This week we got another ministry oppurtunity, visiting La Casa de Amistad. In Bolivia families are allowed to live with the family member that is convicted in prison. So a whole family can live with the convicted parent in a tiny cell….what??? So La Casa de Amistad is a school for the children who live in the prison and they get fed two meals and are given somewhat of an education.
My first visit to Amistad-Emily, Amanda, and I were in the 4 and 5 year old class. The kids were so needy for love and any form of affection. This little boy Jose was the ¨bully¨ of the class but when I asked him if he wanted to sit in my lap, he sat their peacefully for 30min when I just rubbed his back and calmed him down. Also this boy Christopher has all the symptoms of an abused child, he is 4 years old and he acts like he is 2. We found out later that he lives in the maxium security prison with his dad and family.
My second visit was yesterday and Hannah and I were with the oldest girls, 13-15years old. These girls especially broke my heart. They´re not like the younger kids who will just jump in your lap and fight over your affection, but the look in their eyes is desperation- just wanting acceptance and love. These girls performed the same dance for me 5 times because they wanted to feel good and worthy and simply loved.
God has been teaching me a lot about love. I was reading in 1 Corinthians (13- 4-7), the verse that is read at every wedding and funeral and whatever…but I have never really payed attention to the very first line-
¨Love is PATIENT…¨
It is so easy to get annoyed and frustrated with these kids because they are all over you or if you don´t give them enough attention they are mad at you…But then I was praying and I was asking God to show me how to love these kids like He loves them and He revealed this to me-
Love is patient.
Don´t you think God could get annoyed with us (I´m not preaching because this is directed straight towards me) we are all over Him, we run away, we ask for things that don´t go along with his will, we are selfish, the list goes on and on…but God´s love is patient and thats how I want to love these kids with patience and kindness and hope and perseverance and hope and protection etc.
His love is perfect and I want to love these kids as close to that as possible.
Please be praying for these kids and protection at the prison and that through everything they trust in God and rely fully on Him!
love you all and miss you so much!
