Foreign eXchange–Video from the amigos (by Rachael)

Since everyone in this group blogs, we decided to break things up and each tell different stories. Be sure to go to Scot, Shawn, and Jody’s blogs for more stories, pictures, and videos!

As for me, I am happy to report that today made up for yesterday. That’s saying a lot when you consider that yesterday was a long and frustrating 17 hours of travel.

We started our morning by taking the Baby Home kids to the daycare. Can I just say there is no sweeter sound than hearing these kids say our names? Even though it’s been three and a half months since we’ve seen them, Danni and Alejandra remembered our names right away, with zero prompting. Well, almost zero prompting. At first, Alejandra said my name was “Nate,” but, hey, close enough, right?

We spent the afternoon at Eliza Martinez. In preparation for this trip, the Foreign eXchange amigos recorded video messages to each of the boys. Nate gets all the credit for this idea. I admit, when he first suggested it, I shot it down. Most of the Hautian amigos don’t speak a word of Spanish. Technology seems to create as many problems as it solves. Was there even a DVD player at Eliza Martinez? Would the boys have the patience required to sit still for 20 minutes while a bunch of strangers butchered their language?

Thanks to some helpful eXchangers (thank you, Donna and Jay!), the video was most definitely not the huge headache I anticipated. The boys circled the TV and watched the video and slide show over and over and over again.

I loved watching Isaias get embarrassed and hide behind his friends when Jen called him out, said his name, and told him how much she cared for him. I love how Ambrosio (one of the older boys with special needs) started clapping when his amigo, Adam Pomfret, said his name and held his picture of Ambrosio up the screen. Ambrosio’s reaction caused a chain reaction and soon all the boys were clapping and cheering.

After the video, we told the boys that, instead of an individual gift, this time their gift from their amigos was a pizza party. That news got the best reaction of all—a standing ovation.

To finish off the day, we asked the boys to help us make a video for their amigos like the one they had just watched. They were happy to do us this favor, and now we have some fantastic footage to show the friends at home the video of these special kids smiling, waving, and saying “thank you for the pizza!”

Tomorrow’s schedule looks a lot like today’s, except with a lot more partying. We’re going to a surprise birthday party for Estuardo in the morning and the Foreign eXchange pizza party will be happening in the afternoon!

We made it!

Finally.

We got to the office last night and got a decent night’s sleep. We’re getting ready to head to the Baby Home and then spend the afternoon at Eliza Martinez.

Since we blogged last night, we’ll let the other three bloggers tell the stories this morning. Be sure to go to Scot’s blog to see the picture of him in a Superman suit.

Jody

Scot

Shawn

Meet Estuardo (by Nate)

We’ve all met old souls. That person in a group who seems to speak truth and wisdom beyond their years. The one who can communicate volumes with their eyes that perhaps most others won’t ever understand.

In this group of children, Estuardo is the old soul. If you’ve been following this blog since June, then you may remember his golden smile and heart-wrenching story in our post “Final day with the children”.

Estuardo was either abandoned and/or abused by his family. We have heard different stories from different workers. Now that he’s living at the Baby Home, he seems to have taken the role of older brother. When the other kids don’t understand something or miss out because they were playing, inevitably they go to Estuardo with their questions. When the adults need to communicate something to Jose, who is deaf, we often ask Estuardo for help since he connects well with Jose and understands a bit of English. What an amazing kid!

I think Estuardo, out of all the kids, would most benefit from being adopted. It’s a tragedy that he hasn’t been. And because he’s an old soul, I think (at a 9-year-old level) he gets this. He wants so badly to be a part of a family. He wants the long-term love and commitment of a mother and father. He asks when he’ll get his parents like Juan Pablo. 

Although he’s getting close to outgrowing some of the make-believe that the other kids so readily engage in, Estuardo still greatly enjoys visits from Spiderman. Other children are still in awe when Spiderman shows up, but Estuardo (and Jose) are very aware that I’m not there and have pointed out that I wear the same shoes as Spiderman. I think a part of Estuardo will always want to hold onto the ability to immerse in the fantasy world of superheroes. Who could blame a kid with this much pain, wanting a light at the end of the tunnel, a bringer-of-justice to his unfair world?

All this would seem so hopeless if not for a few things I keep reminding myself. God knows Estuardo. He deeply cares for orphans and victims of injustice. I am constantly reminded when looking at these kids that God’s word says this, “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Perhaps a bit of Estuardo’s hope-filled future is already being revealed.  It just so happens that Estuardo’s birthday is next week when we are in Guatemala.  We’ll get to be there to help celebrate his life and make him feel extra special! Beyond that, there’s a possibility that our translator from June, Edwin, might be able to foster and/or adopt Estuardo!  He saw Estuardo’s tears when we left at the end of the week and recognized how very badly Estuardo wants to have a mommy and daddy.  We’re praying that the paperwork and legal issues move ahead without delay and that Estuardo goes home to live with his new family very, very soon.

Ultimately, my hope for Estuardo is that he will grow up knowing that he has an advocate on his side against injustice. He has a friend even better than a superhero who will never let him down or turn out to be just a well-intentioned human. Jesus knows Estuardo quite well, and I hope Estuardo will live out his days seeking to know Him.