Meeting Melania (Honduras 2013, Part 3)

Remember how I said I was numb?  Well, writing this post about my first moments with Melania got it all out of me- the tears, the joy, everything.  The reality of God's work in this story just hit me like a ton of bricks...and it is so beautiful!

The day we had all been waiting for had finally arrived- child visit day!  We awoke that morning and drove an hour to Hotel Playa Beach on the Caribbean Sea, where we would spend the day at the beach with our sponsored children.  Upon arrival, we were told they'd call us off of the bus one at a time to meet our kids.  For almost an hour, sponsors were called one by one, while the rest of us anxiously crowded around the back window of the bus to watch for any signs of our children.

Although I had not yet spotted Melania, my tour leader soon re-entered the bus and announced, "Megan, you're on deck!  Get ready!"  My heart began to race.  I suddenly felt so unprepared.  I committed our day to God and made my way to the front of the bus, carrying the multiple bags of beach supplies and gifts for Melania's family.  Anticipation must have been written all over my face, because the last thing I remember before exiting the bus was my tour leader asking me to please not faint.

As soon as I stepped off the bus, I dropped my bags, found my translator, and began to look for Melania in the crowd.   And then, I saw her.  If she hadn't come running full-force into my arms, I'm not sure I would have recognized her.  So petite, she easily could have passed for eleven or twelve rather than fourteen!  Yet, the second I had her there with me, I was sure of this one thing: God knew exactly what He was doing.  He had matched us perfectly.  I smiled and silently gave thanks.  Yes, I thought, this fits.

We stayed just like this for a long time.  After everything God had done to bring us together, she was really standing there in front of me.  Now that I had her, it was unreal to me that I had ever considered the possibility that someone else was meant to be her sponsor.  It was so obvious right then that God had chosen her for me.  I remember telling myself to embrace that moment, because it was real.  Suddenly, this trip no longer felt like walking through a photograph.  No photograph could be this perfect.

When we finally let go, Melania began to pull things out of the small plastic grocery bag she was carrying.  First, a poster she had made with my name on it!  At the bottom was written, "I love you with all of my heart."  She had even laminated it with tape and decorated it by making flowers out of pencil shavings.  Is it any surprise that one of her favorite activities is art?

Next, she handed me a letter, another drawing, and a hand made jewelry box containing two bracelets and a pair of earrings, all handmade by her!  As you may remember from my very first post when I was led to sponsor Melania, one thing that really tugged at my heart strings was the fact that she wasn't in school and was instead being taught to make jewelry at her Compassion center.  Since I also worked with jewelry, helping my mom with her direct sales jewelry company, I had written to Melania about the fact that we had that in common.  Anything related to jewelry is a special bond between the two of us.  When she put those bracelets on my wrist, I thought yet again: This is as close to perfection as it gets.  She is everything I hoped for and so much more.  Going into this trip, I was (rightly) told not to make any expectations, but to step aside and let God lead.  Often times, God's plans are not ours.  However, this time, it was almost exactly what I had wanted.  It couldn't possibly get any better.

Or so I thought...because that was when Melania smiled at me with the world's biggest smile and proudly said the words, "Thanks to you, now I am studying."  She has chosen to go back to school!  My heart leaps out of my chest even now as I type those words.  God is good all the time!  Not only is she going to school, but she is getting good grades (as she reminded me several times throughout the day), often stays after school for extra art classes, and still faithfully attends her Compassion project and the worship choir at her church!  This girl blows me away on absolutely every level.

I was introduced to Melania's mother and tutor who had traveled with her.  I learned neither Melania nor her mother had ever been to a beach or hotel before that day.  They were very excited.  As we made our way to a shelter on the beach, I quickly learned in more detail just how perfectly God had chosen Melania for me.  As fit my personality to a T, she made no time for small talk and immediately wanted to tell me what she was learning about God.  She also shared openly right away about her father's death, which occurred two years ago on her birthday.  Her maturity and trust in God impressed me immensely.  When I sponsored Melania, I did so thinking that I was sponsoring a sad little girl who had grown up surrounded by tragedy and very little hope...a little girl who needed to be told about the love of Jesus.  Instead, I met a happy girl who has been through a lot in her life, but is undaunted by her pain thanks to the love she receives from her Heavenly Father. 

As we walk, Melania wraps her arm around me and tells me that we are now like family.  I agree.  Family in Christ, brought together to share in His love.  Yes, this fits.