Jenny

I've already posted some pictures of Jenny in previous posts, so I don't want to over post.  I have some other pictures of her, where she is being silly, but I don't think she'd want me to post them.  :)  During my time at Emmanuel in 2004, I worked in the kitchen with Jenny and Lourdes (my next post will be about her!).  That consisted of setting places and doing dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and also helping with dinner prep during the afternoons (translate - spend LOTS of time in the kitchen peeling eggs, chopping stuff, opening cans with machetes, hunting mice, etc.).  Most every afternoon I spent hours with these two girls.  I was very excited to see Jenny, having kept up with her on Facebook for a few years, I was aware that she'd gotten married and had a baby.  I was excited to meet her husband and have our kids play together.  

Jenny has grown into a beautiful woman, both inside and out.  She encouraged me a great deal, speaking openly about having faith and honoring the Lord.  She and her family live on the farm, since her husband is in charge of the pigs that they raise and use for food.  He came to Emmanuel as a missionary and became enamored with my beautiful friend - for good reason!  

The last full morning we were there, Wednesday, I was blessed with the opportunity to have a couple of solid hours with Jenny.  We walked around the orphanage and went to the store for ice cream and soda.  I did not expect to be able to do that, and was exceedingly glad that it worked out.  I have truly missed my friend, remembering with fondness our days together when I was a volunteer.  

My one regret is not doing a better job of keeping in touch during the time I have been away.  Jenny speaks really good English now, and we were able to communicate much more than before.  I'm going to really try to be better at that.  

But that aside, it was great to see Jenny again, to spend time with her, to see with my own eyes her life as it is now.  It was great to see her married to a man that seeks to honor the Lord, to be raising a baby in a family, loving God and seeking to trust Him.  

Suly

As I mentioned before, when I left Emmanuel 8 years ago, Suly was 14.

I remember her as being silly, fun-loving, tender, and very loving.  The kids seem to choose "extranjeras" to attach to when they live at the orphanage.  Probably because mostly the "extranjeras" are able to be affectionate and giving, whereas most other people in their lives are authority figures in one way or another.  Suly attached to me.  I remember when I would be in the volunteer house and she would be in the yard right outside the window yelling for me over and over and over (totally against the rules).  I would sometimes have to ignore her because I was resting, and I needed to take care of myself.

But I remember those times with fondness, and love having the memory of 14 year old Suly yelling my name again and again outside the window.

Every year that Snowbird has returned to the orphanage, she has asked for me, and sent letters home with a friend to give to me.

The first night we were there, someone yelled, "Michelle, Suly's going by!" and she was sitting in the back of a truck riding down the road and I rushed out to wave to her.  I could hear her yelling, "You came back!" and she was literally dancing.  I finally returned.

As I mentioned before, she is now employed by the orphanage and is provided room and board and a small monthly salary.  Not much, but her needs are met and she is warm and fed, which is a lot to say in a country where 60% of the population lives below the poverty line.  She also speaks English quite well, although I wouldn't go so far as to call her fluent.  She made me talk in Spanish to her though, and then laughed at all my mistakes.  I enjoyed speaking to her, because she would correct me so that I say the right thing.  And if I couldn't get it, I could switch to English and she would usually get it.  Between my Spanish and her English, we did a pretty good job of communicating.  

She teaches preschool during the school year, and manages a house of boys ages 7-11 (about 40) year round.  That includes ensuring that they get their two daily Bible studies, are manageable during meals, and are dressed for the day in the morning and showered and dressed for the night in the evening.  She goes home about 5 and helps the baby house shut down for the night and then she is free, but when I went there, the babies were up every night (and from living with babies, I know that "free" doesn't mean "free." 

Olivia and I spent a good deal of time in the yard where her boys were playing.  I went down by myself and spent time with her while Olivia was napping or being cared for by other ladies on the trip.  I also spent about an hour with her at her house after she got "off" work, which is normally not allowed but in some cases you can get permission to do that.  We talked and shared our stories.  She asked me how my life has been since I left the orphanage and I was able to tell her.  She shared with me her story, which I had never heard before (we were always told not to ask the kids to tell us).  She told me of her conversion to Christianity and her baptism.  I was able to encourage her in the Lord.  It was so obvious to me that she strives to please the Lord with her life.  I am so grateful to have had the chance to fellowship with her, and I believe she was encouraged and uplifted. 

We sat together through two church services and she wrote me several notes, a piece of which I will share after I share these photos (with her permission!).

Suly was one of the the three girls I was looking forward to connecting with when I went there.  My time with her, though limited by the presence of Olivia and the limitations we had concerning her, was excellent.  I would call it a resounding success.

Here is an excerpt from one of the letters Suly wrote to me.  I've cleaned up her English to make it flow.

"Thank you Michelle because you are my sweet friend and thank you because you are here again.  God protected you in your home and in your trip.  Thank you for making me happy in this week, its been a good time in Emmanuel.  I love you.  Every day I work with the small boys they are so special to me.  But thank you again...I hope that you come back next year, I pray for that.  I hope everything is fine with God and I pray a lot that you come back next year to see me.  Thank you for spending time with me and thank you for everything."

I'm convinced, through observation and words like Suly's, that it really does matter whether or not people go to places like Orphanage Emmanuel, and not just go once, but multiple times over.  Thank you for your prayers, support, and generous giving that made this all possible. Thank you.

"How was your trip?"

I imagine that is a question I'll be asked a lot over the next several weeks.  Right now, the answer is, "I don't know."  There are so many aspects that I could answer from...I am still processing it all, and will be writing as I do, so I will update when I am able.  For now, suffice it to say that it was very very amazing, and very very difficult.

I am wrestling with some of the difficulties, and at times, insecurity threatens to overwhelm me.  I started to get sick when I got home, on Thursday night/Friday morning and have stayed sick since, so I am physically feeling out of it, and really unable to process the emotions and everything else.  

For now, let's focus on the really really amazing stuff...such as this beautiful woman.

Suly was 14 when I saw her last, and you can see the glimpse of the beautiful woman she will turn out to be.  The same sparkling eyes and bright smile.  She was definitely one of the highlights of my trip.  This girl loves Jesus and strives to serve Him with her life there at the orphanage.  She was brought there at 2 and has never left.  She is now 22 and employed there, with a bed and food provided for her still, in addition to a small monthly salary.  This is the best case scenario for her right now.  In a couple of days, I will share some words she wrote to me (with her permission) stating what it meant for her that I came.  I told her that people had given me money to come and asked if I could share some of what she'd written and she said I could.  I want you to know, from her, how important this trip was.

Then there is this beautiful woman.

We have both married and had kids since we saw each other last.  Jenny married a man that went down there to be a missionary and they live in a house on the farm.  They have a baby named Jacob that is a precious boy.  Another best case scenario.  Olivia and I spent quite a bit of time with her and her family, and the last full day I was there, we spent two solid hours together in the morning and walked around the orphanage and got ice cream at the store.  :)  It was a blessed time to be able to be with my friend again.

When I was there in 2004, I spent almost all of the time I was there working in the kitchen beside her and another woman, Lourdes.

Lourdes met us at the airport.  She left the orphanage 3 months ago and is living in Tegucigalpa trying to get work.  I am afraid for her, what will become of her soon.  She had found a job as a nanny but had to quit and is out in the job "market" again.  Please pray for her.  Tegus has very little opportunity.  

Tomorrow starts the plunge back into life.  I took some baby steps today and did laundry and dishes.  Soon, I will be back in the full swing of things struggling to remember the part of my heart that lives in Central America with clarity.  But I intend to fight for it this time, not let it slide like I did last time.  More on all of that later.