Today our team returned to the home for the sick and dying children. Everyone of our team members had at least one child on their heart from our visit just a few days ago. Some kids were so happy, some so sad and some very sick. I walked into the building where the sick babies live. I picked up a baby and held her for a while. As I was holding the baby, I noticed this little boy sitting in his crib who was quietly looking at me. His eyes were filled with sadness and he had an illness that caused his skin to have open sores, discoloring and flaking all over his body. Then another baby started crying so I picked her up. As I was holding the second baby, my eyes kept going back to the quiet sick little boy sitting in his crib. After holding the second baby for a while, I put her down and went to the little boy's crib who had stolen my heart. He was sitting without a diaper on so I asked for a diaper and put it on him. I took him outside and stroked his arms, face, legs, and back. I sang to him over and over again. I told him that Jesus loved him so much. After a while, my daughter sat next to me and asked what was wrong with the little boy, I told her that I did not know but that I knew he was very special. She asked to hold the little boy. She could not take her eyes off him and kept kissing him over and over again. Then the question came. "Mom, can we take him home, please"? I explained to her that it was not that easy. After 15 or so minutes, she began to cry as she was holding him. I could see and feel the love that she had for this little boy's heart. He stared at her as she was crying showing no emotion. She could not quit crying, he had completely broken her heart. It was the most touching moment of my life; to witness my 14 year old daughter see through someone's physical appearance and look straight into their heart. I think of Matthew 25:3-36 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. Had I not taken a step out in faith 2.5 years ago when I went on my first mission trip to Haiti, I would not have had the opportunity to know what it is truly like to serve people who are most in need. Now 4 trips later, my daughter is living that same experience. God's Holy Spirit has filled her with love and compassion that is hard to truly understand living the American way. For those of you that are reading this and have gone on a mission, you can understand exactly what I am writing. For those of you that are reading this and have not gone on a mission trip, my question to you is "What are you waiting for"?

All the glory to God!

PS - to the moms of the kids on our team - everyone is doing great!  Everyone is happy and healthy but most of all, everyone is growing in their faith each and every day!

Serving and loving Him,

Heather