If you know me, you know the love that I carry for every child I meet.

I was recently asked a question by someone on my squad here: ‘where do you see yourself in 5 years?’

My immediate answer was to be teaching children the love of the gospel. Whether that be in america or overseas somewhere. My heart is heavy for each child, and above many things, I simply desire to see children the way the Father sees them.

I love the freedom that children carry. I love the creativity and joy that they hold, they don’t think of what others are thinking of them, just thinking of what is fun and what is light. I love the laughter they bring and the view they have on the things of this world. I love to hear what brings them joy, what makes them sad and the things they’re passionate about.

There’s nothing more beautiful to me than seeing a child in awe and wonder of the Lord. Of witnessing the childlike faith of a child. The Lord works just as much in a child as He does me or you.

One of the things that has burdened me most while being overseas is seeing the lives of the children in each country.

Each child i’ve met has significantly less than any child I personally have met in America.

Lacking anything from proper health care, education, food, clean water, a bed, proper shelter, clean teeth, loving parents. Yet each child I’ve come across has had a love unlike any other. I’ve seen some of the biggest smiles Ive ever seen and felt a love unlike any other from these children.

It’s as equally heart breaking as beautiful to see this.

It leaves you wondering How? How are they so joyful, how do they love me with such full hearts? How are they so joyfully content without the things we’d consider necessities?

Each child I’ve met holds such a special place in my heart.

While in Honduras I met many children, either at schools we visited, house visits, ministry on base, or neighbors.

I could tell you story after story about kids that had nothing, yet gave all their love to me.

One moment I will never forget was a hug I received from a kid named Dennis. He was at children’s ministry with us one day and all i did was sit down on the ground beside him. I asked him his name and how he was, and we chatted until I ran out of spanish. When we were done talking he stood up and gave me the biggest, longest hug a kid has ever given me. He hugged me so tightly and smiled so big at me. He was full of so much love, and he gave it to me. What a gift.

Every kid that I met in honduras never asked me for anything, never cried or yelled at me, each only wanted a hug from me, or to sit near me or to hold my hand. Each carrying so much love while being so in need of love. Each so full of joy and life.

One kid that I adore with all of my heart from Honduras is a neighbor to the base that we lived on. His name is Kevin and he came to visit us every day. He came over every day, right after school, played uno and soccer with whoever was able, and ate dinner with us. He greeted everyone with the cutest smile that brought joy to everyone.

Kevin will forever hold a special place in my heart.

For weeks we’d play uno together while waiting for dinner, it was the highlight of my day every day. Honestly, spending time with Kevin was the main thing that spurred me on to continue during the hardest ministry days.

If we weren’t playing uno he was playing block blast on my phone or we were talking on google translate haha.

Kevin has one little sister about 4 years old, and he would bring her over often to spend time with us too. He is the sweetest big brother I’ve ever met, he would drop anything he was doing to listen to what she needed or to hold her hand. Not many 9 year old boys will do that for their sister. He carried a motherly love for her. He put her over himself every moment of every day. It was the sweetest thing i’ve ever seen.

One day Kevin came to me asking for help. He told me a lot about his family and about his sister. He shared with me that his sister had a sickness within her stomach that requires frequent medication and doctors visits which is very very costly. Because of this his parents couldn’t provide school needs that kevin had. He was in need of a uniform, school books and many more things. He asked me if I could help him and give him money to pay for these needs.

But not because he wanted these things, but because he wanted to take a burden off of his parent’s shoulders. He wanted to care for his family.

What 9 year old do you know that is burdened with these things? What 9 year old do you know sacrifices all that he has and needs for the sake of his little sister? What 9 year old do you know that carries so much yet still holds a joy unlike any other.

Oh how my heart is so full of love for Kevin, and oh how my heart breaks for him.

So many children have caught my heart on this mission. Children from all over the world. Meeting and loving, holding and caring for these children has brought so much fulfillment to my heart. At the same time, it has hurt my heart so much to have to leave these children, not knowing if i will ever see them again. Not having any way of knowing where they’ll end up or what they need.

There have been countless times that the Lord has burdened me with a love for these children, and at times I do wonder why, times i think that i can’t carry this weight. I’ve come to realize that the Lord has allowed me to carry this weight often times on behalf of not only Him but the children’s parents.

Because I was blessed and gifted to be born into a family with parents who have never once not labored in prayer on my behalf. I have parents that have always brought every struggle and hurt to the Father when I’ve been too weak or too lost to do so.

I’ve been given something that these children have not, and now i’m able to fill the roll of these children’s parents.

I’m able to come to the Father with their hurts, my worries and fears for them- because the Lord has given me His eyes for them along with a motherly love for them.

I will gladly carry the heaviness of leaving these children. I will gladly love them with all of my heart. I will gladly mourn leaving these children if it means they saw the heart of the Father, and felt the love of a mother.

Thank you Jesus for burden. Thank you that you allow us to carry these things on your behalf. Thank you for the heaviness we are gifted by you to carry, only for you to lighten the load in return.

Thank you for burden. Because what is action without burden? What is boldness and fire without a burden behind it?

Thank you Jesus for your love.

For the Love you give us to give.