With one voice we shout your praise!

The past few weeks at the care center have been a little….what’s the word? Heavy.

We had an incident that seemed to bring out the worst in our kids and our community that has taken a lot of time and prayers to resolve. Praise the Lord that He has brought his peace.

Due to this recent experience, I held off walking around in the village for a few weeks. But today, Karen and I walked home with the kids.

It is one of my favorite things about being here- to walk up the rocky muddy path that leads to the homes of these dear ones. Starting the treck up the hill, I might have one child holding my hand and along the way, the group always grows. Before I know it, Karen and I both have kids holding every available hand, arm, finger or sleeve. We all end up walking in a huge chain adding more kids the farther up we go.

Today I got to visit Felipe and Vladimir’s mom…see Jerson, Crisbel, Crismairi, and Maribel…walk by Katty and Ezequiel’s home…meet new little babies…follow Dudo through winding paths to find his house and his sisters…watch women gather water and wash their family’s clothes…and hear the most beautiful praises to our awesome God.

It was after leaving a child’s home when I stopped because I heard beautiful singing. I was up pretty high on the hill, but as I looked down on all the houses I realized that the singing was coming all the way from our Care Center!  Even though I was far away, I could hear the words of the praise song so clearly echoing all the way up the hills.

“A feeling most precious

That comes from the Lord

It’s the love

From those who know Jesus

Hallelujah!!”

This song is one of our anthems as I would call it. The kids sing their hearts out and clap their hands with the best rhythm I’ve ever heard.  In that moment, I was almost in tears. It was a beautiful gift to hear the voices of children who live at risk-who live in pain- who live in fear- who live with hunger- praising our Father who knows each of them intimately. What a testimony. What a light to this community. The echoes of the praises of God’s children being heard all the way up the hills is just about the most beautiful thing I can think of.

I was incredibly grateful to God for this opportunity I had today. Not only to visit the kids homes and know their lives better, but to have that moment on the hill hearing the praises of his children.  Even though things have been hard here the last few weeks, God is here. He is present among his children. He inhabits the praise of His people.