Reflections from the Tia in Sala 3

The whole upstairs smelled like urine. I can’t understand why four and five-year-olds still wet the bed every night- and multiple times! It doesn’t make sense to me, but then again, does any of it make sense? I have thirteen precious children living in their home ten feet from my door. We practically share a house. I know their names, I recognize their cry.

I know that Fabiola will always be the last to eat her supper, she adores horses and is scared to death of dogs.

 Jose Luis is a handful, but he just wants love and attention, if you actually talk to him instead of yelling, he’s a sweet boy and he loves cats.

Daniel, with his high pitched voice, he talks so loudly because he is used to being ignored, he just wants to be heard.

Gabriel loves touch, he is slower and doesn’t talk very much, but he could sit on your lap and receive hugs for hours, he’s so heavy and awkward that it’s easy to push him away for a cute little kid. He is desperate for love and gives the best hugs.

 Isaias, he is a bull in a china factory and can be as naughty as possible, but he also gives the sweetest kisses, starting with your forehead, each eye, your nose, and your chin.

Josue is a little man but he loves to cuddle still, he likes seeing pictures of himself and he loves to read. He has a remarkable memory.

Marcella pees her pants at least twice a day, she doesn’t really care. She loves to help wash and fold laundry, and even though she is only three, she can be such a little mother to the two-year-olds, she loves to joke, and she enjoys reading. She loves music!

Raquel is stubborn and determined. She wants the outfit that she chooses, she wants your phone, and she wants your attention. She likes to get a reaction, and she loves to make you laugh. She is not shy to perform or be the center of attention, she likes to dance a wild version of the waltz with me around the sala.

Abraham gets lost in his own world, sometimes he will disobey and begin screaming “no tia!” but he stops quickly and apologizes. He loves to give hugs and kisses, and he could play for hours on his own or he could sit with his arm around your neck and cuddle.  

Pablo hides his face when he is embarrassed, and he doesn’t like having his picture taken. He loves to play in the dirt and have a restaurant with the twigs and leaves that he has collected. He also puts things in his mouth a lot or tries to sneak feathers, leaves, or dirt into his pockets. He is a horrible liar and he loves dinosaurs.

Yobani has the chubbiest cheeks for kissing and gives amazing hugs for a two-year-old, his hugs and kisses are always willingly given. He can be a bull, especially with Santiago, but he also knows how to ask for forgiveness. And he knows what “with love” means if I catch him in time and tell him that phrase, he’ll switch from hitting to patting my cheek.

Santiago can also get lost in his own world, he gets so excited over little things and he repeats them over and over again in his little two-year-old voice until you start talking to him about it. “Bebe, bebe, bebe,” “caballo, caballo, caballo” He doesn’t laugh or smile a lot, though he is beginning to do so more now, he has a great smile.

Damaris is a spoiled princess entering her two-year-old phase. She’s adorable and she knows it. She loves to build birthday cakes out of duplos and sing happy birthday. She loves to talk and even mimics English. She loves to be held… A fact that gets both of us in trouble with the Bolivian tias!

Each of these thirteen children has a personality that I am getting to know and love. What I don’t understand, aside from the constantly wet beds and pants, is how their parents can bear to be apart from them, why they would choose their drugs or alcohol over these precious little ones.

Occasionally these kids call me ‘mama’ I hate the fact that I have to correct them to ‘tia’. I wish I could adopt them all, legally I can't, not to mention practically or financially. 

They are in a good orphanage, but it’s not a home. It can never be a home the way that God designed a home to be. They don’t lack for food or clothing, they have plenty of both. They have tias and tios who love them and care for them, it’s just not the same. Sin stinks. Divorce. Alcohol. Drugs. Prostitution. A father and a mother are so important in a child’s life, it saddens me that most of my sweet little friends will never have a loving father and mother and a home of their own.

Please pray for me (and the other missionaries and staff) that somehow we can communicate the love of Christ to these kids so that they can come to know the love of God the Father at a young age. I struggle because it doesn't always feel like I am a missionary, I fold laundry, serve meals, break up arguments, read stories, tickle... but I'm never actually explaining the gospel, and my Spanish is still too limited to bring up God in casual ways that I would like to.

They do know of Him, they are raised going to church and Bible study and memorizing verses in Awana and praying before meals… I want them to truly know Him as their Father and to Him and know His love for them. I want them to see Him in me, not just a white tia who doesn't  sound very intelligent but likes giving hugs.