Kids Galore

Our first two full days in Guatemala have been fantastic. On Sunday, we worked part of the day and then spent the afternoon at an orphanage in Guatemala City. There are over 170 kids there and they range in age from infant to over 18. (Technically at 18 they should be gone and on their own but some of them stay and work or volunteer.) The kids are beautiful and craving a loving touch. We spent over 3 hours there and took a tour of the facility which was cut short when we started interacting with the children. From there on it was just spending time with the kids. We played soccer, we jumped rope (even raising $100 on the spot for the orpahange when Bob Holman was able to jump 3 times in the rope swinging), and just loved on the kids. They are amazing considering where they have come from and what they have gone through and how they still just love you unconditionally and just want you to spend time with them and touch them with hugs and holding hands.

Today, we went to a hospital where there are 240 special needs kids who have basically been abandoned by their families and/or villages. They range in age from infant to adult and most have cerebral palsy. Again, all we did was go into the infirmary and push kids around in their wheel chairs or hold hands with them or rub their backs or arms or legs or talk to them or push them in the swing or just plain old spend time with them. Their is a man that volunteers at the hospital and with the ministry that supports these kids named Dick that is an amazaing person. He has spent the last 11 years down here just loving on these kids and going out to the villages and recruiting to get villages to let their special needs kids come to the hospital rather than them being beaten to death or abandoned or just allowed to die. He does amazing work and I was very impressive in how he knew each kids name and what their needs are and how to respond to each one. He is affectionately know as El Loco (which he is trying to convince people means handsome and highly intelligent). His website is www.dickrutgers.com and I encourage you to visit it when you can.

I started a softball league 17 years ago and have over 200 kids that play softball in the summer in Blue Springs. And I was impressed today that the kids here are just like the ones we know in Blue Springs; they just want to be loved and do what other kids do. Every kid we touched today was moved and responded in their own ways. Gateway should be proud that you have folks that are willing to come here and do this work because it is making a difference. If the rest of the week goes like the first 2 days, it will be phenominal. Thanks for your continued prayers. We love you.

Sterling Farber