"The place God calls us to is the place where your deepest gladness and the world's deepest hunger meet" Frederick Beuchner

(Doug's writing, Sarah's writing in bold.)

This afternoon we went to the orphanage Della lived in for a few months.  Foster mama Josee was our babysitter, as kids could not make the trip.  It was probably the dirtiest part of town we've seen.  Trash and, of course, people were everywhere.  People selling anything you can imagine.  Food, car parts, lumber, furniture, clothes, and water in plastic bags (yes, to drink).  I saw a woman along the street with a funnel, pouring water from one container into liter coke and water bottles.  The tire shop was an umbrella for a store front, an air hose, and 3 tires that were all the same size, and all wore out. 

As we entered the town where the orphanage is, I felt my heart and my stomach getting sick with the reality of what these people endure.  I knew this would be hard but I didn't know if I could handle it.  We saw children with tattered dirty clothes, men sitting on the ground breaking rocks with other rocks, trying to find stones to sell.  We turned off the main road and into a crowd of people who slowly moved out of the way for our vehicle to pass.  I started to cry.....

We saw piles of corn, probably a bushel or so, lying on sheets on the ground.  Women were sifting the corn by hand through a screen and then grinding it, I assume to make meal.  We stopped in front of the orphanage, I had to pull myself together, I wanted the children to see joy not tears.  

Everything is concrete and dirt.  They told us there are 106 kids there from infants to 17, and 12 employees who work in shifts.  There were maybe 4 people working when we were there.  The older kids were holding the babies.  We gave school supplies to the director, and our friends had brought stickers and bubbles to hand out.  Inside it literally smelled like a barnyard.  I picked up a little child who looked to be less than 1 year old.  His clothes were soaked with urine.  My heart broke like it's never broke before.  The kids loved the gifts, but you couldn't help but feel a little foolish, they need food, clothes, beds, sheets, everything.  

I tried to communicate with the children.  We exchanged names and I showed them the stickers, teaching them how to say things in English like cat, dog, cars, Sophia the Princess.  A little girl brought an older girl to me and said "Sophie", we all smiled and laughed.  The children had to hold their own ground, making sure no one took their stickers.  We were led to another room where we had to pass through a very dark hall.  We could not see, just feel.  At the end of the hall was a very dark room where they kept the small babies, some were napping on the bed or the couch under beautifully draped mosquito nets.  We made our way back through the dark hallway.  Etienne (our attorney/guide) said, "dark, very dark".  As we came out of the hallway he asked me "Do you know what the Bible says about the darkness?  It says Jesus will drive away the darkness!"  

"The God who said, "out of the darkness the light will shine!" is the same God who made His light shine in our hearts, to bring us light of the knowledge of God's glory, shining in the face of Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6