El Faro >> Punta de Palma, Guatemala

I have many stories to share from a little coastal town in the jungle of Guatemala. I'll type them soon, but for now I'm still processing this trip that only happened two weeks ago. My heart came alive in Guatemala in a new way. Teaching art and empowering children with creativity is something I was meant to do. I couldn't stop smiling and excitedly speaking spanish, a language I thought I had forgotten.

 I am so grateful for the staff at El Faro, and for the opportunity to serve and love another nation. Yet another piece of my heart is sown into another place. For 2012 I've left a piece in Haiti, Mexico, Uganda and now I add Guatemala to the list.

Quien es el rey de la selva? Se llama, J-e-s-ú-s. 

Mirna and I met in a trash dump where she lives in Guatemala.
She gave me a new perspective on Hope. Vultures are behind us in the trash, where Mirna
calls home. She ran into my arms and the first words she said were "Te Quiero" I love you.
She put her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek. She looked deep into my eyes, both of our brown
eyes gazing into one another with just so much love and joy at finding a new friend. I then put her
on my back, the sweet shoeless girl in a wool christmas sweater vest in the middle of July,
in the middle of  the jungle. Later that day we gave her a new summer sundress and bright old navy flipflops.
These are the moments I want to live every day. I am praying for this trash dump and hope that I can help
empower the people here in tangible ways.

Besos. 

The Trash Dump. The place where Trash and Ashes are made into Beautiful things.

Mirna, the mariposa (butterfly) This was an art therapy project. Video to come.

Un aguila de Dios! Another very inspirational art therapy project.

My sweet group of 5 year olds painting their "homes" on mini Blick canvases. 

Fun with bubbles! 

I love how this kids face is amazed at what he can create just with soap and water. 

This sweet girl painted a flower so delicately and gently on my hand, after I had
painted their nails and painted flowers on their hands and faces. Such sweet moments.

The sweet girls at Punta de Palma school in the village. Nothing I love more than
adorable little girls speaking spanish and playing with me like I'm one of them.

This sweet little girl Madi Rosa, in the pink dress with her pink bear took my words away.
She was beautiful and the way she looked at me (like in this photo) broke my heart every time.
This was our first day of working in the village at Sarita school, and I fell in love with the children
and their warm and loving and inviting smiles. 

Teaching an art lesson drawing El Faro, the Lighthouse on the beach.
Even a little 4 year old bello is so excited to draw, and I love his sister smiling
at him with such encouragement!!

Melt my heart. ¡¡Ojos preciosos!! So much joy being able to make art with these niños. 

After painting heart treasure boxes, the teachers allowed the kids to leave their mark.
The kids put their hands in their paint so excitedly and then ran to the wall, to leave a little
piece of their legacy. 

Mission el Faro. Beauty unparalleled, a beach paradise next door to poverty. 

Sandra and Marta and their sweet heart boxes. The girls put them up to their hearts and asked
if I would take this photo. So so precious. 

My girlies have fun painting their "Where your treasure there your heart is also" Boxes. 

:) 

Love my sweet girls in my group. I felt 8 years old again.

A girl with a heart and beauty that displays God's masterpiece.

Our life of poverty is as necessary as the work itself. Only in heaven will we see how much we owe to the poor for helping us to love God better because of them. - Mother Teresa

Adina

 excerpt from my Journal from Uganda Spring 2013

someday my writings in journals will be in a book. Here's a new story for the blog ! 

It was a day we had been planning for a few weeks and this special day had finally arrived. A team from Norway was visiting that had their hearts and minds in a rooted connection to the Adina Foundation - a rehabilitation and physical therapy center in Northern Uganda. The leaders of the team helped create, fund and grow this special place that serves the broken. On one of their last days in Lira, they honored the children of Children of Peace, Ngeta girl's home and Adina foundation, by mixing the three different programs and schools of children in and outside of Lira town. It was a meeting of the broken. The real awakening to me though, was the brokenness I encountered by watching "the weak, say I have strength" (Joel 3:10)  - 

- I walk into the compound in my ugandan formal attire, my bright blue chiffon skirt from the states skimming the dirt ground. The wind was welcomed as it blew my gold tiered triangle earrings back and forth on this hot February morning. I had just hopped off the back of a moto bike and handed the boda driver a couple of crumbled up shillings (dollars) from my bag. The iron gate of the compound opened and I wasn't prepared for what I was about to see. My heart was changed that day and my perspective renewed in a redemptive way. 

Adina Foundation in Lira Uganda 

(Most of these photos were taken by the sweet children from Lira Integrated, I gave them my camera for the day and let them be the ones to document. I think they did an amazing job!) 

Watched all the kids performances sitting next to my girlies Jenn and Caro

I walked into this new space and felt a presence of Peace invade my mind. My eyes and heart were enlightened immediately. The first scene I saw was children scatted all over the lawn: children who were disabled, missing limbs or living with disfigurements, but they walk tall, hopping around the land as if they were perfectly normal physically abled children. And you know what, they are. These children at Adina foundation are touched by God's hand. With feet that are twisted sideways, so a child walks strongly on the side of his foot not with the soul of his foot . But now he's walking towards me, hobbling forward with his good foot firmly on the ground and his other foot making progress.  He greets me with a giant smile. He dances. He sings. He runs and plays soccer. He is perfectly normal. A "lame" kid who is ABLE. His burden is not a physical problem but more of an emotional one. Some neighbors view these children as an outcast, as disabled, I only see Able. I see innocence and I see a child of God who rejoices in suffering. These children become and embody Joy. I walk further into the spacious compound to greet these children that look more like angels than humans. A child in a wheelchair with two white casts gets wheeled over to me by his friend. Another giant smile appears, and with inquisitive deep brown eyes, he invites me to see something new. This child pulls me into his world of "ENOUGH". Let the Weak say I have strength.

Joel 3:10

I walk alongside of these two precious boys no older than 10 years old who are strong and able. The friend pushes his friend with the big smile in the wheel chair as his constant support. This is a friend that will never leave him with just his chair, you can just tell he wants him to experience a world of endless possibilities. But this friend too is limping and overcoming battles of his own. But standing next to a child with a disability, I realize I look weak, because despite all of the physical weakness, there is a strength that remains in these kids that is strengthening me even now. There's a joy that is overflowing onto the land of the compound. These children can teach us so much. They are teaching me how to embrace and run through life even with broken limbs. As long as our hearts and minds are set on higher heights, as long as our faith is stronger than our broken fragile bodies, as long as we believe we can overcome, We Can Be Healed. We Can Be Rescued. I marvel at these children all around the compound and can't help but feel I'm in a special place that is surrounded and watched over by angels.

A circle of children (Lira Integrated, Adina, Ngeta schools) united by brokenness and beauty.

After a few hours of playing games and getting to know these amazing children at Adina, our Children from Lira Integrated arrive and meet these able children with disabilities and I couldn't help but see images of God. Child Soldiers and war orphans and disabled children all started to play with each other. I watched these children start to fly and break free of chains that society places on them with stigma. Together this group of children was free, they accepted one another, and love was present. The meeting of the broken, but together they were gaining strength and joy was building.

Stig the Norwegian singer-songwriter and artist filming the children working together.

Rocking out with his "guitar" for the day :) 

After the children from Children of Peace became acquainted with children from Adina shaking hands and learning names you could tell a new family was forming. They were new friends laughing and playing soccer, running around, singing, dancing traditional dances together ("Kyri - a - Kyri" ) playing ball toss, horse shoes, throwing colorful parachutes in the air, and even created teams for volleyball matches. A great thanks to Hilde and the team from Norway that organized all the sports, equipments and fun activities for the children. Without that gracious team from Adina this day wouldn't have been possible.

Local celebrity in Lira - Musician Elia came and sang his song "Bandera Yesu" and

danced and performed with the children from Adina.

I love these children of war with all my heart! 

Lin from Norway bringing joy to the kids at Adina

Playing games with Samuel B. 

Playing with children of war is healing for all involved.

My favorite moment of the day was when I walked into the small back room on the compound where music was playing over a loud speaker. The song that was playing was the song was recently recorded in Lira and written by Denis Chris (a former child soldier, and a kid who I mentor). The song is called "Golden Jesus" the lyrics say "Oh golden Jesus your the goal, you're the goal of my life, you're the goal of my power, you're the goal of my life". The children were all dancing together! They were laughing and the joy was contagious and filling the room. Miracles were appearing and chains of disabilities were falling off.

Denis leading the children in dance with his song "Golden Jesus"

I of course had to join in on the dancing, to the movements that Denis had specifically choreographed to fit the lyrics! (This boy's music is going to change his country) I was dancing next to Lucky and little Jennifer laughing, and Watum Joseph had my small Canon black camera and was filming the whole thing. I am grateful for this boy's great storytelling ability and capturing this moment! Never underestimate what a child can do with a camera in their hands, it is true art. 

Lucky giving a ride to the little guy at Adina. Love love love.

Lira Celebrity Elia loving on the children at Adina.

This is Freedom.

Freedom. Free from the constraints of the world, from the 'normal'. All of these groups of children are not normal They are set a part for good works. They are set a part so that we can be changed through the way they live their lives. I am changed, watching a child dance with their arms out, that was just a few years ago abducted and made a soldier, forced to do evil, when their innocent bodies only want good. They only want peace. It is not normal for a child to be so malnourished they never walked and now their feet are bent with disfigurement. But I can tell you, I have watched these children dance! They are dancing with broken feet or dancing with brokenness from scars of war. They can dance because they are free. They dance because God loves them despite any disability. He loves them for their hearts. He loves their brave courageous hearts. I look at this compound of scatted children playing with one another, disabled and abled - and a new generation of children of the strongest children  in wartorn Uganda. 

All the children playing "snakebite" trying not to get caught by a snake or you'll get poison in you!
In order to get the poison out you need help from your friends. It's a great game for therapy and fun

Beautiful little daughter of the Lord who is getting rehabilitation at Adina for her
body and limbs that bend in a different directions. I loved laughing with her.

My beautiful director Jane Ekayu and I after a long blessed day at Adina Foundation.

Oh teach us, Children of War, Children of the brokenness, Children of Strength, children who walk in the light even in the darkest of days -  Teach us how to walk with purpose, dance with lame feet, teach us how to forgive, children, please - Teach us how to Live, truly live. 

The New Normal

One of my favorite moments is when you are sitting at the terminal, your packed bags are somewhere meandering down a series of conveyor belts in the unknown behind-the-scenes "Narnia" of the airport and you are forced to be present. People watching is at an all time high and your eyes are absorbing all the sights and sounds of the passengers passing by your side. You fill me with joy in your presence - Psalm 16:11 It is that delightful anticipation, where you wait in hope and prepare for a new adventure. You step away from normal.

I miss that moment.

Anytime we step out of comfort, there is this excitement - I am taking a risk and daring to do something that is not characteristic of the normal me. I am stepping away from easy, from comfortable, from the sidewalk and walking on a new road full of danger and possibility. But maybe that is me? Maybe for me, my new normal is jumping on a 7hr bus ride to Lira Northern Uganda, filled with loud ugandan travelers and even chickens walking down the rubber floored aisle. Where people jab sticks of hot cooked pork on a stick into your window wanting you to buy some from them, and you politely decline and laugh to yourself because you are a vegetarian who hasn't eaten meat in over 14 years, let alone had meat shoved into your face while traveling! This is the new normal, my new sidewalk.

Looking out at the Nile River from the window on a crowded bus in Uganda. 

What is comfort? Well now comfort for me is sitting with a child soldier who has been forced to kill her own parents, but chooses to rejoice because she has been forgiven. The child who chooses to dance with her heart in abandonment to her Redeemer who loves her without ceasing. The child who teaches ME how to dance. Together we are dancing to the beat of redemption, to the reality that God has rescued us both from pain, from suffering and from chains that enslave us.

Siyahamba ekukhanyen kwenkhos, Siyahamb ekukhanyen kwenkhos - 
We are marching for the light of the Lord. We are marching for the light of the Lord. 

Dancing with Judith, former child soldier and girl who I support in school. 

I am free to dance, free to move, free to express my heart in loud song, because I am surrounded by children 
who don't judge, who just accept, who just love you unconditionally as we are meant to be loved. The children
that went through all the hell and fire of war, have been purified, have been saved and now they march in a new light,
marching in a new normal. These children are teaching me what this new normal is - the normal that any pain, any
amount of suffering we bear on our necks, any sin, any crime, any fault can be forgiven.

Shouldn't our normal and our posture always be one of love? Even if it's hard, even if it feels like it's going against 

the grain, can't we always make the choice to love? These children, the very ones that were forced by LRA 
commanders to kill, are choosing to love even their enemies.

This is normal. I'll repeat it again... 

LOVE IS NORMAL. 

FORGIVENESS IS NORMAL.

PATIENCE IS NORMAL.

THIS IS NORMAL. I want normal to look like this in my life, that even when I'm hurt by a relationship or a person 
or anything, that I choose to love them, even if it's my worst enemy, I will choose my normal to be one of constant love. I will fail,
as we all will, but I know that I can be forgiven. I look at these 5 -18 year olds and watch as they turn the other cheek,
and accept the blow. They are models of Jesus and an ever present model of living His love on earth. Their new Normal is 
loving, forgiving and having patience with people. Children of War are now Children of Peace in Uganda because they have 
exchanged their painful past for a joyful present. There is nothing normal about being abducted at age 7 by a warlord and being
 forced to kill, mame, rape, pillage, burn, lie, steal, cheat - I will never be able to understand why or how that had to happen, but
 I want to see the good in all of it. The good that I can see, is children rising up like the sun to be peace ambassadors that come
from one of the most broken backgrounds and yet they build structures of hope, with reconciled pieces of wood. Sounds a lot like
Jesus doesn't it? Where two pieces of wood, the cross, became a symbol of victory. I can tell you, surviving the war in Uganda, 
became a symbol of victory for these children. And it should be a symbol of victory that world peace is possible.

Our history Ends with the cross; our new story begins with the awakening of Jesus and with our awakening to the reality of his love 
in our life! I so clearly see and understand the gospel when I see children of war, made new and made whole again. They still 
have nail scarred hands. They have machete wounds and some of them even have bullets still in their bodies, but that doesn't
cause bitterness, it instead compels them to love, to forgive, and live new normal lives treating others as they want to be treated. 

I am sure I have gone through trauma hearing these stories of pain. It's hard to block your heart from the reality of the stories these
children tell, but the real story that I hear when I listen to them, their stories I record, are stories that change people from the inside out. 
Stories that reveal the true nature of a loving and forgiving God. Stories that cause you to wonder - can I have this freedom in my life? 
Can I seek good all of my days? Can I find hope, even when I'm in a battlefield of despair? 

The answer is, you can. You have the opportunity and ability to forgive, to love, to accept and it is yours for the taking. 
You can walk in this light, and have your new normal be Loving others FIRST before yourself. I am still learning how to do that,
but the more time I spend with these kids, they as my teachers help me understand this new normal. The normal that God wants for 
our lives, the normal that God created us to be. 

A normal -  of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

- Galations 5:22

I think life would be much more of an adventure and exciting if our normal was living like this every day. 
It would be just like being at an airport waiting for a new journey to begin. But the destination is unknown, 
your packed bags are behind you, and you are free and ready and willing to go actively love someone 
without hesitation. 

I am grateful for my short 5 weeks in Lira, Uganda that changed my normal. It's hard to sit in comfortable California
and miss these amazing children, but the truth is my true comfort is in the arms of orphans of war, in the arms
of the Lord knowing I am accepted and I am loved. It doesn't matter where I am, as long as I keep loving people
as I have been loved, with a love that never fails. 

As the Children of Peace Uganda speak let these words they chose resonate with you and remind you,
all things work for Good. Hope, Patience, Love, Freedom, End Child Soldiering, Forgive.

Leaving & Returning to Lira

RESTORE. REDEEM. and RETURN the LOVE you RECEIVE.

 As I'm preparing for another trip to Uganda tonight, it brings me peace to look back and see that everything does happen for a reason, in the right timing, and God is always faithful!

This was my outburst (truly I was a mess!) of trying to process emotions on my flight back to Los Angeles from Uganda at the end of July 2012.

- July 23rd, 2012 -
" It's like an uncontrollable joy, just pouring out of me. I FEEL LOVED. I FEEL LOVE. and for one of the first times in my life, I feel completely empowered and beautiful inside and out. I feel comforted, protected and see God through it all. He is close, he is here, he is the love, the one allowing this story, this adventure I've been praying for to happen. UGANDAAAA. How can I even put into words the amazing journey it has been so far? I pray that these stories, these children live on in my heart, and mind until I see them again. I know I am changed and the past 7 weeks, will change my life FOREVER. These faces, these smiles, the extended hands and warm hearts that invite you into their presence and rejoice over you with singing. LIRA. Love at the core of this place, permeating the town and every story. The LRA came to destroy, but Jesus came to restore. HIS love is shown in Lira, to heal. Former child soldiers walk tall, knowing they live their lives for peace now. God directed my steps, he prepared my heart and revealed to me MY identity in him through listening and learning from these child soldiers of peace. Forgiveness and love at the tips of my lips, ready to share with the world of the courageous war hearts and resilient minds that would rather hold a book, and learn how to read and give clothes to orphans, and defend the broken, than hold guns. These children have shown me more grace, joy, and compassion than any human I've ever met and interacted with.

I want these child solider redemptive stories to reshape and sharpen the minds of people all over the world. If Uganda falls, than these soldier children of peace will be the ones to raise it up. 

Their names fill my head, tears fall down, pour out. I desire peace, but more than that I desire for these lives to LIVE IN PEACE and know THEY ARE LOVED. that they are not to blame for their iniquities, and that we as citizens of the world WILL LOVE and FORGIVE them to our dying days. When people remember the 23 years war, I want them to see Uganda as the pearl of Africa, the only gem that has to suffer to produce BEAUTY. I want people to see beauty, not war-torn faces.

Lord! I pray for redemption in the hearts of the people. I pray EVERY child that needs sponsorship school fees in the community will receive this. That you Lord will raise up the right supporters, teachers and students, and friends to invest in the lives of these children forever. So that, these children will know that people all across the world, all across the oceans are praying for them and LOVE them. With an everlasting love. The biggest encouragement for an orphan (so I've witnessed with my time in Uganda) is having someone ( a neighbor, a friend, a passerby) stop and love and encourage them in a tangible and transformative way - with the gift of education. It's a Neighborhood Watch, where a community (near or far) abroad or next door - takes care of one another.


I pray for more neighbors. I pray we rise up out of our despondency, out of the unfamiliar to come alongside of these children and watch them, console them into a rich and educated and empowered life.


These are the voices of PEACE that the world has yet to hear. 

The stories of a six year old kid named Bernard, who was born in captivity with the LRA rebels and yet has a powerful mind and passion for drawing animals, bananas and things that bring him joy :) 

They are the Voiced voices that will carve new paths of justice in the world. With a tone of love, these children's voices will leave indelible impressions in the earth and those who walk upon it. These children have hope. They have exchanged their hearts of stone for miry clay, for God to remold them once again. To place his loving and powerful hands on the children's hearts and wipe away all stains and breathe life into them again.

This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. - Ezekiel  37:5

These children speak volumes of truth and justice -- No more Broken Promises. We can Destroy Hunger. I want to be a Leader. We can Change the world! 

/

I think this lyric from Les Mis perfectly narrates this ever unfolding adventure I'm on
of empowering children of war to be peace ambassadors.

Do you hear the people sing Lost in the valley of the night?
It is the music of a people Who are climbing to the light.

For the wretched of the earth. There is a flame that never dies. 
Even the darkest night will end. 
And the sun will rise.

They will live again in freedom. In the garden of the Lord. They will walk behind the plough-share, They will put away the sword. The chain will be broken And all men will have their reward.

Will you join in our crusade? Who will be strong and stand with me?

- Les Miserables 


amen amen. more stories to come!