December 30, 2014 A Day at the Zoo

Today we had such an amazing day at the zoo in Guatemala City with all of the Eagle’s Nest family that is almost hard to describe in just words. It was a tiring day that was packed with sunshine, emotion, and fun as well as reflection and life lessons. Thanks to Life Nets and the generous supporters who donated monetary support for this project, we were able to load up a school bus with every single one of the children from Eagle’s Nest, even including the infants that are only a few weeks or months old, as well as the Mamas that care for the children, other staff members and their children, and all fifteen members of our team. There was almost not an empty lap in the bus, but this offered us many close bonding moments with the children.



After catching the unforgettable sunset this morning and then claiming the children that we were to individually be responsible for during the day, we climbed aboard the bus and began our zoo adventure. It was very eye-opening to discover that a school bus packed with about eighty people mostly comprised of children could be so calm since most of the children were content with just being held or having someone near them to give them individual attention. This reminds us to never take time we have with our families for granted and to savor the simple, close moments in life. It was also so touching to see how willing the older children and teens were to step in and help care for the younger children and babies, like changing a diaper, without taking a second to think if they were going to help or not.
 

Another thing that really struck me today was that the children from Eagle’s nest truly were “our children” today. We each had one or two children that we looked out for and cared for all day. We sat with our children on the bus, took them around to all of the animal exhibits, made sure they got snacks and lunch to eat, and let them sleep on us on the way home. I had a red wagon that I pulled around with me today with two little boys named David and Josue and their bagged lunches and extra clothes and I felt like I got to be their mommy or big sister for the day. I definitely consider these two little ones, as well as all of the other children, as part of my family, and I know that all of our team members do too. Pedro and Felis, the directors of Eagle’s Nest, told us on the first day that the children would become “our kids” not “those kids” or “these kids” after we let them in and build relationships with them. It has been beautiful to see how close our team and all of “our children” have become since just arriving here at Eagle’s Nest on Sunday.

Another unforgettable moment from today that I want to share was from our return trip home. It was “golden hour” driving back just before the sun sets and I was looking around and saw that everyone was experiencing heartfelt moments. Everything had settled on the bus and almost every child, and even some adults, had drifted asleep snuggled in with those around them. At this moment, with the wind blowing in my face and the sun shining in and all of the peaceful sleeping faces bobbing back and forth, the reality hit me as well as others that the sweet children we were snuggling in close with have very hard lives filled with family problems and a lack of frequent positive touch yet we were at that moment making an impact on that child. At this same moment there was Christian music in Spanish softly playing on the bus with songs asking God things like “open my eyes,” “help me to have a clean heart,” “I am your child.” Sitting there listening to these songs and holding little David in my arms was a moment that further motivated me to continue seeking first the Kingdom of God, a time when all of our children will have the families and care they need. And in order for me to be there for little David or any of our other children that we are here with, I must be doing my part in life now. My time here in Guatemala has already been a very spiritually refreshing experience that is driving me to positive spiritual change in my life, as I know it has also already been in the lives of all of our team members here. I can’t wait to see how the rest of our project unfolds and to spend more time here with “our” beautiful children.