Life with Liv: The blog post that hurts my heart

I've had this post saved for some time. I look at the pictures, get happy and sad all at the same time, then I decide not to write and hit save instead of publish.

Here are the pictures from our trip to the orphanage in Mexico. We were only able to spend a little bit of time there, but I find myself thinking of these children often. We decided to go to
La Casita Children's Home right outside of Cancun. We were only able to bring one other couple with us, but next year we hope to be able to bring more volunteers and give more donations to the children.
The way this home works is that it is a place for parents to bring their children if they can no longer care for them. Usually it is financial difficulties, or an abused Mother trying to keep her kids safe. There is also a very large underage prostitution problem, and some of the children are a product of that. Sometimes the kids parents do come back for them, however that is not the norm. I just can't imagine being so poor and destitute that I would have to leave my child, in hopes that I find work, to protect them from violence or with the thought that I will never see them again. How painful must that decision be for a parent to make. It breaks my heart.

It also breaks my heart that we are a loving family that would love to adopt any one of these children, but government red tape is not allowing us to do so. But that is another post that I can not get into now.
So here are the pics from our great day.

Our group. The head of the orphanage, Chad our hotel manager, Me, Vinay, Dave, Maribeth, Karen, and her brother.

Karen made lunch for all the kids. Maribeth and I helped serve.

The kids loved the hotdogs!!!

Chad, Vinay, and Dave chatting with the kids.

My favorite table the little ones.

Karen also made a cake, the kids loved that.

Vinay and Maribeth serving the cake.

Then some of the older kids played some songs for us on the recorder!!!

So cute!!

Us enjoying the show!!

One of the teachers brought over this little guy,Manuel, he shook Vinays hand

Every time I look at this picture I tear up. All of the toddlers had a glazed, detached look in their eyes. I'm sure these kids have seen horrific things, that combined with being abandoned, must be just devastating for just a small child. I had not realized that Vinay was able to make little Manuel smile. I look at this photo whenever I question if another adoption is the right thing for us.