They are His!

One of my little ones was sick this week with a bad cold. It hurt me to see her not feeling well. I ended up wrapping her up in my arms and we prayed together and she just lay there with her head against my chest listening to me pray. A huge feeling of protectiveness swelled up inside of me. I hurt when they hurt. No, they aren’t MINE. I’m not their mama. But I do love them like crazy with a fierce love. They are God’s and He has blessed me with this special time with them. These precious babies who have already suffered so much pain in the first few years and months of their lives. They’re tiny, vulnerable, looking for love. 

My chubbiest munchkin wraps her arms around my neck multiple times a day and squeezes as HARD as she can just so I will hug her back. All she wants is to feel loved. It breaks my heart to see her searching, searching after being abandoned and unwanted. Even though she is now loved and cherished, she is still fearful that one day the love will stop and she’ll be left alone again.

I can’t fix their colds, their tummy aches, or their hurting hearts. I can’t heal the scars they carry that some of them don’t even realize they have. I can’t fix the desire they will have for a mommy of their own. All I can do is continually give them back to God and love them as hard as I can. I can tell them of God’s love for them and show them my own love. They are not forgotten. They are not unwanted. They are not unloved. They are BEAUTIFUL. CHERISHED. PRECIOUS. And God loves them because they are His!

 Much love,
Lily Fluharty

YAY! Update!

Beautiful, sunny day filled with a bunch of the teenagers from Casa de Esperanza, bridge jumping into the clear water, good food and lots of laughter. I'll post pics later but what a fun way to spend a Saturday. 

I love love love spending time with the older kids! They are hilarious and even though there is sometimes drama (how could there not be with 20+ teens haha), they ALWAYS make me smile. 

Add bridge jumping to my new skills! So much fun! :) 

Sorry for the lack of updates lately… I just spent two weeks without taking a day off because of elections in Bolivia and last Sunday I ended up in the kitchen cooking lunch for everyone… HOORAY!!! This Gringa didn't burn ANYTHING this time!! I'm a very distracted cook! 

The past two weeks have been tiring but such a blessing to spend so much time with my babies. They are learning and growing so quickly and I feel like I blink and their taller, or have another tooth, or lost another tooth, or learning new words, or crawling and sometimes I want to freeze time and keep them babies. 

Our newest little guy, Ariel, is doing AMAZING!!! He used to cry and scream ALL the time but is such a goofy, mellow guy in my house and really is sweet with the other little kiddos. 

Sabina has her two teeth coming in on top but not her front teeth so she looks like a little vampire. So adorable! 

Emanuel is talking up a storm and whenever he asks a question his voice goes up like 3 octaves! :) 

Mari Ros is a little bit jealous that she is one of the "big girls" and sometimes tries to put on a diaper and crawl around to get attention which means lots of extra hugs and snuggles for her. 

Peniel and July are getting so big and are hilarious to have conversations with! They are always playing dolls and have their babies in aguayos on their backs like the local Bolivian women. 

Javier, Juanes and Ismael are ALL reading and are soooo excited about it! Love these 3 and how goofy and helpful they are. Always making me laugh and helping out with the little ones.

So amazed by God's love and grace to me. Continually learning more about HIS faithfulness and so blessed to be able to rest in His arms.

At the end of November I'll be heading home for several weeks which I'm looking forward to! It's been over a year since I've seen my family and so excited to spend time with them before coming back to love on my kids some more… Excited to see God continue to work!

So that's my quick update… I'll try to post more regularly when I find time… :)

Lots of love! Thank you all SOOOO much for all your prayers, support, encouragement and love. Every comment and like on Facebook, the comments here on my blog, the emails and notes mean sooooo much to me. So encouraged by you all and thanks for loving on the babies here at Casa! They are unbelievably precious!

HUGS and HEAT from Bolivia!!!
Lily Fluharty

Filled to overflowing

Beautiful eyes! Love my July!

My heart has been filled time and time again this week with God’s unfailing love. 

The newest little guy, Ariel, just moved into my house this past week. He was having a really difficult time in the other house and would end up crying almost all the time. We were a little nervous about him moving in. He’s 1 and just started walking and with 9 other little ones in the house it would be more work. As he moved in, I just started praying that God would bless little Ariel. I have been blown away by God’s answer to that prayer. Ariel has been adjusting so well to our home and to living with the other little ones. He is precious. He’s an eater and LOVES to giggle as I hand him anything to eat. There’s rough moments but it has been a joy to see him adjust quickly and enjoy our home. 

Roy with little Lily 

I watched in awe as one of my little kindergartners who has a problem with stuttering, read me a book perfectly without stuttering once. I just watched him concentrate and felt like my heart would explode.

I watched amazed as Lolina stood up and walked around all by herself. She wobbles and her steps are more like a baby’s first steps but it is amazing to watch. She was never supposed to walk on her own.

It’s moments like these where my heart slows down and I am amazed at God’s love for each of His children. In the craziness, getting things done, bathing 9 little munchkins, changing diapers.... sometimes I forget. But I really don’t want to forget because there is so much beauty in each moment we are given. 

Say cheese Emanuel!

Time flies. The kids are getting sooooo big. Peniel and July are having growth spurts and are so adorable as they talk and grow up. Emanuel is learning more and more words and LOVES being tickled. His laugh is infectious. My three kindergartners, Ismael, Javier and Juanes are READING!!! It blows me away! The twins were two years old when I arrived... Sabina is getting so big and is sitting up by herself without losing her balance :) and is ALL smiles. Mari Ros is as giggly as ever and loves giving HUGS to anyone around. Usually her hugs are pretty rough and the littler ones end up with tears in their eyes as Mari Ros hugs them as HARD as she can. Watching Ariel adjust and seeing him turn into such a loving little boy. He loves to give and receive kisses especially when there is food involved. :) 

BIG SMILES with Jacob and David

Love love love what God is doing. Amazed at His unending love and grace for me. I fall short but His love is stronger than my weakness. So excited to see Him face to face one day! Some of the sunrises here make me sooooo excited for the beauty of Heaven. I have never seen so much pink in the sky as I have here in Bolivia! It’s amazing.

Thank you all for your love, prayers and support. So excited to see God continue to work in the lives of these kiddos and in my own life! To God be the glory!!! Much love!

 In Christ who loves us more deeply than we can imagine,
Lily Fluharty

Where is my mama?

Giggles and hugs. Wiggles quickly into everyone’s heart.
How could her mother exchanged her for alcholol?
Now she is treasured and loved beyond words.

We entered this world as our mother left it.
A papa’s uncertain promise to return.
Adventurous brothers through thick and thin.

Left alone, her tiny face eaten away at, a night of torture.
The scars still remain but not the fear.
Smiling, laughing, cherished.

Where is my mama?
This is all he has ever known. 
A new last name, a new family.

Malnourished, forgotten, abandoned.
A mama who doesn’t care and always forgets.
Can someone love me please?

Two weeks old and nowhere to go.
My family was in crisis. They forgot about me.
New home and brothers and sisters.

Eyes dark as night have seen a lifetime of pain in two short years
A smile now breaks the once lifeless face
Trust and hope instead of fear and loneliness.

When you hear the stories, you can’t help not being affected.
When you see their faces, you can’t not do anything.
When you love them, you won’t stop caring.

These are not just stories. These little ones have been through so much.
Her mother was 12 years old when she was born. Two years later she commited suicide.
Her parents fought and left her outside overnight where ants ate away at her face.
He was abandoned with no name or last name.
Her mother tried to sell her for $28. When no one stepped up she exchanged her for alcohol.

Each story is the story of one of the children in my home. I didn’t choose the saddest or most heartwrenching stories from the 70 children living here. The 8 precious babies in my home have pasts that make my heart cry out for justice. Each child here has a story marked with pain. But now they have a new chapter in their story. A chapter of hope and love and truth.

So many times we can't give the answers to their questions. 

Where is my mama?

Why did she leave me?

Why me?

But we can give them different answers.

God loves you and will never leave you. YOU! You are precious and loved.

Please love these children. They search desperately for love. 
Please pray for them! They desperately need Christ.

In Christ who will NEVER leave us,
Lily Fluharty

Picture Post!!!

Picture post!!! Just because they are waaaaayyyyyy too cute!

Peniel (3)… precious and sweet. I don't have words for the love I have for this little one. Blessed every night as she asks me to pray for her heart and as we sing "Jesus loves me" together. 

Eriks (8) and Ariel (14)… Love these two goofballs. This whole week they've been in pursuit of a random cat… I love finding them crawling out of the really tall grass, grinning ear to ear telling me that they ALMOST touched the cat! Oh these  boys!

A couple of my kiddos… July, Javier, Mari Ros, Juanes and Peniel… Tia Time before bed… how many kids can fit in my bed???

Sabina (7 months) and Grace Abigail (5 months)… these two little ones are as precious as can be. It has been a joy having Sabina in my home and both little girlies are growing so quickly!

Josue (11)… LOVE getting my hug from him EVERY single day. 

Ezequiel (15) and Antonio (15)… the older boys here ALWAYS make my day. They are goofy, hilarious and super sweet. aaaaaand you can't forget how cool they are! ;)

Kids, kids and more kids… never a dull moment here! 

Lolina (5)… SUPER EXCITING NEWS!!! Lolina is walking on her own. This is an amazing miracle and such a blessing. This little one arrived with severe special needs. God has done miracle after miracle with beautiful Lolina as she slowly responded to the love and care here. She is now eating on her own and just started to walk! Praise God!!!

Blessings and love from the beautiful mountains of Bolivia!!! God is amazing and I love seeing Him work in the lives here at Casa de Esperanza. Praise His holy name!!!

Much love,

~Lily Fluharty

Falling in Love

I have a confession… I've fallen in love.

Last night, I sat chatting at night with Tia Nely who is one of the Tias working here and one of my dear friends. I have worked alongside her and learned so much from her in the past two and a half years. I was so blessed when almost almost two years ago she decided to name her daughter after me.
We sat chatting and remembering my first three months in Bolivia.
No Spanish and yet we were able to connect and encourage each other.
I am so amazed looking back at everything God has done and taught me here at Casa de Esperanza

He has blessed me in amazing ways.

I've fallen in love.

I arrived here a young 18 year old fresh out of high school knowing about 10 words of Spanish.
Now I'm (still young) 21 and responsible for 8 precious babies and think more in Spanish than English.

I've fallen in love with a country.
I've fallen in love with 70+ kids.
I've fallen in love with a language.

The other morning we woke up to rain and a lightning storm over on the next mountain top. A half hour later my little guys started calling out to me, "TIA LILY!!! A RAINBOW!!!"  To my left the sky was pink and beautiful, in front of me the rain was drifting away and there was a double rainbow and to my right, a lightning storm and dark clouds. I couldn't get over the beauty of it. As the storm circled away from us I just stared and exhaled at God's beauty.

I've fallen in love with beauty.
I've fallen in love with mountains.

Last night I was tired. More like exhausted. I had spent the morning at the hospital (a very dirty hospital) with two of my littlest so they could get their shots and checkups. The afternoon I had spent with a hoe, getting blisters as we finish our small garden. It went from one plant to a half circle that has JESUS TE AMA (Jesus loves you) written in grass. Beautiful but hard work and blisters. One of my little guys got scared at night from dogs barking so he pulled his mattress into my room and slept on my floor. It had been a long day.

I've fallen in love with working.
I've fallen in love with serving.

There's moments where I've got nothing more to give. There's moments where I can't stop laughing. My life here is insane. But here's what God has been showing me.
HIS love is INSANE.

I've fallen in love with God's love.

In the past two weeks I've been falling in love. I've been falling more and more in love with my Savior. I need His love for me. I've been reading more and more of Psalms and rejoicing in His nearness and love. I see such a dependency on Him.
Without Jesus I have nothing. Without Jesus I am nothing.

I've fallen in love with God's goodness.
I've fallen in love with His grace.

In the good days filled with laughter, I want to be fully dependent on God and give Him thanks.
In the hard days that are tiring and frustrating, I want to be fully dependent on God and give Him thanks.

I've fallen in love with JOY.

I need Him. And like He promises AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN.
He will NEVER leave us.

Fills me with JOY.

God has done crazy things in these past 2 1/2 years. He's done crazy things in the past 2 weeks.

I've fallen in love with craziness.

Give your life, every piece and part and hope and dream back to Him. It's His already. My prayer is continually asking God to use me up for HIM. I don't want my plans. They fail. I want His prefect plan for me.

God bless from Bolivia!
The land of beautiful sunrises, goofy kids, the best coca-cola, forever dirty feet from dirt and dusty roads, beautiful blue butterflies, bracelets, smiles and love.

~Lily Fluharty

Love spill over

Two AMAZING quotes that I have been reading and re-reading. God has been doing some crazy things lately in my heart! I need His help daily to love Him but the only response I can give back is everything that I am. I am weak and feeble... but that’s where the beauty comes in. God doesn’t need me to be anything greater because HE is great. He uses the weak and lowly to show just how strong and majestic He is!!! He makes everything glorious because of His unending glory! How beautiful. Literally makes me sink to my knees in praise because His love for us is so great. 

“Be persuaded, timid soul, that He has loved you too much to cease loving you.” -Archbishoph Fenelon

“Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I canot speak! For I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, Say not I am a child; for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee shou shalt speak.” Jeremiah 1:6-7

“What he has in himself must not be mentioned, but lost in the consideration that he was chosen to speak for God. God knows how young you are, and how slender your knowledge and experience; God will magnify Himself in  your feebleness.” C.H. Spurgeon

My prayer each day is this, “All I want to do is love you first and let that love spill into those around me.”

In my own strength… I can't. In God's love, nothing is impossible.

Blessings and hugs from Bolivia!