Painting & Pinatas

Blog written by Christina Brashear…


What an absolutely amazing day. Although it was a struggle to get out of bed this morning, we were all prepared for another wonderful day at the orphanage. We quickly ate breakfast and gathered together for morning devotion. We prayed for the day ahead of us and asked the Lord to be with us and guide us. We left the mission house with 3 stuffed piñatas in hand and even more gifts for the kids. We were excited to see and play with the kids once again but sad about it being our last day. We all decided it would be best to return to the groups we were in yesterday in order to get closer to the kids we had already met (since we only have such a short period of time with them). Stephanie, Emily and I were given the opportunity to work with the girls yesterday but when we went today, we were told they had gotten in a fight last night and were not allowing visitors. Therefore, we were given the opportunity to build relationships with the girls in the “sewing room.” Although there weren’t nearly as many girls, we were able to have a really good discussion with the “tia” (caretaker). Stephanie asked her what she would change about the center if she had the option to change one thing and sadly she said “the entire personnel.” She went on saying “they have no hearts, they’re only in it for the money.” It was interesting hear the opinions from someone behind the scenes.




One teen mom in particular seemed to touch all of our hearts. Her name was Hazel and her 9 day old daughter was named Georgina. She was 16 years old and had another 5 year old daughter who was not with her at the center but instead lived with the daughter’s father in Mexico. She had told us she didn’t like the girls at the center because they were mean and was often found alone in a corner. She wrote beautiful scriptures for Susan each day and made it evident she was in relationship with the Lord. What a blessing. She made a bracelet for Stephanie and seemed to want to connect with each and every one of us. She is hoping to move back with her grandmother as soon as she can. Please help us pray for Hazel and Georgina.




One of the big accomplishments today was completing our painting job . We painted one of the rooms in the baby center and it was bright yellow. We were grateful to have Brittany’s long legs and she did a lot of the painting . Both Jenni and Brittany were covered in yellow and had to return home at one point to change their clothes.







Time for piñatas!! We started with the boys and as soon as they saw “gringos and piñatas” they went wild! We told them to sit down for a lesson before the festivities. Since the boys love soccer, Brittany gave her testimony about trusting God, putting Him above sports and shared how God has used soccer in her life . Although the boys were young, they listened intently. As candy flew, they scrammed to fill their shirts with as much as they could. They all had smiles on their faces and hugged us good bye.





Next was the teenage girls. We gathered them together and had them all sit down.


Stephanie and Jenni R. shared their testimonies about their own personal traumas and suffering in their teenage years. The girls listened with wide eyes. It was evident that Jenni and Stephanie impacted many girls’ lives right in front of our eyes. After the testimonies, the piñata got started. A young girl went up to Stephanie and she quickly asked me for help to translate. The first thing the girl said to Stephanie was “I know exactly how you feel because I have been through many of the same things and I felt sick to my stomach when you were speaking.” As she said it in Spanish my mouth dropped, I was in shock at how open and honest this young girl was. The strength she had was absolutely incredible. She showed us her wrists, explaining how she had recently tried committing suicide and tears came into my eyes. We quickly asked Jenni R. for help in bringing her to the Lord and we asked if anyone else wanted to pray with us. A group of about 6 or 7 girls joined in. We read scripture and prayed together. It was the most amazing experience. The Lord gave us the words and scripture to help these girls. We were able to share God’s love and tell these young girls that He would love and be with them for the rest of their lives. It was an unforgettable experience. We took LOTS of pictures and headed over to do the last piñata with the pregnant teens and young moms.






(all the girls that received Christ today)

We walked into the nursery to find the babies and their mothers sitting on their beds (still doing crafts with the things we brought them). We gathered everyone outside to do the piñata and again, Stephanie and Jenni R. were able to share their testimonies. We gave each of the girls a chance to hit the piñata and they gathered their candy with big smiles on their faces. I held a beautiful baby who had sadly been taken away from his mom (until he projectile vomited ALL over me)! Kids were running around eating candy and giving us hugs. Our day came to end and we sadly had to leave. We said our good byes, took more pictures, and walked away with a warm feeling in our hearts. We were really able to connect with all the kids we met, it felt amazing.

Wishing we could spend more time at the home, we ask that you help us keep these boys and girls in our prayers. We know they will be in our hearts forever. We are excited to prepare and hand out meals for the homeless tonight with our host family. Thank you all for your prayers and support!

Tomorrow is a new day at a new center! Please help us pray for God’s guidance and peace as we make new relationships and love on some more beautiful children.

Thank you!!

With love, Christina from the team!