Some call her trouble. Some find her laugh intoxicating. Some wish that she would learn another word besides “No!” All of us however know who she is. The first time we all met her was the first time we had an event at the new center. She wore a red dress and would not stop laughing or smiling. Then she would smile at you and try to run away. She likes to hit us sometimes as powerful as her little five-year-old arms will let her. But then she will just laugh.
This pass week Hannah, Joshua, Holly and I got to meet Esther’s family. They live in the barrio that we have given the name “Neverland” where a good chunk of our kids live. This barrio is plauged by a lot of brokeness.
Esther has three other siblings. She lives with her mother and her grandmother. There is no father. They do not know some days if they will have food. Her mom says that she knows Jesus but there is a sense that she does not truly understand His love, power and mercy.
Still Esther laughs. She brings inexpressible joy to our team. I know she is a gift from the Lord to her mom.
Still we pray that Esther and her siblings can experience the love of God which surpasses all knowledge, which surpasses everything that makes sense to us, everything finite. We pray that her mother may come to know the Lord in a new way, that she may know His love.
We are here to impact lives and families, to start fires in those neighborhood that will ignite into a large flame that will engluf the community with the power and love of God. We are here to show everyone that despite brokenness, God offers STEADFAST love and freedom. We are not here to play with kids or to sing a few songs. There is SO much more!
