Only in heaven will we see how much we owe to the poor for helping us to love God better because of them. -Mother Theresa
I read a quote recently that said “Don’t tell God how big your problems are. Tell your problems how big God is.” One of the first things you notice at the Hogar Rafael Ayau orphanage in Guatemala are the words “Big is God.” Sometimes you see it on t-shirts that the kids are wearing, and sometimes you see it painted on doors in bright colors. The significance of this little phrase is found not only in the changed lives of the children who live there, but also in the changed lives of thousands of people who have met those children and heard their stories.
There is no bigger problem than nearly 150 million orphans living in the world, many who have endured terrible and unspeakable things. It’s a problem too big for any of us to handle physically, emotionally, spiritually, individually, or collectively. The only one big enough to carry that burden is God. Just how big is He? Big enough to use the least among us to show the greatest miracles. Big enough to take the once forgotten and make them forever remembered. Big enough to take something so neglected and broken and make it even more complete than it ever was. I’ve met and played with each of these little miracles, laughed with them and cried with them. They continue to change my life along with countless others, and every day they show just how big God really is.
I hope you enjoy reading this journal and seeing the pictures. It is really a story about God, told by children with me taking notes for a few days. It is a continuation and a to be continued; a window for looking back and a doorway for continuing ahead. How the story continues is up to God. Maybe I’m a part of it or maybe you’re a part of it. Whatever the case may be, it’s a story that needs to be told and a story that needs to be heard.
Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave comments and look at the other links on the right. Don’t forget to check out More Pictures to see photos of everything I couldn’t fit into the journal, along with photos from my teammates!
