June 28, 2013- Ali

It’s always hard for me to put into words how much of a blessing it is to be in Santiago and to be a part of what God is doing in this city. Yesterday some of the team had the unique opportunity to go to one of the orphanages here. The orphanage is specifically for children with disabilities and is government run. It is an extremely clean facility and the people that work there are wonderful and full of love. While prepping our team for our experience there I was unsure of how the students would react. I knew that their eyes would be opened wider to the world around them as they interacted with children with poor physical and mental conditions. Upon arrival some of orphans surrounded us with love and walked along side of us as we visited the bed ridden children. The students around me were taking everything in and showing through compassion in every hug they gave, hand they held and prayer they said. We walked into a room of cribs with children with all types of disabilities and ages. My heart was drawn to a young girl with muscular dystrophy lying in a crib. She looked to be about 9 or 10 years old and was positioned with her feet tucked around her head. God spoke to me as I put my hand against hers and reassured me that she would be dancing in heaven. I started to say aloud to her, “You’ll be dancing in heaven. You’ll be praising God and dancing in heaven. You’ll have no more pain. You’ll be dancing in heaven” over and over again. Her face lit up and she began to smile and laugh. One of the women who worked there came over and called to another staff member, “Look! She’s smiling!” It was clear that smiling wasn’t something that was common with this little girl. It such a blessing to be able to speak life over one of God’s daughters and to see the joy it brought her. On the walk back to the church I listened to the students talk about their experiences in the orphanage and what God did in their hearts. I was able to take time to reflect and to pray thanksgiving for the people around me that support me into whatever God is calling me to. God has placed passions on my heart like orphans and like the Dominican Republic. He had also provided a family to support me in what God is asking me to do. I could write for days about the way that the Holy Spirit is moving in the people of the DR, the people in our team and in my heart personally. I am eternally thankful that our Father is loving and compassionate and that He blesses His children with the opportunity to experience Him, to step into our passions and to advance His Kingdom along side of one another.