The time came to transplant the orphanage in Monjas to begin a new season. We hired trucks and loaded up everything in San Cristobal to move to our new location. I took the girls in our van, and off we went for a four-hour trip that I’ll always remember. The El Salvador highway, CA 1, looked like a wavy line on the map. We had girls who had never ridden in vehicles before coming to the orphanage. With the weaving of the van on the many S-curves, girls started moaning and vomiting. Despite the sick stomachs and the tears from “sour pickle face” (a girl who protested to the move), we drove into Monjas with beeping horns.

The duplex on the property wasn’t completed yet, so we temporarily housed the girls in a large house used by the James Project of Latin America office. Earlier that month, after setting up my home, Joanne and I came to the house and assigned each girl a bed space and storage for clothes. Each place had a tag labeled “Princess…” and her name.

The girls climbed out of the van, and the sick suddenly seemed healed as excitement took over. The laughter and chatter thrilled me, and even the one angry face before me didn’t take away from the joy I felt for these girls. Lord, she will come around. Work in her heart. The chaos that followed reminded me of church camp days. Everyone went in a different direction, taking in the environment, and looking for their space. “Look for your name on the beds, and the basket for your clothes goes under your bed,” I shouted over the loud roar of voices. Just as at camp, everyone found their place and put their belongings away. By nighttime, order took over.

The next morning I entered the bedroom where ten of the girls slept while singing out a chipper, “Good morning, Sweetie Pies.” All pretended to be asleep, but giggles erupted from beneath the blankets in various locations.

“Mama Carroll, I heard frogs sing all night!” After those spoken words, everyone chorused in with exclamations and questions. “Will we go to the property today?” “Can we go outside?” “We want to see Monjas!” “Can I take a shower?” “I’m hungry!” “Can I trade beds with Nely?”

“Okay, girls, one question at a time,” I said, feeling their enthusiasm and anticipation as it rippled around the room. “After breakfast and washing the dishes, you will go to the property and play soccer with Gib and Profe. Tonight we will go to a local church. They have planned a big welcome for us,” I informed them.

That evening at church, we found that the ushers had lined chairs across the front of the sanctuary and placed each girl’s name on them to honor each one. Our girls did a praise and worship presentation for the congregation, while I stood watching with my heart bursting with pride. Thank you, Lord, for these girls, and thank you that I can be a part of all this. They impressed the congregation, and the pastor asked two of the girls to come to the front and help lead the worship songs. Having done this in Verbo Sur, our home church in the Capital, they accomplished it with some professionalism. Lord, what a great first day in our new place.

The first full day in Monjas ended up being a unique time for the girls. They experienced what it was like to be outside of concrete walls and still feel safe. I caught a smile on the face of the girl who had complained of the move to Monjas. I felt a newfound freedom for myself and the girls. People at the church went out of their way to make us feel welcomed. In our hearts, we were home. This truly began a new season for all of us at Shadow of His Wings Orphanage.