Meeting Estefani (Honduras 2014, Part 2)

Up to this point, this blog has always been stories of my journey with God and with my sponsored kids.  And Estefani does play a big part in my story, but even moreso in my best friend Bella's.

If you haven't read my post from when we sponsored Estefani back in January: My best friend since pre-school, Bella, signed up to come on this trip with me, though she didn't yet sponsor a child of her own.  On New Year's Day, we were discussing how we both wanted to do something crazy for God to start the new year off right.  On that same day, I fell in love, through a Facebook post, with a 7-year-old girl named Estefani.

Estefani was in need of a sponsor; and she attended the same sponsorship center, in the same community, as my Melania who we were going to visit.  It took Bella and I all of five minutes to decide to co-sponsor Estefani together.  We decided that only Bella would be known as her sponsor and write to her.  That way, she and Melania could each have individual attention from one of us.  Through scripture, we instantly received what we believe was God confirming this plan.

Over the next few months as we prepared for the trip, though, there were so many road blocks in Bella's way.  It sometimes seemed she wouldn't be able to come on the trip after all.  Of course the enemy was at work, getting into our minds and making us wonder why God had told us to do this work if it wasn't going to happen.

Then, against all odds, it did happen.  Before we knew it, Bella and I were at the airport, leaving for Honduras.



Just a little excited 

At that point, we realized what we should have trusted all along- God's promises are true and He will come through in unexpected ways.  Finally, 4 months of planning, two flights, two hotels, a 5 hour car ride, and a trip to an orphanage later, we arrived at our girls' sponsorship center in the mountains of western Honduras!  After seeing so many pictures and hearing so many stories from this place, it was surreal to actually be there.

After saying hello to the project directors and staff, the team was taken on a walk around the community.  We didn't actually expect to meet our kids just yet.  We thought that would take place later in the day.  As we walked (and walked...and walked...nothing in Honduras is as close as they tell you it is), we came to the elementary school.

"This is the school where Yolani, Jessarela, and Estefani attend", the project director announced, naming off the elementary aged children who were sponsored by members of our team.  The project director walked through the gates, into the school.  We all followed behind her.  And then, it happened. 

It happened so fast, I had to have another team member relay the story to me later: The director walked in and asked a teacher who was standing near the gate to help us find the children we were there to see.  Before she could even begin to do so, Estefani happened to be coming around the corner, right to where our group was entering.  I simply heard, "here's Estefani!" and pressed play on my video camera before she had run across the yard and into Bella's arms.




Estefani's sweet smile instantly took my breath away.  The way she fearlessly clung to Bella and walked with her confirmed we were where we were meant to be.  It occurred to me that I was seeing God's promises fulfilled right before my eyes.

As they found a nearby bench and a translator, Bella told Estefani that she had a present for her.  She had gotten Estefani and herself matching princess necklaces.  Estefani's came in a little jewelry box shaped like a crown, which had a saying on the inside about being a cherished princess.  As the necklace was put around her neck and those word of life were read to her, a light appeared in her eyes, and in her smile.

As they held hands and walked towards the door, Estefani's classmates peered out from the classroom. 

Beaming, Estefani pointed to her necklace, and then to Bella, as if to tell her friends, "She's here for me.  She chose me."  Little did we know, the sweet memories were only beginning.