United with Abby and Ericka at La Casa De Mi Padre (My Father's House Orphanage)

The last two days in El Salvador have been  two of the most rewarding days that I remember in a very long time.  There are not many times that we are blessed to see a story as sweet as this one come full circle.  I found Abby and Ericka.  They are so beautiful and for those that do not remember or know who they are:  they are the two little girls that my dear friend, MBC, found in El Salvador three years ago.  We tried to adopt them and the last thing that I heard was that the mother could not give them up and wanted to try to get them back.......the blog starts out with the story of Abby and Ericka.  Three years later, God sent me to La Casa De Mi Padre (My Father's House Orphanage) in San Salvador.  As we walked in the orphanage, we (Trey, Brandi, Douglas and I) were greeted by Gary Powell, the executive director.  He showed us around the orphanage and most of the children were still in school.  He had us hold a baby boy and when he said that the baby had two sisters in the orphanage and other siblings that were not in the orphanage:  I knew.  I knew instantly that I was looking at their brother because 1-1/2 years ago the attorney told me that the mother was pregnant and decided to keep her children and had more siblings.  The baby was about the age that her child should be.......I kept quiet until the end of a video that we watched and I asked to speak to Gary alone.  Through tears, I reminded him of the story and how I thought I was supposed to adopt them but that God had different plans.  He remembered the story and quickly gave me all the facts to the current date.

Abby and Ericka are now 6 and 8.  They are very healthy, very happy and very much where the Lord wants them.  This orphanage in El Salvador is being used as a family model for all future orphanages in the country.  They have purchased a farm where they will build homes housing 2 parents in each home and 8 children (much like La Provadencia!).  The difference with La Casa is that they work with the families.  Their first goal is to re-connect the families through counseling and visitation.  If the children have NO family they are "adoptable".  Abby and Ericka's mother and family love them VERY MUCH.  They are visited every two weeks and are allowed to go with them on family vacations and holidays.  Their mother is unable to care for them and has been very abused.  Please pray for her and pray for the girls.

   Abby and Ericka have a home.  It is not the home that I planned for them but a home that God intended.  How wonderful that 3 years later I have learned that I can be a part of building their home here.  The home that I thought they needed was my own but God has shown me that they need to be here with their family that consists of the wonderful La Casa staff and their own biological family members that visit.  They are doing very well in school and share a bedroom together.  They love their little brother, Emanuel.  After their mother had him, she was sterilized so that she cannot have anymore children.  The girls' older siblings live with their dad but they do not have any contact with them.  Abby and Ericka will have a father figure in their new home.   I'll upload pics of the farm where it will be tomorrow.

Spending the afternoon with the girls was such an emotional and rewarding blessing.  I helped them with their homework and everytime that I looked away, Ericka reminded me that she was the center of attention!  Abby is quite shy but her eyes today are much happier than they were three years ago.  La Casa goes to great lengths to provide all needs for the children spiritually, emotionally and physically.  They receive proper counseling and tutoring daily.  The families of the children are treated the same:  they receive the same benefits so that the generational curses will one day be broken.  Christ is not only talked about daily to Abby and Ericka but also to their mother when she visits.  

God is so good.  I'm thankful He has allowed me to see this story come around full circle.