Day Two: We Have a Plan...

So after yesterday, we were determined to come into today with a plan. And things went swimmingly. We started off with a play that we performed in Spanish for the kids. It was a skit about Esther and surprisingly, the kids were really receptive. They were engaged and answering questions and it was awesome to start the morning off with such a great start. We then proceeded to the second activity- tye dying!!!!! It was a great choice for our first activity (and we later found out that it was the first time any of the kids had ever tye dyed in their lives- exciting!!!). It was a chaotic and colorful experience to put it lightly ☺ We had Maile in charge of designating t-shirt sizes and writing names on the shirts, then Katie was in charge of rubber banding and prepping the shirts, and Les and I were manning the dying station. We all walked away with colored shirts and dyed hands (mine are permanently green and somewhat resemble Shrek’s hands). But the kids loved it! They were running around with the dye and spraying it everywhere (I’m pretty sure the grass and floors may be permanently stained as well haha), but well worth it. (Some faces and hair were also permanently dyed too, but no fault of our own ☺ ).

After the shirts were left to dry, we played some fun card games and chess, and it was soon time for lunch. Lunch was great because we mandated alone time for the four of us (we realized we needed this down time to just regain our energy and steam so we could keep up with the kids for the entirety of the day- coffee helped too ☺ ). After lunch, we had English lessons (which actually went really well! Jesus trivia, and sentence forming- the kids were really engaged and loving everything!). Then after class, we took pictures of each and every child because we’re planning to print the pictures of the kids and distribute them to each one individually (we realized on the first day that they love taking pictures and what a novelty it is for them, so we thought it would be really special as a keepsake). The rest of the day was filled with free play and dancing and other fun activities.

Some other memorable moments throughout the day included: Katie’s one-on-one time with the girls- where they just talked about the fun and delicious fruits and chocolates that they get to eat on special occasions. Leslie and Chanel got to share some fun experiences with the girls by having them draw and write all over them and their t-shirts- taking tie dying to a whole different level haha. Maile, Les, and Chanel also had a great game of plank ball (baseball played with a wooden plank)- we were knocking those balls all over the playground, literally (and climbing into the trees to retrieve them when they got stuck). Katie also had a relaxing time, after organizing a massage train. Let’s just say she’s good at what she does haha. Also, Les and Mai taught the kids Chinese checkers and chess, another valuable tool for the daily life. Another “funny” moment was when the kids thought it would be hilarious to chase Chanel with a spider that they found (I sprinted into the main office and locked myself in there until they relinquished their pet and promised not to threaten me with it again). Ohh and to end the day, Les and Mai had a yoga session for the kids (great idea, leave it to those two to come up with that ☺), which I’m pretty sure intrigued and calmed them down all at the same time.

Overall, the day was amazing, and we were much more at ease and comfortable with the kids. We’re so excited for more activities tomorrow!

After the orphanage, Luke picked us up and took us on a mini-tour. We drove up to the Altos de Chavon, this beautiful little city that is designed and structured after ancient European cities and is located at the top of a cliff in La Romana. It’s simply stunning. It lies above the river and has breath-taking views of the forests and beaches, with cobblestoned buildings and churches. We’ll have to post you some pictures. ☺ We then came back, showered, ate (had a fly-swatting session- for some reason, there were like 30 flies zipping around the house today and they needed extermination), and had our own mini-Bible study. We’re going through the book of James on this trip and it’s been an incredible read so far.

I know this has been a jam packed message, but I also wanted to leave you all with this thought that we’ve been discussing for the past few days:

These children are incredible and we are so blessed to have even just a brief two weeks with them. But it is also humbling to know that like so many others who have passed through their lives, we will come and go too; hopefully, becoming a happy memory in their lives. This reality is truly an inspiring thought because it really emphasizes the importance of our presence and the time we spend with the children. Yes, they have clothes and food, and some games from wonderful donors. But we realize that what these children value the most, is our time and presence, and most importantly-our physical touch. They are desperate for attention and love and no amount of material wealth or anything else can replace that. We mentioned in earlier posts that “love” is the theme of this trip, but it could not have been more clearly emphasized by this realization. Love is an incredible and powerful force. One that we all take for granted on a daily basis. The four of us are incredibly blessed with the backgrounds, experiences, and support systems that we come from, but many individuals (these orphans included) cannot say the same. This thought may be gibberish and is definitely a stream of consciousness text, but it is one that I thought would be important to share- as a token of truth from this experience already. We are so grateful that God can use us as His hands and feet and to be that presence that these children so desperately need. But there are so many others out there that need and require that same thing. Love is powerful.

So we’ll end with that. Thank you for continuing to follow our experience. We love you guys and thank you again for your emails, thoughts, prayers, and support. This has already been a life-changing experience.

James 1:27 “Religion that our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted from the world.”

In His Name,

Las Chicas