Pablo

I brought home a few things from Ecuador for my family.  I brought hammock chairs that now hang on our pack porch, jewelry and purses made by the mothers in our CSP, jewelry and purses bought at the Equator shops, a cute dress for Laura, neat crayon things for the kids, and a new brother for Jackson.

Well, the authorities wouldn't actually let me bring Pablo home, but he did come home with me in my heart.  I first laid eyes on Pablo Friday, our first day at the project.  He was younger than most of the kids there because he was there with his mother, a volunteer tutor for the CDSP at that project.  That sweet woman's name is Nancy and she reflects the joy of the Lord from her dark face.  Never have I seen such a joyful person!  She loves Jesus!  Pablo is hard to miss, too, but for a different reason.  The boy is a bundle of sweet energy and mischeviousness.  He reminds me so much of a little blonde Texan boy (ahem, Jackson). 

I love Pablo. 

Pablo reminded me so much of Jackson that he alone made me more homesick than any other circumstance on the trip.  Pablo had one toy, a hotwheel car, that he played with non stop.  He also constantly untied and removed his shoes, then asked for help getting them back on. 

I got to see Pablo 3 out of the 4 days there, and I loved him more each day.  The feeling was mutual. 

Pablo turns 4 on June 20, and around that time, he will graduate (along with Nancy) from the CSP and into the CDSP.  He will be available for official sponsorship.  I asked that they flag him for us so that when he is available, he can be our sponsor child.  We have to wait for that to officially happen, but we are already considering him ours.  Jackson told his new pediatrition that he has two sisters and a brother.  She was very confused so I got to explain.  It was fun telling her that we pray for our Ecuador brother and love him and write to him.  If you hear the kids mention Pablo, that's who they mean.

On the last day, when we were forced to leave and had to say our goodbyes, Pablo clutched my neck with one arm and Nancy's with the other, and said (in Spanish, of course), "I have two mothers.  This is my mother and this is my American mother." 

Nancy and I have agreed to pray for each others boys.  We pray that the boys will love Jesus and will have soft hearts that long to please our one God.  We are their American family and they are our Ecuadorian family.  Families that pray for each other.  Isn't that beautiful?