Las Riquezas de la Gracia

I'm back ;]

It's been so long since I've had any artwork to show! I started a painting a few months ago inspired by a girl in Los Cedros, but I just couldn't get it right! I kept trying to "just finish it", and I think my lack of enthusiasm was showing in the painting, and that's why I couldn't get it. So for now, we're putting it on the back burner, so I can focus on a few other projects I've had in mind!

I just recently started a series of paintings inspired by La Playa Gigante, a beach we visited on my internship, so keep a look out for that! But first I would like to share another series I just started, which are drawings of each kid in the three different "homes" I served at in Nica: Villa Esperanza (24 girls), Casa Havilah (10 girls) and Casa Robles (6 boys). These children previously lived in La Chureca, the city dump, and it's surrounding areas. The children of La Chureca face all forms of abuse, disease, starvation, lack of education, suicide and child prostitution. They have no hope and do not believe they are loved or that there is a point to their lives.

But Villa Esperanza, Casa Havilah and Casa Robles are homes for these children, not only to provide a clean place for them to live, safety, food, education, and life-skills, but for them to receive the hope Christ gives- the "riches of God's grace" (the title of this series is "Las Riquezas de la Gracia" which means "the riches of grace" inspired by Ephesians 1). They are "taught about a loving Savior and are encouraged to love others as He would." (Villa Esperanza site).

^"4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵ he^[b] predestined us for adoption to sonship^[c] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us.... ¹¹ In him we were also chosen,^[e] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, ¹² in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. ¹³ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory."

                                                                                                  Ephesians 1:4-14

I will be doing a drawing of each of the children currently living in these homes, but also the ones that I have met but are no longer living at the homes. For instance, when I served at Casa Havilah, there were thirteen girls living there, but Vanessa, Sugeydi, Jocelyn and Andrea are no longer there. There is a new girl, Karen, that I have not had the pleasure of meeting, but am excited to learn more about her. And Kener and his little sister Luisa are no longer at Casa Robles.

A portion of the proceeds from each sell will go to that house (Villa Esperanza has a specific sponsorship program, so it will go directly to that particular child).

I'm doing a total random selection as to the order, but Sara from Villa Esperanza is first!!! :D It will take forever, so if you're stoked about a particular child, please be patient!

Her post is coming soon :P