Paseka e Monate

Paseka e Monate (Happy Easter)

The tomb is empty!!!
We have hope!
We can celebrate because the Lord is RISEN!!

Easter is a great time. For those who are grieving, they know that because of Easter they can grieve with hope. For those who are celebrating, it gives their joy purpose. No matter how you look at it, Easter brings hope.

As in year's past, here at Beautiful Gate, we like to celebrate at Easter and make sure the children know that Easter is not just a normal day. This year was extra special because a group of children in Michigan gifted us with some funds to make our Easter party very nice. We were able to do our traditional events like having the children paint easter eggs on Thursday and then on Easter day we had a hunt for them. Because of the children's funds they raised we were able to have 2 jumping castles or bouncy houses for the children and staff. What a joy it was to see the children's faces as the castles were being inflated. The second we said they were ready all the children ran and jumped in them. Of course there were some who were pretty scared but as the day went on their fear turned into joy. At one point in time one of the children decided to take a nap in the castle. Even though there were others jumping around him he just slept. I also loved watching the big kids aka our staff get in on all the fun. They laughed so hard and tried to make each other fall over. There were many points through out the day I wasn't sure who was having more fun the children or the staff. That didn't matter though, because joy was everywhere. For lunch on Saturday we also treated the children to hotdogs, nik naks (cheese curls) and oranges. To me it felt like an elementary school field day. The children were so excited all day.

Sunday afternoon, we shared the Easter story with the children. I love doing this every year. We read from the Jesus StoryBook Bible (which is amazing!). I love having a lap full of kids and telling them all how much God loves them. Of course there are a lot of restless children, because they know that after the story is read we have our Easter egg/candy hunt. But through all the squirms, the truth is shared that even though they children live in an orphanage, they are not Fatherless.

I need to share a fun story from Saturday with you all. In the afternoon while everyone was in the jumping castles, it started to rain. We didn't want the kids on the castles because electricity and water do not mix well together. :) So in a matter of seconds we were running trying to get the children off the castles, get the castles deflated and then get the children to their houses. While this was going on one of the 2 year old boys started picking up the shoes and looking for all the other children in his house. He couldn't find one of the children in his house and even though we kept telling him that this child was already at home, he kept yelling out his name and refusing to go home. So I picked him up, with his arms full of shoes and carried him home to show him. When he saw the other child in bed sleeping, he relaxed. This little boy was being a big brother. He needed to make sure all the children that are in his house were safe before he went home. There are moments at BG where I sit and wonder what it would be like to be one of these children. I wonder what goes through their minds as they live here and see other children come and go. Saturday my heart was opened up to the fact that these children see each other as family. They help each other by carrying the missing shoes on the play ground back home. In the frantic time of trying to get out of the rain, they protect each other by making sure everyone gets home. May we all learn from the children here and serve those in our lives as though they are our family. May we help each other and protect each other. May we look to those around us as siblings rather than strangers. May we,like the children in Michigan desire to sacrifice something so that others can have joy. When we do this, God smiles. When we do this, God's plan of unity within His body forms. When we do this, we embrace the story at the cross, not because it comes from the Bible, but because it radiates out of our hearts.

May we not ignore the cross, but honor it by simply picking up each other's shoes and making sure everyone gets home safe.