Updates from the Emmanuel Home of Protection

     Life at the Home of Protection is never boring! Kurt and I live in the house about 150 yards from the Home, so we get greeted by the girls as they walk to and home from school. The conversations can be a bit painful with our limited Spanish but the girls are very patient, and our limited language skills have brought a chuckle on several occasions.

     We have had some girls come and some go in the last couple of months, and are excited about the growth we’ve seen from all. Even Maria Anjeles, who came to us very angry after repeated abuse from her uncles, left to live with another relative, with a peace that can only be explained because of God’s intervention on her heart while here. I am especially thankful to Norman, the pastor who works with us. He would meet with Maria Anjeles and an educadora each morning to pray with her. Maria, despite her anger, stated how much she appreciated and looked forward to this time of prayer.

     Arlen Salas from Managua and I are going through a discipleship course, New Life in Christ, with the girls. Kurt and I also do devotions with the girls when Heysell, our translating educadora and aspiring missionary, is available. The girls have their own worship time each night when a translator is not available.

     We are finding that being with these girls is not unlike raising our own children as they were growing up. The lessons come from “doing life” with them. One situation recently came about when the girls noticed Arlen’s truck as she drove up. It’s a pretty beat up old truck but gets her where she needs to go. The girls asked Arlen who gave her the truck. She replied, “No one gave me the truck. I earned the money from working and saved for it.” I also shared with them the fact that Arlen used to own a cute little blue car but sold it for this older diesel truck because she could not afford the gas for the car. The girls were surprised she had bought the truck on her own.

     This discussion was a perfect opportunity to talk to the girls about gratitude and the gift of work. The girls had recently been involved with two situations where they had not shown gratitude and instead found reasons to grumble. This was an opportunity to talk about the importance of thanksgiving to God and each other. The girls heard what we were trying to teach. They shared later with Blanca that they felt “vergüenza” (embarrassment or shame) because of the discussion. This was a good occasion to teach about grace and forgiveness. It was explained that our love for the girls was not dependent upon thank you’s or other outward signs of gratitude. Our love for them was based upon God’s love for us and nothing they did or did not do would change that. Yet God in His grace sometimes teaches us ways we can better glorify Him. He gives us the choice to listen or not.

     We are so grateful that the girls did listen. Staff reported much more thank you’s around the home after this discussion. The girls even joyfully helped with bean harvest from the land around the home, knowing that the beans that were planted and harvested would someday be used to feed them.

     Because of what these girls have been through, correction can be difficult because it is taken as rejection, but as the girls learn more about the steadfast love of God they are realizing that the love we get from others can be unconditional and the love we chose to give can then also be unconditional. They are learning that God’s love always comes to us undeserved and full of grace. (Romans 5:8 But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us) Because of this understanding a joy and love that is beyond comprehension starts to grow in our hearts. 1 John 4:19 in action (we love because He first loved us).

Teresa Vanhulzen

Missionary

BMDMI Nicaragua

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