Tortilla, Tortilla, Tortilla!!!

We hear these words literally about 10 times a day from ladies in the street walking around the city selling tortillas door-to-door. The sound is extremely nasally and high pitched and we often mimic them. Since moving into our new house (the 4th house!), there has been a new little voice outside our door selling tortillas. Her name is Natalie and she's around 7 years old. She comes by everyday to ask if we need more tortillas and usually every other day she will ask for a glass of water. She's ADORABLE! Yesterday she had her little sister with her and I asked them where their shoes were. Natalie looked at me like I was crazy and told me she didn't have any shoes. Joe and I were discussing her future and the fact that all she will ever know or do most likely is sell tortillas. No school, no education, no dreaming of being a nurse, or a lawyer, etc...simply sell tortillas! This also brought up the point of Joe and I not being passionate about our careers and the want to go back to school and change professions-which is very doable for most Americans. If we are not happy, we change it and we educate ourselves and we enable ourselves in the situation. We have so many resources at our fingertips for our disposal and we have the attitude that if we don't like doing a particular something, we can use our resources and change our future. We are blessed (and spoiled)! But what about Natalie? She is probably perfectly content selling tortillas without shoes day in and day out. She has no resources literally! But she ALWAYS has a smile on her face. Maybe as Americans, we have too many choices and "ways out" that will are always going to think "the grass is greener on the other side" and we need more education, money, power, etc. What makes Natalie seem so content to me? Her lack of materials and naive spirit? I am still pondering this question and the issue that we probably have TOO many options in our lives to make us discontent. Anyways, as I search the problem deeper please join me in praying for Natalie and her family and the thousands of kids here without shoes, food, and our definition of a "future" outside of selling tortillas. I am exactly sure what I would ask for you to pray specifically for because she's not sad nor angry or ashamed, just living in extreme poverty. Possibly, the best thing is to ask God to just pour out His love on Natalie and her family and to give them the understanding that things on Earth are not a measure of our standing in His sight. And please pray for us to realize her simplicity is such a beautiful thing.

Matthew 19:20-24
"I have kept all these," the young man told Him. "What do I still lack?" "If you want to be perfect," Jesus said to him, "go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me." When the young man heard that command, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions. Then Jesus said to His disciples, "I assure you: It will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven! Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

I will post a picture of Natalie soon so you can have a sweet memory of this little girl! Thanks so much for your prayers!
Julie and Joe