Ministry is starting again, vacations are over and kids are going back to school. This is an exciting time because we get to plan and get pumped up for the new year. I am especially excited because I received my assignment for the year and am so excited; I will be the head Art teacher for our two orphanage locations. I will also be the assistant dance teach and co-youth leader and character developer. I have been putting together the curriculum for my art class.... and this has been fun, but at the same time a challenge for someone who has never had the responsibility to instruct a class. I have had lots of experience co-teaching or assisting, but actually leading a class, wow! I couldn't have asked for a better class to teach...... but I am up for the challenge.
We also have prepared classroom school packs with supplies for the teachers and children at the orphanages and will be delivering them all this week. There were a few kids that did go to relatives over the summer (the new director at the main orphanage we work at has been trying to connect the kids with family). I am so excited to see some of the kids return and see how they have grown over the summer. And as silly as it sounds I am ready for a schedule in my life..... the summer was crazy and overwhelming, so I am excited to have a schedule and know when I will be with the kids.
During these last few weeks we have also been spending a lot of time with our older kids, youth. These are the kids who have graduated from our transition programs and are living in the city, (some with our assistance). It has been a great time of building relationships and discipleship. I have really enjoyed this time. I visited one of our girls at her job, Starbucks (oh the hardships of ministry, ha,ha!) ... afterward some of the other girls met us and we had dinner. We also have been playing volleyball in the park every Sunday after church. And then just last night we invited all of our girls over to one of the apartments and we had chili and cornbread and visited, what a great time of bonding with our girls and staff.
I have also had the pleasure of spending time at the baby hospital with our littlest ones. I have mostly been with the toddlers, we are up to 8 toddlers. As I was playing with them yesterday I realized one of our sets of twins just turned 1 year old a few days ago...... I remember when I first got here last year and they were only a few months old & now they are walking and playing! It was a bit sad thinking these precious, beautiful girls didn't get a 1st birthday; one of the sad realities I face often that breaks my heart. I kissed them and told them happy birthday, but it hardly seemed like enough.
All of our toddlers are so beautiful and so adorable, watching them play and feeling their little fingers wrapped around my hand, or seeing them reach out to me as they stumble around on their little legs reminds me how much I cherish my time with them.
Prayer requests:
As we start this year funding is low, as we are all in a time of financial struggle and I pray we find all the resources we need to have a successful year.
I pray the kids lives would be drastically changed this year, weather that means learning how to express themselves, families coming into their lives or finding joy they never had before, I pray for God's love to cover them this year like never before.
I pray for more volunteers and helpers to come on teams, for extra arms to hug, to hold and comfort our beautiful children.
I pray God would guide us in our decisions and lead us in the ways that would be most impactful in our children's lives!
