Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Day Three

Hello everybody! Today was our second day in the orphanage. It’s hard to believe that we are already halfway there (cue Journey music). Our day in a nutshell: Jake didn’t sleep and the smoothie place was closed L, Caroline taught the pretty girl and went for a run in the rain, Joanne danced the chicken dance,  Abbey refused to try tofu and Emily received a foreign name. All in all, our team agreed that today was a step up from yesterday. We all felt more comfortable with the children, and that they, in turn, became more at ease with us. We saw improvements in many of the kids and their behavior. One of the older children broke out of her shell, which really brightened Abbey’s day.
A high point for many of us is sharing a devotional in the morning with the staff before we begin our work begins. Tonight, one of the staff members cooked a feast for our dinner, then we partook in a traditional tea ceremony. The picture included depicts the flowers that we gave our host. Keep the prayers coming! Please pray for our sleep (as jet lag kicks in), health, and continued improvement in the children. We thank you all for participating in our journey.

Love,
Caroline, Joanne, Emily V., Jake, and Abbey

Eels.


Monday, July 15, 2013

Day 2

Ni hao to our friends and families back home! We hope you all are well. Everyone is here is healthy and safe.
Yesterday was our first day at the orphanage. From our team debriefing last night, we deemed it a success. That said, there were definitely low points as well as high points. Only one of our team members works professionally with special needs children, so some of us voiced that we felt a little inadequate and unsure. But we have to remember that this was the first day, and the children are still getting to know us, while we are also testing out the situation and the country for some of us. So we could not expect it all to go swimmingly. Even so, God’s love is evident in all of these children’s faces when they smile.
Because of their previous neglect, these children could have become bitter and apathetic, but God’s love has transformed them to be loving and joyous. It is amazing! As we head into day two, please pray again that we can humble ourselves and simply allow God’s love to overflow through us into these children’s hearts. Thank you again for your prayers and support! We very much appreciate it.

Love,
Caroline, Joanne, Emily V., Jake, and Abbey


Day 1

Ni hao to our friends and families back home! We hope you all are well. Everyone is here is healthy and safe.
Yesterday was our first day at the orphanage. From our team debriefing last night, we deemed it a success. That said, there were definitely low points as well as high points. Only one of our team members works professionally with special needs children, so some of us voiced that we felt a little inadequate and unsure. But we have to remember that this was the first day, and the children are still getting to know us, while we are also testing out the situation and the country for some of us. So we could not expect it all to go swimmingly. Even so, God’s love is evident in all of these children’s faces when they smile.
Because of their previous neglect, these children could have become bitter and apathetic, but God’s love has transformed them to be loving and joyous. It is amazing! As we head into day two, please pray again that we can humble ourselves and simply allow God’s love to overflow through us into these children’s hearts. Thank you again for your prayers and support! We very much appreciate it.

Love,
Caroline, Joanne, Emily V., Jake, and Abbey


Sunday, July 14, 2013

We're here (safely)!

To all of you anxious parents out there (mine included), we made it to our final destination!  After a three-hour layerover that turned into an eight-hour layover because of a typhoon, we finally made it!  Thanks you for all of your prayers for our safety, we arrived in one piece with all of our luggage.  Please continue praying for us as we head to the orphanage tomorrow for our first day.  Specifically, pray for a peaceful sleep tonight because we will need the energy.  Also, pray that we wil be God's vessels to show is love both the children and the stuff.  Thank you for all your continued support!  We love and miss you all!

Love, Caroline, Joanne, Emily V., Jake and Abbey