You Can't Judge a Book By It's Cover

New Life Home is a baby orphanage located in Nairobi, Kenya.  This home has saved over 1,300 babies since it opened and the number keeps increasing! Right now there is approximately 40 babies at the home. Thanks to New Life Home, majority of these children will be adopted into a loving family. Why am I telling you this? Because when I was told that we were going to get to go visit this home I was beyond excited! I was literally jumping up and down! Finally, an opportunity to do some hands on work! However, I was in for a huge surprise. I think that I was the only one who was not informed that we were going for a celebration, not for a day trip to help. When we arrived, my heart literally sank. Once again I was hit in the face with a situation where I couldn’t possibly imagine what I could do to help. The facilities, of course, were beautiful and I was really sad that we were there to “party” instead of help. Thankfully, God opened my eyes and changed my heart in one big swoop. Long story short, I got the opportunity to help feed the young kids (around 2) lunch. It was eye opening! The entire experience was mass chaos; crying and screaming children, all needing help to eat and not nearly enough help to go around.  Immediately after lunch all of the children were taken to the restroom; most of them at the potty training age. Talk about craziness! By the end of it I had half chewed food all over my face and a new respect for what goes on behind of the scenes. This experience was so good for me. I have realized that it doesn’t matter how “put together” things or people may look on the outside, on the inside can be an entirely different story. The children here at KKV seem to have it all together on the outside; loving parents, caring siblings, clean water, nice school, ect. However, this week, because my eyes are now being opened to things I was blind to before, I am seeing how much is actually needed on the inside. Like so many people, these children are in need of love, hope, forgiveness, and healing. They need so much more than can be provided by this world. Fancy things and money will never satisfy us. We will always feel an emptiness that needs filled until we learn to find our fulfillment in Jesus. The same goes for me. I cannot find fulfillment in loving these children with/by my own strength. I will only find fulfillment in my King and His love flowing through me will not only be more than enough for me, but for all I come into contact with. When we surrender ourselves to the Will of our Father, His light is able to shine into the darkness, pointing all in the direction of our Savior! There is no greater hope and no greater love than Jesus!