Goodbye's Are the Hardest

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Today has been a bittersweet day. It was a day of once again saying goodbye to those we've come to love. We promise to come back and visit in 6 months, but I admit there's always that little thought in the back of my mind that worries 'what if something happens and we aren't able to?'. We started our morning after breakfast by going down to Kelly's house. We helped the nanny in the first room feed breakfast to the little ones in there. I fed bottles Eswin and Mimi while Mama got to feed one to Maria, who was really the one she went to see. Cristel was the only one in the room to get to sit in a high chair, but we laughed at how she put her legs up on the tray, and could turn her feet over so it looked like her lower body was on upside down. We visited the other room to say goodbye to Luis, Mirsa, and Cristopher. Finally it was time to say goodbye to Chalito and Juan Diego. Chrissy had been hanging out with them all morning. They are both completely bedridden unless someone gets them up and puts them in a wheelchair, so they love for someone to come talk to them and visit with them. At Kelly's House they were the hardest to say goodbye to because they really remember us, and call us by name when we return.

After leaving Kelly's House we went to visit the orphanage for a while. Diego saw us coming through the window and yells "Christina". Josue comes running yelling "Americano" at us! We took up a few outfits for Maribel's house, some treatbags for them, and a couple pop up soccer goals with balls. They used the goals more like playhouses! The bags they came in were used like backpacks and I think Diego and Josue each hid one of the balls in their bag! We had lots of fun playing with these kiddos, and it's still my favorite place at the orphanage.

Next we went visit Cristina to make sure we got to see her one more time. Her family was getting ready to watch an animated Jesus film while Sarah fixed lunch, so we sat and watched with them for a little bit. Cristina sat on my lap as we watched. When it was time to go Sarah had Cristina tell me "I love you" in English. I was so thrilled they had taught her that!

We went by the hospital for a few minutes before lunch. There's always time to hold babies! Not really any goodbyes here because I knew we'd be back. We stopped by the hospital 2 or 3 hours later to drop something off and found out from Dr. Laura that Maria Delmy had started crying right after we left because she found out we would be returning to America tomorrow. She was so pitiful to look at. I told you goodbyes are hard! We went up to the oprhanage again to put the tv in the living room area by Maribel's house. The kids were so excited! We put in a Christian DVD and they loved it. Cristina got to come down for a little bit to watch, so I got to see her one more time before we left. Of course there were big hugs all around, some pouts, and I got my Cristina saying "I love you" on video. I'd love to take her, Maribel, and baby Milagros home with me!

Finally it was time for one final trip to the hospital. The toddlers were out of their beds playing, so it was easier to play with lots of babies at once! Herminio would scale the outside of the cribs between the two baby girls, Dulce Milagros and Dulce Maria and would take turns winding their mobiles for them. It was the cutest thing. He and Delmy really look out for the others. The other day they had one of the younger babies, probably around 3 or 4 months old, in Delmy's crib with her, and she was 'reading' him a story from one of the cloth books we brought. Tonight she was just a giggle box. While mama was feeding Dulce Maria her bottle, Delmy talked to her constantly, and would repeat everything mama said in English. When I got ready to leave tonight and told her adios, she told me "no, bye-bye". Such precious little kids, most of whom have been abandoned. I am so thankful that God laid it on Carlos' heart to start this ministry to rescue these babies, many like tiny 2lb Kimberly who would not have stood a chance without HOL. I remember Carlos saying something about people waiting to hear God speak, but he heard God speak when he heard a baby cry. I'm so thankful he answered the cry. Maria Delmy had stopped crying and was glad to know that we planned to come back this summer. Yolanda gave me a huge hug and made flying motions to let Maria Delmy know we were leaving because she would not give me a hug- I think it's like sometimes when you are getting ready to leave the hospital and tell them adios, they tell you no, because they think then it's not true. But this time, it's true. But we'll be back. So instead of goodby, until next time!

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