Mi hermosa hermana

(My beautiful sister)

The last few days have held significant opportunities for me to understand more clearly that God's work is people. I am here living a dream He has given me, fulfilling the vision He has put on my heart... and the fact that I get to do this every day for three months with my fantastic older sister is nothing short of astounding!

Natalie and I have always gotten along. We've always enjoyed doing things together, even though we are extremely different in style and personality. We look at life in two completely different ways, but we both appreciate and gain insight from the others' perspective. I remember fighting with her once, about 8 years ago... We just laugh if someone has the audacity to ask if we get along well with each other!

For the last five years we've spent significant periods of time hundreds of miles away from each other, but even with infrequent emails and very sketchy cell phone reception, we're always excited to share what's happening in our lives.

So the fact that I get to see her, talk to her, ask her questions, get her input, and see her living her life for the glory of God...is truly a gift!

I love walking into the room and seeing her holding one of the babies. Regardless of the busyness of life happening around her, she takes the time to give each little one her focused attention. She knows exactly how this one likes to be held while it's drinking a bottle...how many minutes of a nap this one needs in order to not fall asleep during lunch...what kind of sweater that one should wear so he doesn't get too hot or too cold...

She knew very little Spanish when she came, but she is fully functional, communicating, and always working hard to relate to the staff here. She reminds us (the team) to get sufficient rest, provides extremely sound counsel, and maintains incredible stability.

Natalie, thank you for being here! I am thrilled that you are such an integral part of this ministry, and I praise God for how He has equipped you to impact the lives of the people around you. I am hugely blessed to have you here!