Though I ignored it, the moment has come. It is time to say goodbye. Time to halt this wonderful mix of good friends and good memories. Time to abruptly cut off what was abruptly started. It begins normally enough, if a little early. The usual morning greetings, teeth brushing, coffee. Then there are variations on the theme. Bags outside doors and the sounds of sweeping as we clean out our rooms for the last time. Instead of a line to get a plate, breakfast begins with a line to hug the cooks, and hear the tears begin to fall. Breakfast ends and the children hugging begins. The terrible hugging....

Its true.  We may see a truly bright and hopeful person, somebody who seems super happy and has the brightest smile, but underneath their are a lot of deep wounds. Scars that are visible in the mind everyday, but outside their hidden by the clothes we wear and the face we put on, to hide the fact that there is more. I see that in a lot of the children here at the orphanage in Omotepe, Nicaragua. Juan* for example, is a boy of five or six years, and while he plays and acts silly all the time, there is some very real heartbreak. One night, Juan was playing as the referee for the soccer...

Shackles always a crowd pleaser.

     This past week I have been struggling with the thought of healing. Being numb, and without emotion for some time has a tendency to create negative thoughts about the word. I woke up yesterday morning thinking "Oh, great its Valentine's Day", in obviously a very sarcastic way. I jumped in the shower running late as usual, threw on some clothes(during early morning prayer), and ran to breakfast. As I walked in I saw that the table was covered with donuts, fake roses, and candy. This somewhat lightened the mood because this is obviously not normal in Nicaragua,...