Hope Shifts

I am home now. But thoughts and memories of the Tijuana trip flood my mind much more so than any trip I have ever before taken. I talked to Dan briefly last evening and learned that most of the team spent much of yesterday out at the Rosarito orphanage.

I greatly miss our team and others I met in TJ. I am so blessed here at home. it has been great to see Lisa ... still haven't seen Evan yet as he is sleeping in a bit.

As I think of seeing my own son today, I cannot help but think about my little buddy at the orphanage. I am calling him "Asrael" though I know that name is not correct. When Ed asked him his name, he said it was "Hombre". I know that name is not correct either.

Asrael is four years old and was about as joy-filled as could be. We chased each other around, played with cars and toys, and tossed a ball back and forth. He loved being thrown up and down and pushed on the swing. He does not live at the orphanage but his sort of step-grandma works there and brings him during the day.

We could not communicate due to the language barrier but, to me, he seemed like a perfectly normal four-year-old. But here's what's breaking my heart. Martha, the orphanage director, explained to me that he isn't.

When she first told me this, I didn't believe her. I was convinced that she had to be talking about a different little boy but then I talked to her about it again and there was no mistaking it, she was talking about my little buddy.

She said that he is "not right in the head." She explained that he is very difficult to communicate with, that you have to tell him something several times to have it get through at all. Of course, he and I didn't have that problem because we didn't understand each other regardless. He talked a lot though and he was very kind to me when I just kept having to explain that I don't speak Spanish. (wish I did though)

But here's the kicker. Martha said that they do not know what is wrong with Asrael but that maybe it stemmed from things that he saw when he was younger.

My heart breaks. For Asrael. For Tijuana. For God watching over His children.