Today, I had the privilege of feeding some of my beloved friends at Hermano Pedro. Not only did I get to feed them, but I got to play with them, hold them, and whisper in their ear, "Te quiero muy mucho" (I love you very much). I got to see the love of Christ through these orphans' eyes. It both broke my heart and yet it was amazing. Amazing becuase this incredible love swept over me and I never wanted to leave them. I wanted to stay there forever and take over the jobs that the nurses there so carelessly do. I want to forever look into their eyes and see such beauty that God made. And it broke my heart because I knew that as soon as I had to put t hem down and leave, they wouldn't be cared for and loved the same. It broke my heart to look into their precious eyes and knew that they aren't wanted bye their parents (with a few acceptions, of course). It broke my heart to see the hurt they feel when their food is just shoved down their delicate throats, when they don't have anyone to whisper "Te quiero muy mucho" in their ears, when they're all alone in their cage, alone for about 7/10 of the day to entertain their needy and twisted selves.

Today, after 5 minutes of being there, I had the privilege of Carlitos throw up on my arm. If I hadn't been there to help him when he needed it, it could've been a long time until a nurse would've noticed. I had the privilege of getting Ariana's overly-filled diaper on my lap because if I didn't hold her despite the smell, she would've been left alone. I had the privilege of having nasty black beans and mushy bread on my hands as I carefully fed Irvin, Julio, and Julian. If I hadn't been there to get it on me, they would've been fed without love, without the funny noises I made as they chewed it, and without the patience.

I absolutely love walking down the rows of cages, loving on the kids, but it breaks my heart. It hurts to know that not many people share the love that I have for those precious kids God made. But even more than it hurts me, it hurts their Creator, our Creator.

The same God who breathed the stars, who carved the mountains, who filled the seas, who made you and me made them. If our amazing Creator created us and them, then why would He love them any differently? Well, He doesn't. We do. Just because their arms and legs don't work, just because t hey can't communicate as we can, because they may not respond to others as we would doesn't mean we should love them any less. God loves them the same as He loves us, so we should do the same. He created them exactly the way He wanted them to be. We should love them in spite of our differences because or Creator created them too. They are part of His beautiful creation, we should accept them and serve them as we are called to serve one another.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted bye the world." James 1:27