I didn't know that my heart could ever hold so much compassion and love for the boys at the Bolivia Life Center. Whether it's playing with "Mis Hermanitos" or spreading the love of Christ to the children in the villages; it is always a blessing to be a part of it. These children have more joy in their lives then the people who have so much more than they do. It is hard to even comprehend how you begin to love these boys so much.

         I used to always think, "Why would the parent of these precious children ever abandon them?" "Who could not love them?" It literally drove me crazy to think someone didn't love or want them. However, I later realized that through all of their tragedy and suffering, God had a plan for their lives that would surpass anything they had ever hoped or dreamed about. If they were not abandoned, they probably would have never come to know the Lord, or had an education that will make them providers for their families one day in the future, three warm meals everyday, a soft bed at night, and kind people who love them just as Christ desires us to love others.

         But God gave them hope! He brought them to the Bolivia Life Center and gave them a new beginning full of joy, laughter, long-lasting friendships, and most of all, the love of Christ. I am privileged to share my "Papa John" and "Mama Maritza" with the boys at the Bolivia Life Center. The boys are a huge part of my life now and nothing could ever change that. When anyone asks how many siblings I have, I will always say, "I have one sister and seventy-one brothers."