prayer request.

Last Saturday, Maria and her brother Carlos came to Casitas Kennedy. Mary Elizabeth was the first to notice the bruises on her arms. In conversation Maria let Mary Elizabeth know that the bruises were from her parents. Later on that day, I met Maria and the first thing I noticed was the amount of bruising on her arms and how bad it was. This past week I have gotten to know Maria better. She is precious and has such a sweet spirit. On Wednesday Maria came to me and told me she was getting to leave on Friday. Most of the children that have left are excited to get to leave. When I asked Maria if she was excited she told me no. It broke my heart that she would rather be in an orphanage than at home with her parents. I cannot blame Maria, I too would want to be at the orphanage safe from the physical and emotional abuse. Yesterday I was playing with toddlers when Maria and a lady walked in. I could tell Maria's demeanor was different, so I asked Luis if the lady was Maria's mother and he told me no. The tia had told Luis that the lady with Maria was a teacher at the school. Kimberly (who can understand a lot more Spanish than me) heard Maria say that the lady was her mother. I immediately felt myself getting upset. I was sitting right next to the lady who was responsible for abusing my sweet Maria. I wanted more than anything to take Maria away from her and tell her mother that she couldn't have her back, but of course I didn't. I did however call Maria outside and with Luis' help, made her promise me that if either one of her parents hurt her at all that she would tell someone. She told me that she would, and said again that she didn't want to go home and that it was so much better here. As I was hugging her for the last time, I felt the tears starting to come but I knew I could cry in front of Maria. I did not want her to be anymore nervous or upset about having to go with her parents. After about ten minutes of hugging her and telling her how much I loved her we had to leave. I am not sure if Maria will be gone before we get to the orphanage today. A part of me wants to get to say goodbye once more, but another part of me knows how hard it will be to see her walk out with her mother. I ask my family and friends to please remember sweet Maria and Carlos in your prayers. Pray for their protection as they return to an abusive situation and pray for their parents. Pray that they might come to a saving faith. It is so easy for me to say that I would never be like her parents, but the truth is apart from Christ I am just like them.


"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me." - 1 Corinthians 15:10


I also ask that you pray for the babies and toddlers at Casitas Kennedy. They are passing around the chickenpox( thankfully we have all had the chickenpox) and Rotavirus. There are also two little boys, Arnold and Edgar who are in the hospital with bronchitis. Kimberly, Luis and I have been working with this age group all week. They informed us yesterday of the children's sickness and told us that they were in quarantine. Please pray for our health as well, since we have kissed, loved on and even been sneezed on by these sick babies.