Today was a good day but a hard day. Good because we had the whole day at Well Being loving on those precious, amazing children. Hard because it was our last day there. This was our 3rd time there during this week and each time, the kids were more and more warmed up to us. They were hugging us all day long. They just so desperately want to be held. Even the older kids. There is a 12 year old precious girl that was with me a lot. She told Lynelle in a sweet and shy way the other day that I'm the one she loves the most. Even at 12 years old, she just wanted to stand next to me with my arm around her and her head resting on my chest. She is a beautiful sweet girl! I made sure to have our translator tell her that for me.
For the first few hours, we just held kids and took pictures and showed them to them and just hung out. Then we told them the Noah's ark story. I got to tell the story both days and it's the same story book from my church back home so I incorporated a lot of the stuff we do with our lessons at church where we ask them questions back at the end to see how well they were listening. We ended on me telling them whenever they see a rainbow to remember God keeps his promises. And then I told them how glad we are that we got to come see them and how much we love them and how much God loves them. We gave them these little heart shaped pillows that Sweet Sleep donated and I told them they could hold it or rest their head on it at night. I told them that even when we are far away, they are always in our hearts. Just like those pillows are shaped like hearts - whenever they go to bed, they can think of us hugging them and how they are in our hearts. Then I told them that we love each one of them and that God has a plan for every single one of them. And I asked if they knew Jeremiah 29:11 and they said no so I told it to them. It was really precious to be able to tell them that verse and remind them that God cares about each one and has plans for them.
Some of the kids played soccer, some played with bubbles and some just hugged on us and vice versa. Our friend and translator, Daniel Vallon, came and met us mid-afternoon and was able to talk with the woman who cares for the kids about the church that I came down with in February who also joined us for these last few days. They want to help Well Being longterm and I am so excited about it. They did a profile of each kid today with a photo, age, birthdate, how long they've been at the orphanage, size shoes and clothes, if they have any parents, etc. While they were doing that - Louizanne asked me if I would serve the kids lunch and I loved that idea! So one of the ladies showed me how much to give them and I served them all their plates full. It was a few big heaping scoops of corn meal, with some pinto beans and juice on top and then a little scoop of this veggie and meat mix they made. Then we got all the kids around the tables and they prayed and then ate. They brought some fried goat meat and fried plantains over to offer us. I tried both - pretty good. Most of the team wasn't up for it but a few of us were.
We were so busy playing and loving on kids today and it was so hot - we all forgot about lunch. Around 2:30 after the kids ate, someone said something and I felt bad that I hadn't remembered to go out to the tap tap and whip up our usual peanut butter sandwiches. But it turned out, the rest of the team had forgotten too and with the heat, none of us were really even that hungry. We did drink plenty of water so I'm sure that was good.
Right before we left, the kids gathered in a circle and sang us songs. Then we asked them to all join hands in a circle with us and the pastor from the church that's going to be helping them led us in a prayer. It was a sweet prayer about how just as our hands are joined in an endless circle, our love is never ending. Lots of tears from the team at this point. Goodbyes are hard. It was hard for me saying goodbye to the 12 year old girl. She was holding on to me so tight and just looked like she was going to cry and I was trying my hardest not to start balling too. I told Jonas, one of our translators, to tell her that she is beautiful inside and out and that I will miss her and will always be thinking of her. She said she would miss me too. I told her I loved her and she said she loved me too. And everyone else said goodbye too with many wet eyes and we hopped in our tap tap and drove away.
We are... trusting God with these children that we love but that we know God loves even more. Hopeful about this church that is partnering with Well Being to bring help and hope. And praying for all those children that they know their father in heaven who will never leave or forsake them. And remembering that they are loved by Him and by all of us. We left a peace of our hearts at Well Being today.
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