truck stopped and wouldn't start up again… which means over a half hour of waiting all squished into a truck. I had two babies in my arms and they were wiggly! haha! But finally, another truck from Casa came back to get us and we rode up with all the younger kids singing praise music at the top of our lungs! Such a fun afternoon!

Blessed by so many little ones who smother me with their hugs and kisses. For little boys who give me Mother's Day cards and hug me and bigger boys who give me Mother's day cards and still hug me! Blessed by little babies who wrap their arms around my neck or giggle and scrunch up their noses. Thankful for older girls who make me laugh and smile. Thankful for a little ones who copy me in raising their hands during worship.

BLESSED!!!

Learning to find joy in every day! Learning to thank God and find His unending beauty. He is faithful! He is beautiful and so worthy!

In Christ Jesus who's love is beautiful,
Lily Fluharty

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Because He is stronger

This past week we had three days with no running water. With 9 babies and toddlers, 3 days with no water is NOT easy. Running outside in the rain at night to fill up buckets and bathing so many little munchkins with 1 bucket of water isn't easy. The rain means water but also means mud and on Tuesday, I ran back and forth barefoot to the Sala where we eat lunch from my house carrying the kids two by two under a green plastic rain poncho so they wouldn't get wet. Little adventures haha!

On Wednesday, we celebrated Mother's Day here in Bolivia and it was such a special day. The Tios (Uncles) thanked all the Tias for serving and loving the children here and we received little gifts of chocolate and oreos! A few of the little boys gave me Mother's Day cards and one of the boys told me, "You are like a mama to me. I hug you every day because I love you." It completely blessed me.

There are days filled with laughter and where I want to explode with joy. The kids are HILARIOUS and make me laugh. There are also hard moments where I need grace to love a stubborn toddler who is screaming and screaming and screaming just to show me how mad he is and that he will NOT sleep.

I am learning. I am learning to rest in God's arms. His strength is sufficient. I feel so weak at times and there are times I have no clue what I am doing. But I know God is at work. I know He is leading me. I know that He is with me. I am not alone.

All the glory goes to Him! In the moments where I am covered in hugs and kisses from my little ones and the hard moments when a little one is disobedient or had an accident AGAIN… There are times I react impatiently and can only cry out to God for help.

I am weak. He is strong!!! I still cannot believe how faithful God is. In the good days and the harder days, Jesus is with us! We are called to obey and love Him because He first loved us!

I keep wanting to update more regularly but haven't had time… thank you for those who still check in to this blog… :) Excited to see God continue to lead and guide me.

Much love and thank you for your prayers and support!!!

In Christ,
Lily Fluharty

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Feliz Cumpleaños

“Feliz Cumpleaños Tia Lily!!!”
I had a very special birthday filled with smiles, hugs, lots of extra kisses from my little ones, a surprise cake at 4:50 am and a hug that included an egg getting smashed on my head, coming out of the shower at 5:30am and having all my little ones awake and waiting for me outside the door to give me kisses and hugs. A slow, relaxing morning and a beautiful, sunny afternoon of snuggling with my 7 munchkins and laughing with them. Then in the afternoon celebrating with the staff and being afraid of getting more eggs smashed one me... well they added things to the mixture and I found a clementine, flour and egg all smashed on my head again and my face in a cake (several times) plus some icing on my face... oh laughter and friendship. Had a wonderful time eating the cake (with a little less frosting thanks to the fingers and tongue of Emanuel) and singing “Feliz Cumpleaños” with my little guys at night. Then we cleaned the house and I snuggled into bed with my little girls and we read “5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed”. I was blessed by some very thoughtful gifts from a few of the Tias and a very special stuffed animal from Ely! The best surprise was a belated birthday gift of BACON! Let’s just say I freaked out and ended up eating it at 11:30 pm with one of the older girls, Noemi. So delicious!!! 
So blessed by the past 21 years of my life and excited to see what the year 22 will bring! God has been so faithful and His faithfulness and love is unending. Praying that each year, my life would bring glory to God and that as I get a year closer to eternity, that God would continue to conform me to His image and I would continue to die to myself so that Christ may life more richly inside of me. Oh for the day when I am with my Savior for ever! 
Thank you to everyone who sent me birthday wishes! I felt so loved! Many blessings and a GIANT hug from Bolivia!
In Christ,

Lily Fluharty

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Our great Comforter

There are moments when I don't even have words to comfort these kids.

"My dad is now out of jail. I am so angry at him. He beat me and now I don't even remember what his face looks like."

How do you comfort a twelve year old boy who is still hurting?

How do you share of how God is loving and perfect when this little one has suffered so much in the first eleven years of his life before coming to live here?

God has a plan for you little one. He will never let you go.

"Tia Lily, pray for my mama."

How do you tell a three year old that her mama is gone? How do you explain that her mama, who was just a little girl herself, took her own life?

God loves you beautiful child. He is your Heavenly Father.

It's in the scars and hurt of this world, the deepest darkness that I continually see God's light shining bright.

These children have been rescued out of darkness. They are now in a safe loving home. Yes, there will be struggles and fears and hurt but God has called them out of abusive homes and dangerous situations. They are safe and loved and watched over. They hear of God's love every day and I pray that one day each and every little heart would be broken by the darkness and be filled with God's love and light!

I will fear no evil for God is with me. Our Shepherd. My cup runs over.
SURELY goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever!

Promises like that! What a comfort in the midst of abuse and death and pain and earthquakes and little ones suffering. We have a comforter who LOVES us and RESCUES us from all the death and pain!

Beauty from ashes. Life from death! THAT'S the Jesus we serve!


Monday, April 20, 2015

Baptism

Yesterday was beautiful. 

After church, the congregation all piled into several trucks and the bus and we rode down to the river and while half stood on the bridge, the rest of us walked down the bank to the water's edge.

It was amazingly beautiful to watch Tatiana and Angel, two of the teenagers from Casa de Esperanza, get baptized. As they came up from the water they had beautiful smiles on their faces and Angel couldn't stop smiling as people hugged him. 

Beautiful. Jesus transforms lives. 

The beauty of the rushing river, the green mountains surrounding us, the bright blue sky and the smiling  dark faces around me was only a reflection of the beauty that God is doing in the hearts of these two teens. They are made new. Alive in Him!!!

Please pray for Tatiana and Angel that God would continue to work in their hearts and they would grow closer and closer to Him every day. That in their weakness they would cry out to their Heavenly Father and lean upon Him! And pray that the decision these two have made would be an example and encouragement to the rest of the kids here at Casa!!!

Praise the Lord oh my soul!!! 

In Christ,
Lily Fluharty

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Special moments

I barely have time to post even though I love writing! So sorry for those who are checking in regularly! I'll try to post more frequently!

But life moves on and all my little munchkins are getting soooooo big!!!

Sabina took 4 steps by herself yesterday which made me scream because I was so excited!!!
My little man is FINALLY potty trained!!!
All my little ones keep telling me, "I love you so so much!" every day which fills me with smiles!

One of my favorite moments of the day is when we do devotions after dinner. Singing (screaming) "My God is Greater" in Spanish with hand motions and even Lolina and the babies join in and lift their arms and wave them back and forth! I was telling them that Jesus is God's son and explaining the gospel and how he came to earth to die for our sins. The next night I asked who remembered what we talked about. I said, "Jesus came down to…???" and Peniel smiles and goes, "to bed!" haha! Made us laugh!

So many special moments with them that make me smile! YES there are hard moments and moments where they don't want to obey and those moments are hard!!! God is gracious and I am learning more every day! Continually amazed at His faithfulness to me.

I'm about to head to church!!! Hopefully there are more updates coming soon!!! :) Much love and thank you so much for your support and prayers!!!

In Christ Jesus,
Lily Flu

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Healed by His hands


The blog has been quiet lately… but my house and my heart have not…

On the few days I get off, I always try to write but end up falling asleep… raising kids is tiring! All moms are my official heroes because it is a 24/7 job that never ends. But what a joy it is. 

This past week we ended up all moving into a different house that is closer to the sala where we eat lunch and away from the pool. It was exhausting! I didn't sit down until I went to bed at 1 in the morning. 

I have been so encouraged these past few weeks by God's grace and faithfulness. So many times I rely on my own strength and fail. But when I turn my eyes towards God's love and perfect plan, I can rest. Sometimes I don't understand why things have to be so difficult. But I know that ALL things work together for good because God's plan is good. 

Right now I am living with a Tia who is hurting. She has a very difficult past and her current home situation is very difficult and sometimes even dangerous. She is hurting and angry and doesn't understand. My heart aches for her to know God's love for her and to find rest in His strong arms. Last week I pulled her into my arms as we sat on the floor and just prayed over her as she cried. Prayer for grace and peace in a heart that is hurting and has deep scars. Only God can heal. And He does heal!

I have seen His healing love time and time again. Oh the beauty of God's love. 

We have been talking about the gospel in our devotions every night with my little ones. One of the little three year olds was broken over the fact that Jesus had nails driven through his hands. Owies for little ones are very important. They hurt and they remember them for several days and will show me their owies until they are completely healed. Every night, little Aaron reminds me to tell him about Jesus' hands with the nails in them and how there was blood and it made my heart break. I forget that Jesus hurt for me. That His hands bled and he had nails pounded through them because of His great love for me. And that by His blood, I am healed. I can't forget. I don't want to forget. Because by His bloody hands, I am healed and have life!

When I am hurting, He pulls me into His arms and comforts me. It's beautiful. It's painful but God is good and has defeated death. And I look forward to spending eternity with Him where no more tears will be shed and there will be perfect peace and joy.

Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement and support! God is faithful and so wonderful!
BLessings from Bolivia!!!
~Lily Flu

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Melting


Their eyes make me melt! I know my posts have been few and far between but there hasn't been great internet… these pics are from a few years ago but how precious are they? How blessed I am to be able to love on these beautiful children! We are still looking for sponsors for the kids!!! Please consider supporting a child for $25 a month. Email me at cdesponsorbolivia@gmail.com

Jesus THANK YOU for each child. Thank you for each moment. Thank you for each heart you are transforming!



18 years ago

3 years. This past Sunday was 3 years in Bolivia. 
18 years. Yesterday, was 18 years since Jesus opened my eyes and saved me. 18 years since He made me alive in Him. 
3 years made possible because 18 years ago Jesus made me His. 
This past week was a week of changes for all the kids at Casa de Esperanza. Every year, there are changes in each house as kids get older or graduate and sometimes the changes are great and sometimes they are hard. My three first graders moved out of my house and two little ones moved in. Little Abigail, who is ten months and oooooh so tiny moved in and so did Lolina. It was a crazy adjustment, adding another baby to the schedule and a precious little one with special needs. The assistant Tia in my house also ended up switching with another so we are in the process of getting into our new routine and getting used to living life together. God is gracious and very patient and I am learning patience. 
Every change is hard at times. But I love seeing little glimpses of each child feeling safe and secure as they adjust to their new homes. Seeing little Abigail grin with her raspy giggle last night as I tickled her, Lolina has had a GREAT first three days and her eyes light up every morning when I walk into her room. I am learning more and more of my dependence on Christ as I learn to care and love these precious children. 
I am so thankful for the past 3 years here. For the past 3 years of loving these kids. For the past 3 years of learning and growing and seeing God’s faithfulness here in Bolivia. There are changes and I have changed as God has shown me more of Himself and slowly taught me to keep my eyes on HIM and HIM alone.
I am more thankful for the past 18 years of LIFE! Of new life in Christ Jesus. Where would I be apart from Him? I had such joy yesterday in the midst of the chaos as I reflected on how gracious and loving God has been to me. All I can say is ALL GLORY TO HIM. I want Him to become greater and I want to become less as each day passes. May my life be a song, praising His holy name. 


Sunday, February 8, 2015

We've been busy…

Wow… over three weeks have flown by and I have not posted anything… Sorry!

It has been amazing to be back! And also a little exhausting! haha! Getting back into the swing of things and back into the routine of 9 little kids can be pretty crazy. But I missed these beautiful green mountains and these beautiful, dark eyed kids. 

We've been busy reading all the books people donated. The kids LOVE them and their favorite time of day is after dinner when they all crowd onto my bed and we read Curios George or 5 Little Monkeys or Goodnight Moon. What a huge blessing! I love watching them learn and listen and laugh at the stories and pictures. 

We've been busy cleaning the house and keeping it organized. Let's just say there was a colony of cockroaches living in the kitchen window… there was some screaming and some stomping on the heads of those little ugly guys and lots of kids helping Tia Lily smoosh them up. Yucky! But at least we had fun doing it! ;)

We've been busy with the first week of school! Javier, Juanes and Ismael are first graders!!! WHAT!?!?!? Craziness. When I got here, the twins were two years old. Slow down! They loved going to school with their new uniforms and new backpacks they got for Christmas.

We've been busy with birthdays. Sabina turned 1 and is crawling and laughing and growing and wanting to talk. Emanuel turned 2!!! I feel like he just arrived as a two week old baby. I remember holding him the night he arrived and just praying that God would bless the teeny baby who didn't have a name. Now he is 2 and running, laughing, super ticklish and a talker. I love making him copy me in English. My favorites are, "I'm pretty gangster myself" and "Wassup dude?" and "I love you so so much!" 

We've been busy with inventing stories late at night on the porch about dolphins and ducks and sharks and whales. Ismael laughs at EVERY part and makes all the other kiddos laugh too. Every story is good as long as the dolphin teaches the shark a lesson in the end. 

We've been busy playing Sorry and Candyland and learning that sometimes you lose and sometimes you win but you can't cry. Haha! What a lesson to learn. :) Especially when you get the card for Princess Frostine and are winning and then have to go back to the beginning. But sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. :)

I've been busy seeing God's faithfulness and love each and every day. Falling on my knees and crying out to Him as I need my need and my weakness but seeing His great love and his strength. What a beautiful Savior we have. 

Thank you all for your prayers and love! So excited to see God continue to lead. 

We are still looking for sponsors for the kids! For $25 a month you can make an impact in the lives of one of these precious little ones. Please email me at cdesponsorbolivia@gmail.com for more information! Do it!!!! These kids are too precious to be ignored.

Much love from sunny Bolivia!
Lily Fluharty 

Beauty in a Violent World

Everywhere I look there is beauty. Green. Life.  Beautiful green mountains and above me the sun setting below the mountains. This beauty takes my breath away every day. 
Everywhere I look there is beauty. Running. Laughing. Children living and growing and learning on this beautiful green mountain. And the beauty of it takes my breath away.
Have you ever just stopped and watched everything move and live around you? Right now I see two birds flying below me (I’m on a mountain remember) and hear kids voices and a dozen different birds chirping and bugs being bugs. There are two dogs laying next to me. One just finished slobbering all over my arm actually. I can see the river far below moving along and the air is cool and the ground moist from the rain earlier today. It’s beautiful. I feel very, very small. Because I am.
I also see pain a lot. It takes my breath away but in a very different way. More of a sharp pain in my side that makes it hard to breathe. Sometimes this beautiful place is very violent. There is abuse that happens that hurts people deep inside. I wanted to fix it and heal her wound as she whispered to me what happened all those years ago. That now all she wants to do is keep her own little ones safe. But sometimes even that isn’t possible. A vicious cycle that repeats itself. Little ones shouldn’t know that kind of fear and pain. What can I say to her? How can I comfort her?
Many times I don’t have answers. All I can do is lift up my voice and cry to a perfect King who loves us with a perfect love in the midst of brokenness and darkness. We are blinded. There is a Shepherd offering us perfect life and peace and so many times we prefer the darkness. We think we know better. 
The gospel is beautiful. But it is also violent. Jesus was slaughtered. Abused. He died. He knows. He understands. We are not alone in our pain. We have HOPE! A new life, a new love. We may not always perfectly understand but we can trust that what God has started, He will accomplish. 

The cross. Beautiful. Full of pain and violence. Death. But it doesn’t end there. Jesus didn’t just die for us... He rose again!!! He triumphed over death and sin so that we can live with Him! This is our comfort! The pain and violence in this world is fleeting because one day we will have eternal peace with our Savior! Praise God!!!

Monday, January 12, 2015

Three more sleeps…

It's winding down… tomorrow is my last full day in the States… Leaving home to head back to my other home. How do you process? So sad to leave one place but excited to leave for the other place. My dreams are full of snatching up little faces with big brown eyes and hugging them and hugging them and not letting them go. Three more sleeps until I see fuzzy heads and one of those sleeps will be on a plane…

I feel blessed. Humbled really by all the support and love I have received while I have been home. I feel so encouraged and excited to see God continue to work. Because I know it's definitely NOT me! It's so cool to see God at work. His love is beautiful and I love seeing it transform tiny lives.

It hurts to say "goodbye" and "I love you" even though I know it isn't forever to so many people I love in one home. I'm beyond excited to say, "HELLO again" and "I love you" to those I love in another home.

But here is how good God is… trying to pack a BUNCH of stuff into my checked bag and carry on… people have been absolutely AMAZING and 28 books in Spanish for the kids!!!
Little gifts and candy for all the kids
Chocolate and cards for ALL the staff and Tias!

Then I got a message asking if I could bring back two car parts because it saves money buying it here than spending double there… ok… how do I fit CAR PARTS into already stuffed bags??? But God is crazy… found out that I get a second checked bag for FREE! And then went to pick up the car parts and they are SMALL and LIGHT WEIGHT!!! Thank you JESUS!!!

Seeing God in the big things and also in little things like being able to fit an extra ranch dressing in to bless someone in Bolivia. They love their ranch…

Hopefully I post one more time before I leave and I will try to post when I arrive in Bolivia sometime over this weekend!!!

Thank you so much for all your support and prayers!!!! Please be praying as I travel that customs and immigration and baggage claims and security and connecting flights and all the craziness of flying all goes well.

God is so good! So excited to see Him continue to work and see His love poured out!

In Christ Jesus who blows me away daily,
Lily Fluharty


Sunday, January 4, 2015

10 more days!?!?

Less than 2 weeks before I go home… let the craziness begin!!!
Where did the time go???

Packing, repacking, checking the list, rechecking the list…

25 chocolate bars from Ikea for the Tias √
New jeans cuz all my old ones ripped     √
Books in Spanish for the kiddos              √
Sprees (my favorite)                                √


I still have about 300 pictures to print off to bring for all the kids. I love bringing them pictures of themselves… I love when the older kids show me the few baby pictures they have.

It's always bittersweet leaving. Sad to say goodbye and so very excited to see my kiddos again! I miss them like crazy… 10 more days in the States…

Love what God has been doing though… He is good and I am so excited to see Him continue to work in the next year.

To God be the glory!

~Lily Flu

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Happy New Year

2014 was pretty crazy. I look back over my journals and blog posts from 2014 and realize how very gracious God is. 2014 was hard. 2014 was good. 2014 was a year of God being so faithful and His strength overcoming my weakness.

I am thankful for 2014. I grew in 2014. God sustained in 2014.

I saw some of my prayers that I wrote on New Years last year…

*Grow deeper and stronger in my walk with God. -WOW! God is amazing. He has pulled me ever closer to Him and I pray that this next year would be an even greater year of seeing His glory.

*Be bold to share my testimony and the gospel- God provided opportunity after opportunity to share the gospel with the kids at Casa, the tias, the staff, the pizza man… it was truly amazing. We can't keep silent!

*Love till it hurts- This surprised me looking back. I forgot I wrote this. And this happened. I love the kids at Casa so much and seeing them struggle hurts. Seeing little ones leave back with their mothers into difficult situations hurts. Watching babies abandoned hurts. But seeing God's love for them heals. I can't fix their hearts. I can't fix their lives. But I can love them one by one for as much time as I'm given.

*Laugh and see the joy in each day!- This was a hard year but also a joyful year. Living with so many happy kids is definitely contagious and I love smiling.

So blessed by all the love and support and encouragement I have received from you all! It has been such a blessing and I couldn't do this without you all!!!

In 2 weeks I head back to Bolivia. What an amazing journey it has been the last 3 years and I cannot wait to see where God leads me and to see Him continue to work in my own heart and the lives of the children I love so much.

God is good. All the time!!!

Blessings in this new year,

Lily Fluharty