I continued to pray for the ones who felt they had lost something when we moved and that the Lord would help them with the changes and adaptations to this rural community. Life in Monjas presented something completely different from their life in San Cristobal. My concerns increased when I had a visit with Tito,* the guy who didn’t want to leave the City. “Mama Carroll, I am here in Monjas, but next weekend I am going back to the City,” he firmly stated, referring to a weekend trip.

I cautiously responded, “When girls come to us, we have a rule that they can’t have any family visits for the first six weeks. Time is provided to make an adjustment without negative distractions or to have a pull back to their old life. They stay focused on settling in with the Shadow family.” I hoped my smile would soften my words.

“Oh no!” he declared, as he slapped his forehead with his hand. Uncertainty gripped me because I didn’t know how he had taken my comments. Did he hear my point and understand it had validity, even though I didn’t have the authority to tell him he couldn’t return for a visit? Then he gave me a hug, and we laughed.

It took me by surprise when the subject came up a couple of months later. Tito* announced to me, “I never thought I would ever be saying this to you, but I don’t want to go back to the City to live. I love Monjas! My children can play outside and safely ride bikes in the street without supervision.” I think my heart did a jig. Thank you, Lord, for working peace in the hearts of people and helping them find the path you have for them.

While the kids were playing, I noticed that Nely* kept giving me timid looks. I learned that usually meant something needed to be said, and the child didn’t know how to get my attention. “Hi Nely, how are you today?” Her smile warmed my heart because this child cried all the way to Monjas on moving day.

“I’m good, and I want to share something with you.” She ducked her head, shuffled her feet, but straightened up and looked me in the eyes. “I know I didn’t want to move to this place, but I confess that I like it here. I’m sorry for the way I acted. You were right, it is a better life here.”

Yahoo! “That’s great to hear Nely, can you tell me what helped to change your mind?”

“We do have more freedom to be out of the orphanage, and we can do more things here without being afraid that someone will hurt us. I love going to the swimming pool and watching my sisters ride bikes.”

Nelly saw the advantages of this place and admitted that she no longer wanted to return to Guatemala City. She had made a major adjustment in the transplant and enjoyed her new home, as did all the other girls and workers.

When I saw the positive responses in the lives around me, I felt that frosting had been added to my “cake.” God led us on the path He had for our lives, and what unfolded before us met more than our expectations. This wasn’t a “happily ever after” time without any difficulties. Life is full of changes and adaptation, but the Lord will guide us through those difficult times with His love and wisdom just as He did during this time.

*Name has been changed.

I watched the girls settle into their new environment, as we faced many changes and adaptation in all of our lives. As an orphanage, the kids needed to be monitored, and freedom didn’t mean they could come and go as they pleased. Schedules, rules, and activities needed to be changed from what we had before. Joanne and I felt like we rode a daily merry-go-round to keep up with issues that needed to be taken care of “right now.”

The nearest supermarket was three hours away, so providing for this hungry family required a twenty-minute drive to the next town over. The small grocery store had many of the basics, even though it looked like a “mom and pop” store with five aisles. It sure beat shopping at the tiendas in Monjas, where one went to a counter and bought items Little House on the Prairie style. The street-market vendors met the need for fruit and vegetables.

With the starting of our private school, I needed to find places close by for purchasing underwear, shoes, and socks. These don’t exist in a tienda. Surprisingly, I found shoes for women available in several places in Monjas. Finding shoes wasn’t the problem, but each place carried only one or two of the same size in the same style. That meant going to every place possible, including the nearby towns, to get school and tennis shoes for everyone.

The girls wore uniforms to school, and we found a seamstress who made them for minimal the cost. The only pattern she used needed to be adjusted according to each girl’s measurement. I needed to bring all twenty-one to her for that accomplishment amazed at how she used her eyes and measurements for a completed uniform. Finding the material took longer, but we found a green plaid that would be the signature pattern for Christian Liberty School. I breathed a deep sigh of relief after all of the completed details. I knew the next school years had just been mapped out for the uniforms.

Yes, there were many areas of change and adaptation. Many times I felt like a wheel inventor. I longed for a manual that gave point-by-point how-to instructions. I’m sure the Lord heard me say at least ten times a day, “Please give me wisdom.” I faced the fact that my life would be like this for a long time, with continual decision-making, because we continued to grow as a Project. I cried out to the Lord that I didn’t have the ability to do what my position required. Then I would remember what the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 12:9: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (NIV). I could trust the Lord to give me what I needed. Didn’t He call me to do this? His promises filled my mind and heart. I looked back over the testimonies of starting the orphanage, the miracle of purchasing the land, and now residing in a place I dearly loved. The changes made for a better life for these children, and God was helping us adapt by giving us all we needed in the process.