What is one child worth?

This week we received some pictures from Pastor Altagracias, our partner in the Dominican. The first showed a boy pulling a suitcase.

His name is Carlito.  Though we don’t know much of his story, we have been praying for him. On the other side of the metal gate was a family, his Restoracion church family; the one he didn’t know he had.

Almost four years ago, a vision was born to help Restoracion and Pastor Altagracias care for orphaned and abandoned children from the tougher parts of Santo Domingo. Partners came together. We held meetings, drew plans, raised funds, built homes. We talked with government officials. We prayed. We waited, and we prayed some more; recognizing that God’s timing is not our timing; nor is His love like ours.

In Matthew 18, Jesus talks about leaving the 99 to go after the one. In the parable of two sons, Jesus talks about a loving Father, filled with grace, looking out every day for his wayward son to come home. From the world’s perspective, this kind of love is radical, even foolish. Yet, this is how God loves us, and at GO Project, it’s how we want to love others, like Carlito.

We hope God brings more children who need family to Brisas. Dozens more. We trust Him for that. Their Restoracion family is waiting for them, but if He chooses differently, if all of this was to see the smile on Carlito’s face when he put on a new pair of shoes, would that be reasonable?  No, not reasonable, but it would be worth it.

How much is one child worth?  All we have to give.