A skinny little girl named Hayat looked up at me with big brown eyes and a huge smile. She leaned closer to me and whispered into my ear, “I love you”. My heart melted as I thought about the lack of love the children at Hope receive from their families. Forty percent of the children that go to school here have no parents. Another 40 percent have only one parent, and all are financially destitute.

Over the past year, God has been reminding me constantly about the importance of love and relationships in life. The experience I have been having in Dessie has taught me more than I could imagine. The children here are so accepting of everyone. They grab on to your hand and never let go. They constantly want to be with you and usually show up places that you did not expect them to be. Then they run to you with a huge smile and open arms.

I believe God is showing me himself in these children. God loves us more deeply than we can imagine. Spending a few days with these beautiful children has given me a tiny glimpse of His love. God always wants to be with us and walk with us and hold our hands, because of His unfailing love. Even when you don’t expect to see Him in something, He usually makes an entrance into it. Even the many times we mess up, God forgives us and runs to us with open arms and a huge smile. God’s love is unfailing and so very strong. I am reminded of Psalm 36:5-6 every time I think about His huge love. “Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness stretches to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean tide.”