And at the end, you think about the begining

I can't believe six months are coming to a close. I am sad to think about leaving my friends here, and overjoyed to see my family back home. At the same time, home is not going to feel the same. Not having 47 children running about, not having Angela in the next room to share thoughts and feelings with late into the night, like the sister I never had, not living with ten crazy volunteers, it's going to take a while to get use to that.

When I first got here, I was homesick. Now that I am going home all I can think about is how much I am going to miss this place. Hogar de Esperanza has become my home. It's workers and children, my friends in Salavarry have become my second family. I am already thinking about visiting for two weeks over my December break from College. I really hope it works out.

During my time here I have seen children come and go. I have gotten to know some of their broken hearts and helped best where I could. I have witnessed healing and seen families reunited. Teenage girls have turned their hearts to Christ. A young boy has become softer and less violent with his friends and with us. He smiles more. A child received the health care and glasses he needed. Some Children have been blessed with the gift of schooling for the first time. A teenage girl discovered she could act, she's great at it. Haircuts have been given, cakes have been made and band aids have been given out like stickers.

Did I make a difference in the life of a child by being here? Nothing as dramatic that they would tell their kids about, that's for sure. But, I hope that every torn piece of clothing I fixed, and every game we played at least let them feel more like a kid for a time and less like the little adults some of them have had to be. I hope that by us being here, the kids get to see the love of Jesus. I hope they know that I love them so much, because He first loved me.

I will never forget the smiling faces and sticky hands of these precious little ones. They will forever by in my heart. I look forward to seeing them again either in this world or after.