Day 1: Syracuse to Houston

So here I am, sitting in JFK airport in New York City, waiting to depart on my flight to Houston, TX. I left Syracuse early this morning, headed to my year of service at Casa de Esperanza de Los Ninos: House of Hope for Children. And so begins my journey!

Casa de Esperanza de Los Ninos (www.casahope.org), located in Houston, is a safe place for children in crisis due to abuse, neglect or the effects of HIV. They provide residential, medical and psychological care according to the needs of each child. Full-time staff volunteers are live-in childcare staff who commit a minimum of one year to Casa de Esperanza. Four volunteers will typically live in an agency foster home with four or five children under the age of six.  One of the volunteers will be licensed as the foster parent.  The four volunteers between them will provide 24-hour care to the children in the home.

I applied to the full-time volunteer position back in July, knowing that God had a special plan for this upcoming year. After reading about the organization and the houseparent position, I knew it was where He was calling me. So, I submitted the application and was offered the position a few weeks later. The past couple weeks have been a whirlwind of goodbyes, good lucks, and packing all my belongings into three suitcases. I am so excited and so nervous for this upcoming year. I pray that God guides me and enables me to bless these wonderful children as much as I can. Here goes nothing!

"In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" - Acts 20:35