Pictures For The Children

A few weeks ago we had taken some pictures while we were at the feeding center we have been helping at. As we mentioned before, there is a kids program in the street where the children learn about Jesus before the feeding begins. Then they get in the line that fills the street with some 250 children and wait until it is their turn to get their bowl filled with food. The youngest children are served first leaving the older children standing in line for 30-45 minutes. So, Ken was having fun with the kids in the back of the line and taking pictures of them. They were so excited when they could actually see their faces on the view finder. Once we got home we decided to print a handful of photos and bring them back with us the following week. So, we printed them at home on our printer and stamped the back of them with the "El Camino" ministry information ("el camino" is the name of the ministry that our fellow missionaries started) so that the children and their families would always remember that the people who shared the hope and love of Jesus with them also shared God's love with them in a very practical way. We laminated the pictures with hopes that they would last in the harsh living environments that these children live in everyday.

Yesterday, after the program, the kids were waiting in line and our little KyAnna (3) helped us find the kids in the line that we had taken pictures of. We wish each of you could have seen their faces... it was absolutely priceless. All the children were gathering around laughing and smiling when one of the little girls (pictured to the left) who was 8 years old, told me that this was the first picture she has ever seen/had of herself. I can't express the joy and pride she had as she clung to that little 4x6 laminated photo not allowing anyone to take it from her, she covered it with both hands close to her body.

We were not able to find one of the little girls (about 5 years old) that we had a picture of, but all of the children were quick to ask if they could take it to her. We told them that we would wait and bring it next week for her. About an hour later we were getting ready to leave and we heard some little voices shouting out at us from down the narrow dirt road. 2 little kids had left after they got their food and went and found this precious little girl and brought her back to the feeding center so that she could have her photo. She was a shy little girl. I showed her the picture and she smiled and giggled and gave it back to me. I put it back in her hands and told her it was a gift. She said "to keep forever" I responded, "of course" and she gave me this huge hug.

Thank you to each of you who partner with us to share the gospel with the kids and youth of Nicaragua, but also for making special things like this possible.