Go. Be. Love!

Wow! That’s the only word that I can say right now.. I am physically exhausted as I write this blog. But it has been such an incredible day!! We started the day off with some really good breakfast and then we had a little morning devotion. God tries to have a sense of humor sometimes. The verses that Micah gave us were from 1 Peter 4:8-11. “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by strength that God supplies— in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” I had a little bit of a chuckle, because those were the verses that we used this summer at camp. As mom wrote yesterday/this morning, I was having a hard time with some of the things here. I have to say that God quickly changed that around for me. We were able to go down to the orphanage for a little bit last night and meet some of the kids. I had one girl that just clung to me. She didn’t leave my side the whole time that we were there. God had his way of showing me that everything was going to be okay. He knew that I was supposed to be on this trip from day one!

Today we have spent a good amount of time at the orphanage with the kids. I couldn’t have asked for a better day than that. I know that there was a part of me that feels like I should be back at school, but I know that wasn’t part of the plan. As we were walking down to the orphanage this morning, the kids met us out in the street and took us into the little area. It was soo hard to walk. The kids crowded every single one of us and so every step we took we had to make sure we weren’t going to fall. To see the smiles on their faces was amazing! They have stolen my heart already and it is only day one. I have to say that I wouldn’t trade this trip for anything. I feel that it was made for me since I was thinking about taking a semester off to do orphanage work.

I have learned that these kids don’t care what we look like and they definitely don’t want us to leave them. I held a little girl all day that I absolutely fell in love with! I wish that I could just bring her home with me, but I don’t think that is possible. The very first time that I put her down she started crying. I felt like she didn’t want anything but for me to pick her back up. When we went back after lunch, I picked her right back up and she fell asleep on me. She had a good little nap until I walked out into a little bit of rain. These kids are just looking for love and for us to love on them. It melted my heart that this girl just wanted me. She wanted me to love her and to just hold her.

One of my favorite pictures of the day was when a little one was holding my hand. I was able to get the right angle and I had my bracelet in the picture too. It goes to show that these kids can have absolutely nothing and be the happiest when we just love all over them. They are teaching me so much already. I have only been around them for a day, but I have learned that I can have absolutely nothing and be the happiest in the world! As Americans, we feel that we need to buy everything that we see in order to be happy and that is so not the case. I encourage you to take a step back and evaluate what kind of happiness you are trying to buy? I also cannot count the times that the kids asked if I had brothers, sisters, a mom, dad, husband, or children. These kids just want to know more about us and know about our life. These kids just have my heart!  

       We ask for some prayers. Tomorrow we are going back to the orphanage and there will be a “few” more kids. Today we had any where from 150-200 kids. We ask for prayer for our safety and that we can be love to these kids.

Blessings,

Ally

Here are some other pictures from the day!

The assembly line for lunch time. 

 The kids had rice, beans, and a little bit of bean juice.

When they see someone taking a picture of someone, they all gather around. Or it may have been that I had that many kids around me at one point in time.