This beauty

Being alive is like flying.

Bolivian day. Bolivian love.

Really miss these kids. Miss seeing them play. Seeing them fly. There's moments where there's a tiny hand in mine and a  tiny voice squeaking in spanish where my heart just melts over and over. And I look around and there's beauty. Beauty in mountains and clouds and big brown eyes. Beauty in the forgotten and abandoned. Beauty in the orphan. And beauty because of Christ who loves and rescues and cherishes. There's beauty in pain because of Christ. And I love, love love love, this beauty that surrounds me.

~Lily

Sweet Peniel

CRAZY BOYS and one adorable baby! Peniel just turned one years old and is the youngest orphan at Casa de Esperanza. She has a heart problem and so is very tiny and sick but she has already beat the odds by making it past her first birthday! It was so sweet to be able to love on Peniel and see her grow stronger. She was crawling by the time we left and so maybe she'll be walking by the time I get back by the end of summer. Please pray for Peniel and her heart that God would heal it and she would be a healthy baby. She is such a beautiful princess.

The two boys are Brayan and Miguel... always together and always getting into mischief. And ALWAYS making me laugh! Never a dull moment with these two.

~Lily

and laugh.

"Laughter is the sound of the soul dancing." ~Fred Astaire


“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, And that enables you to laugh at life's realities.” ~Dr. Seuss

Are  your brain cells awake? Laugh. See the beauty in the simplicity and complexity of this spinning world we live on. Slow down and realize just how small we really are and how BIG God is. and Laugh. Because He still loves us.

~Lily

Beautiful Shantara

Whenever I think back on my trip to an orphanage in Jamaica in 2008 I am always reminded of two beautiful eyes and the beautiful smile that belonged to Shantara. She was a tiny orphan suffering from cerebral palsy. She couldn't walk or sit up, couldn't talk or feed herself but she was beautiful. Shantara had JOY radiating from her eyes and when she smiled it lit up the room. 

I just looked up the meaning of the name Shantara and my eyes filled up with tears.

"Bright eyed."

This little girl who couldn't talk spoke with her eyes. 

There was one night where my mom and I were able to love on her. She was sitting in my mom's arms as my mom sang to her. 

"At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light

and the burden of my heart rolled away.

It was there by faith I received my sight.

And now I am Happy all the day.

And now Shantara's happy all the day!"

And whenever my mom sang "Happy" Shantara's face would light up and she would smile. A beautiful smile and in those smiles I saw Jesus in her eyes. And I knew that Jesus was alive in her heart. She couldn't tell me how she loved Jesus but she showed me through her smile and through her eyes. Whenever she heard His name, life came into those big beautiful eyes. 

It was this month in 2008 that Shantara passed away. It was hard to hear that this tiny girl had fought through so much and her life was so short but a joy to realize that she was now dancing and running in Heaven with Jesus. The little girl who showed me the love of Jesus in her eyes is now seeing Him face to face. And it's beautiful. She is beautiful. Jesus is beautiful.

God is good and sovereign. Over abandonment and loneliness. Over pain and fear. Over sorrow and confusion. Over weakness. Over illness and death. We may not know all the answers and know why a little girl was abandoned unable to talk or walk for a very short life. But I know beyond know that Jesus loves Shantara. He died for Shantara. And she was made in HIS image. In the image of her Heavenly father. And she was not alone. And now she is rejoicing and singing songs to her Savior.

What a wonderful God we serve.

~Lily

Back to Bolivia!

Can't wait to get back to MOUNTAINS!!!

And Lovin' on these kids!

Back to Bolivia!!! I cannot wait to head back to loving on these precious beautiful children! I am in the middle of visa applications and lots of paperwork and waiting but I am hoping to head back by the end of summer if all my paperwork goes through! Lord willing if my 1 year visa goes through, I will then be staying until next May. I am so excited to be able to spend more time and invest more in the lives of these kids. I would LOVE prayer for visa and travel plans and that I would have peace to trust the Lord's timing in all of this! It has been a crazy journey and I am excited to see my Bolivian adventure continue! Thanks to you all for continuing to follow this blog and for all your prayers! I am so grateful and blessed! Lots of love!
Dios te bendiga!!
~Lily

What does "volver" mean?

I fell in love with...

Mountains.

Big dark brown eyes.

Tiny hands in mine.

Falling asleep to hundreds of crickets.

Perfect weather.

The Guarderia

Running down trails to town.

Tiny hands in mine.

Handwashing clothes.

Rice and Potatoes.

"Hermana Lily".

80+ hugs daily.

Fried banana..

Worshipping in Spanish.

Kia rides.

Tarantulas.

Frozen Jello.

Giant dogs.

Playing football in the Concha.

Eating snake.

Late night talks with Tias.

13 year old boys.

Dancing in my house to English music.

Every kind of fruit.

La Plaza. 

Casa de Esperanza.

Caranavi.

Bolivia.

so...

I am going back!

And were SO excited!

Small green fun

A three year old child is a being who gets almost as much fun out of a fifty-six dollar set of swings as it does out of finding a small green worm.  ~Bill Vaughan

Belen and Febe. Smiles as big as sunshine!

“There’s nothing that can help you understand your beliefs more than trying to explain them to an inquisitive child.” ~Frank A. Clark

Rosemery and Gabriella. Beautiful, strong young ladies.

“It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are.” ~ E.E. Cummings

Miguel, Erik and Brayan. Mischievous geniuses. 

“Adults are always asking little kids what they want to be when they grow up ’cause they’re looking for ideas.” ~Paula Poundstone

Me with Brayan my very own Curious George!

"Only where children gather is there any real chance of fun." ~Mignon McLaughlin

Missing the wonderful, worm loving children in Bolivia! Love the simplicity yet complexity of seeing the world through their eyes. The questions, curiosity and beauty of the world on their level blows my mind and makes me marvel more at my Savior and Creator! Every child has a bit of Curious George in them!

~Lily