The Orphanage Tour Changed My Faith

Day 6 – Friday at Orphanage Emmanuel

This morning we had the awesome pleasure of a guided tour of the Orphanage. By now we have actually seen most, if not all, of it. But there are stories to be told and that is what the tour is about. Wade was our host and I believe he loves this. He had his spiel down – but it was far more than rhetoric. It was about witnessing to the power and provision of the Lord. These people are the real deal here.

I have never before been where I have witnessed the active living of the Word that I have experienced here. Everyone here are Christians. Strong faith Christians. Christians who understand the power of the Lord working in their lives and here, at the orphanage. These are people who live each day expecting that the Lord has been working, is working and will continue to work. They expect Him to show up. It is a contagious faith. A faith I want to have for my own. That I might live each day looking for how God is going to show up today. Wow.

There is one story Wade told us that has completely changed my perspective on how to see things if I want to experience God.

At any one point in time, Emmanuel has about three months worth of supplies: food etc. They are very dependent upon the generosity of their supporters and sponsors to fill containers (the trailer of an 18 wheeler) to ship down to them. They generally receive about one container a month.

Through a series of events about three years ago, in roughly October, they received not one container but THREE containers full of food and supplies. Their warehouse had never been that full.

What a blessing I thought. How nice it must have been to receive a period of rest from having to wonder – will the next container come? I am not sure they ever wonder “what if.” They trust in the Lord to provide and He always does. That’s how I think. In the back of my mind I’d always be wondering. And so, I think that when my storehouse overflows or I receive something unexpected the Lord has blessed me richly indeed for the here and now.

Not so Mr. David and Wade. Here is what Wade said: “I went to David and told him I have never seen the warehouse this full. Ever. Because of David’s relationship with the Lord he said, ‘Wade, the Lord must be about to work something big.’”

They looked at the abundance of the Lord’s provision and saw, not a blessing for today, but provision for something the Lord was about to do tomorrow. Isn’t that huge? It was huge to me. It was a paradigm shift because I don’t look at something and ask, “Lord, what is it you are about to do?”

But this is the essence of deep faith and joining God at work.

Yes, the Lord was about to work in a big way. Within two months Emmanuel received over 90 children from another orphanage that burned. That was the single largest influx of children ever – but the Lord had prepared them for it. They recognized that and simply waited for Him to show them. Those extra containers provided exactly the extra food, extra clothing, extra blankets they needed to provide for those children.

If I remember only one thing from this trip, that is what I want to remember. To be in such a relationship with the Lord that I too will know He is about to work.

It was our last day here and we had onions we still needed to plant as well as sweet potatoes. So Amy and I headed back over to the farm. The boys had been pulled to help the men in the field so we are by ourselves. But Rudolph, Jose and another boy Jimmy came by to say hello. Jimmy wanted to go to the store – he’d been asking all week. I sigh and say yes – today.

But time got away and the next thing we knew the boys were loading up to head to their house. We were trying to finish our project and missed them leave. My husband came down the hill – they completed the water towers and irrigation. Praise God! It’s 3:30. I asked him if he wanted to go get the boys and take them to the store. We got to the house and really only had about 20 minutes – we had to have them back by 4 for dinner. But we made good on my promise to Jimmy and I got the chance to introduce Blake to Jose.

I have been asking the Lord actively about whether or not to sponsor him. Emotionally I would. I want to invest in his life and tell him that I believe in him and do what I can to make sure he has opportunities. The financial part is not huge. No more than what we pay to sponsor a girl in Brazil through World Vision.

But I also know this. If I sponsor Jose, I am making the decision now to come back to Emmanuel for the next five years. He’s 13. He’ll be there until he’s 18. Unlike the young woman in Brazil, I’ve meet Jose. I know I will be called to continue to develop a personal relationship with him if I sponsor him. The question is – am I really called to this? Is this a right “yes” for me?

As we walked back I told him he needed to do well in school if he wants to be a pilot. He said he needed to practice his English. I smiled and said I would practice my Spanish so when I see him next year I would be better too. He liked that. Maybe I have already made the decision?

I hugged him tight and told him I love him. I do. It’s hard to believe given where I was with this just 6 days ago. But I love him.

Blessings from Honduras,

Denise