It's hard to even know where to start. Maria's is such a hard place to describe to someone. I will start by saying, it was nothing like I expected. I don't actually really know what I was expecting, but when I walked into Maria's I realized I wasn't expecting to see what I saw and feel what I felt. Maria's is a special care unit for special needs children. Even though I knew this I was still a little shocked at first to see so many children in need. Through the sadness and the hurt there, there is also much hope. After the first day at Maria's I didn't think I could do 4 more days there. I thought I would be too sad. But, I was amazed at how God worked. I truly did see joy and hope in that place. All week, there was this one room that I didn't like going in because of a really sick/sad child. On the last day as we were saying our goodbye's we went into that room. I was dreading it but God did something wonderful. As we were sitting on the floor playing with some other kids, I looked over at the sick child and to my delight she was smiling. Her nanny was over there tickling her and she was actually smiling and laughing. In that moment God whispered into my heart his promise that He is at Maria's and He is watching over all those kiddos. The sad truth is that not all the children at Maria's have a happy ending in the eyes of the world. Even though that thought is extremely overwhelming to me, God really showed me {again} that He is so good. Seeing God's goodness even in extreme sadness is hard to explain. But that is what I experienced at Maria's .. I experienced God's goodness, even in the midst of extreme sadness.
I was so blessed by the opportunity we had to visit Maria's and see the amazing work that goes on there. The staff there are true heroes. They are some of the most selfless, humble, and genuinely loving people I have ever met. The sacrifice they are making is inspiring to say the least. Erik and I were both challenged to ask ourselves if we live that way. I am still processing exactly what God wants me to "take away" from this whole experience. Erik has actually asked to write a little bit more about this {about his experience and the "take away"}. I know he will do a great job of explaining how we both feel about what God is teaching us through our experience at Maria's ...
This is my very first blog appearance (I'm feeling a bit nervous...haha).
I agree with Amanda. It is very difficult to find words to describe an experience like being at Maria's. I will start by saying God moved. He moved us to tears. He moved us to laughter. He moved us past numbness into pain and then into His comfort. He moved me to love without holding back. I will not say that I have learned all that He will have me learn from this trip. I feel like I'll still be processing a few years (or decades) from now. But one thing I do know is that God is working. He's working through the staff to show hope to the beautiful boys and girls that call Maria's home. He's working through Dr. Steve and the four nurses who are in a constant state of self-sacrifice so that these kiddos can have life. He's working through the children to teach people like me to trust, to love, to rest in His goodness. He's working through the nannies there (though they may not know it) to provide the kids with the special care that they need.
Being at Maria's really helped to put life into perspective. God does not create life without purpose. That would be outside His nature. Every child at Maria's has a purpose. My natural tendency is to question God. "Why would you create this child with this disease?" "How can you allow this baby to be in pain?" "What is the purpose of bringing this child into this world only to have him leave it in such a short time?" I think these questions are normal and commonly asked in the face of pain and suffering. But God is so good. He is perfect. He is just. And he has a purpose for every child at Maria's. He loves and cares for every child at Maria's infinitely more than I ever could.
Even after writing this it's still hard to come up with specific "take aways". I am blessed to have had the opportunity to play with and hug these beautiful kids. I'm challenged to love deeply and without censor. I'm reminded that God is good all the time and that His plan is always better than my plan. I'm humbled to have met the people that truly make Maria's a Big House of Hope.
Please pray for Amanda and I as we consider what God has for us in our future. We want to be open to His calling on our lives wherever that may take us. Pray for the kids at Maria's, that their conditions would be healed and that they would be matched with forever families. Pray for Dr. Steve and the nurses who are giving care to the kiddos.
Well... blogging's not so bad I suppose... perhaps I'll try it again sometime. :) E-Frizzle signing off...
I knew he would be a good blogger :) .. Thanks for taking the time to read about our time at Maria's. Thanks for the continued prayers and love. We love you all.
Bye for now <3
*If you would like to see a video I put together with pictures of the children at Maria's - please e-mail me {erikandamandafry@gmail.com}, Facebook me, or if you see me in real life, I will be glad to show it to you personally :). Thanks again to those of you who supported us financially and to those of you who supported us through prayer. We couldn't have had this experience without you!*
