"And a little child shall lead them"

Some knowledge comes with the price tag of student debt 

and far too many weekends spent in school libraries.  

Some lessons take years to learn... years of searching for understanding, 

years of human experience, years of mistakes and picking ourselves up again 

before we begin to grasp what this world is trying to teach us. 

Other lessons are taught in a matter of moments and land so firmly in our hearts 

that we know we will never again view the world the same.

When we traveled to Ecuador to spend some time in the orphanages 

we knew there would be differences noted, knowledge to acquire, and lessons to learn.  

I don't know that any of us were prepared 

to have those lessons hit our hearts with such a gentle but powerful force.  

After our first day spent with the beautiful children of Ecuador 

we asked our own kids to share what they learned in those first few hours:

“We can’t speak their language but the kids still like to play with us.” 

“They don’t have very much at all, but they are happy and laugh.”

 “Sometimes they eat the same things over and over again, but they don’t complain.”

“I think Heavenly Father and Jesus love them and miss them.”

(a painting by Del Parson that hangs in the OSSO orphanage 

of some of the special needs children who live there.) 

"They take care of each other."

"They are really cute kids."

“They want to love.”

For the next two weeks these powerful lessons were proven to us over and over again

simply by looking into their faces and letting each little child lead us.