The sweet girl in this picture had just fallen asleep in my arms while I sang to her one of my favorites my mom used to sing to me from childhood.

“Amie has a friend who loves her, who loves her, who loves her.

Amie has a friend who loves her and Jesus is His name.”

She, like many of the children in Antigua, spend their mornings and early afternoons in school and then wander the streets around the square selling trinkets to tourists and passers-by, often late into the night.

It did not take long to see Marielle’s incredible heart for these children and many of their moms as I accompanied her to the square.  She visits every Thursday, when the tourists from the earlier part of the week are more scarce.  

They expect her.  

They know that she ask about their lives.

She'll make them laugh and blow raspberries on their bellies!

She will braid their hair.

And when she's done,

she'll spritz it with lovely-smelling Pantene spray.

And that she will smile

and love them

like Jesus would.