Friday, February 10

  Today we went to two different orphanages. We all knew it was going to be very emotional, and it was. The first orphanage that we went to was called "La Casa Alleluia." The first special moment we had at the orphanage was a sponsor coming to meet a young man that she and her husband had been sponsoring for the past year. This was their first time meeting and we all got to witness it. We toured the orphanage and found out the history of it which really showed us how God provides. When the owners came to build in Guatemala they did not have enough money or supplies but they knew if they prayed, God would give them exactly what they needed. The owners motto was "I have what I need, and what I don't have, I don't need." One verse that comes to mind is Hebrews 4:16 ~ Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. After the tour we got to go to the baby area, spend time, and play with them. This was very touching to all of us because you could tell they didn't want us to leave, and they really loved us being there.
  Next, some of the group went to the seminary to do some electrical work and the rest of us went to a different orphanage called "Hogar Amor Del Ninos." This orphanage didn't have as many kids as the first one. The couple hours that we were there we got to hold the babies and play with the toddlers. When John and Cheryl, the ones who run the orphanage arrived, you could tell the kids were very excited to see them. It showed how much they were loved and cared for. We left around 2:30 to head back to the mission house to prepare for the food distribution.
  We arrived in the village around 4. We could feel excitement in the air being greeted by hugs and many cheerful little kids. We formed an assembly line to pass out food, toys, and hygiene kits for 200 families. They showed their appreciation by saying gracias, and giving us hugs and kisses. This was a very heart warming and emotional experience. We were humbled by the realization of how much we have to be thankful for. It was very hard to leave the children afterwards because of how much they had touched our hearts. We  then became slap happy on the van ride back to the mission house (as usual) and in our van, Helen and Shannon provided the entertainment (also, as usual...be sure to ask Helen about her hair net next time you see her!)
  It was, once again, a great day and we are so thankful to be here! Thank you for all your prayers and praise be to God! We ended the day by eating dinner with guests and preparing for tomorrow. Another blog will come soon. God Bless! <3
Jory, Chelsea, Ashley, and Shannon(xoxo)