Pictures from Zambia

I have a very exciting announcement coming soon!!!! But in the meantime here are some of the pics from my trip to Zambia in February. A team from my church served at Lighthouse Christian School in Ndola and it was absolutely amazing. Seeing how the Lord is at work in the teachers and staff at Lighthouse Christian School to reach the orphaned and fatherless from the slums surrounding the school was beautiful. We helped out in the classrooms and even put on a VBS for all the kids where we talked about being adopted into God's family. 

I even got to meet my family's sponsored child! What a joy!!!

Students from Lighthouse Christian school showing us their houses in the nearby slums

I got to help out with the 4th grade class! They were hilarious!

I loved learning from the 4th grade teacher! 

Transitioning…

Life with little ones…

Life with 10 little ones… oh for the words to describe everything that has happened in the last few months. What a  journey God has me on and how thankful I am for His faithfulness. I am writing this in the States and arrived back about two weeks ago. 

"Why?" 

That's the question I have been receiving and the next one is, 

"What comes next?"

So hopefully here I can answer some of your questions…

 I have so many things in my heart and mind right now and I am so amazed at how God is leading me and speaking to me. Sometime's I hear His voice so loudly and sometimes it's a whisper. But His voice has been so beautiful in the past four years serving at Casa de Esperanza in Bolivia and as I have transitioned out of my time there.

So the first question… "Why are you back?" 

About a year and a half ago, God started whispering the word "Transition" and I didn't know how or when or where but I just started praying and asking God what came next. I have loved spending the last four years with 70+ amazing children at Casa de Esperanza and have learned SO much. Seriously. It's like a four year college degree and I am so thankful. 

My hope and dream and prayer is to start a children's home. For those who have followed my blog posts, you know that ever since I was three years old I have always wanted 100 children. In the past few years my prayer of "God, do you want me to start a home?" has turned into "God, where?" 

I still don't know the answer to that question. I am praying about several things that God has been placing on my heart but over the past year and a half, God has been so graciously leading me and teaching me to follow Him in FAITH. A lot of times it is so much easier to follow when you know the destination but I heard God remind me again and again that He has me in His loving arms and He won't let me go. 

So the second question… "What next?" 

Well… I am heading to Zambia on Saturday for two weeks with a group from my church. We will be partnering with a Christian school and doing some construction projects and also doing a Vacation Bible School for 250+ kids. :) My heart is happy. So many kids!!!

After the two weeks, the plan is to be home in the States for several months to rest and recharge and spend time with my family and seeking God's will for what comes next. I am so excited to see where He leads. And I know it's worth it.

I am missing my kiddos at Casa de Esperanza and miss the hugs and kisses and hearing, "Tia Lily!"

But I know that God has them in His arms. He has blessed me time and time again and even though I am in a time of transition and waiting, I am in His will and I have so much peace! And I love seeing God sustain me and hold me up in His grace!

I have so many stories… so many pictures (thousands actually) and so many blessings I want to share… and hopefully will be able to more regularly thanks to good internet! YAY!

I just want to thank each and every person who has prayed for me and encouraged me and supported me. The last four years have been incredible. And there is so much yet to come. This is just the start. And I cannot wait to see what God does! To Him be the glory!

United States, Bolivia and now a glimpse of Zambia. My heart is in so many places but I know that no matter where I am, God is with me and won't let me go.

Thanks for all your love and support!!! So thankful for each and every one of you! God is crazy amazing!  Much love and a giant hug!

In Christ who continually blows me away with His LOVE,

Lily Flu

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

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

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

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