Where is the Love?

Where is the love? This line comes to my mind over and over again as I relate to the children down here in Mexico. There is a children's home where I am at. When you play with them and hang out with them you realize they are like any other children you know. The little boys love to get into mischief. The girls love to do crafts, dress up and pose for pictures. But there is something else you realize very quickly about these kids that is different than the kids back home in my church or my cousins etc. These kids are starved for love. Notice the I used the word starved. Often when we are hungry we will say we starved but we never actually are. We are really hungry yes, but not starved. Starved is the point where if you don't get food you might die. These kids are starved for love. It doesn't matter if you give them a hug ten times that day they want another one. It doesnt matter if they are sitting listening to an interesting story or doing something to occupy themselves they want you to be there holding them, hugging them, or rubbing their backs. Touch means everything to these kids. So why is it that these kids need so much touch? Why do they look for love in every stranger that they get to know? I think it is because their families have abandoned them.
A lot of the kids at this children's home aren't orphans. They have families. You tell me, is it better to have your parent's die and not be able to take care of you so you have to go to an orphanage or is it better to have you parent's simply not want to take care of you, are unable to take care of you or abuse you? There are a number of kids here that have come from abusive parents. Coming from a Christian home I can't quite imagine my parents hurting me for no reason. These kids dont want to go back to that, but they want parents. Their caregivers are a good substitute but what little girl doesnt want a mommy and a daddy. I have noticed that one of the little girl down here spends a lot time hanging on to the boy caregivers whenever they are around. This interested me for awhile but i came to the conclusion that she just wants a dad. I know how important my brother and dad are to me and if I didnt have them I am sure I would need someone to fill their spots in my life aswell.
What kind of world do we live in that parents not only give up their own children but they also abuse and hit their own kids? What kid can handle being hit and bruised by their own parents? What would it be like to fear you mom or dad? What would it be like to not know your mom or dad? There are so many things I just can't imagine that these 6, 7, 8, or 9 year olds have already faced.
Some of them their eyes look so sad. You look at them and just want to cry, but then occasionally they will smile or if you are lucky like I was last night, I got to see a girl full out laugh for a good 10 minutes. It was amazing her whole face lit up.
These kids are injured internally. They hurt,  but they are not a lost cause. I believe God has a plan for each and everyone of them. God created them each for a reason. He placed them where they are supposed to be and He will work it out that they can get to where he wants to them.
So many verses and songs about how much God loves us come to my mind. Sadly I can't communicate with them enough to quote things to them. However, sometimes i think it was a blessing that i couldnt talk as much. It gave me more time to observe and think. I think I saw more things that way.
In half a week I will be leaving all these kids and only having my pics and memories left. I know the experience has changed me. I keep asking myself what I will do with that change when I get back to my regular life in week. How can I make a difference in kids like these lives? How can I show God's love?
Why is it that some of us were blessed with such good lives and others so unfortunate? I know that the 30 kids I got to know down here are only a very very small fraction of kids in this situation in the world.
Some day I want to see each of these kids in heaven. I want them to feel God's arms around them because what better hug could a child have. I can only imagine!!!
This was a lot of rambling but it often helps my thoughts to get it down on paper so here it is.