The laughter is uncontainable here. There are sweet kids everywhere and, give us all a few minutes together in the same room, and everyone’s roaring. My joy in this experience seems to grow each day, and it feels like this family is blessing us far more than we could ever bless them.
Before meeting with the children, we’d seen their pictures and heard some of their stories. And it’s so easy to think about what they “should” be like, given the path some of them have come from. But you know what these children are actually like? Amazing. Resilient. Joyful. Bubbling over. Full of personality. They are reminders that the future our God has for us is full of hope and is so much more beautiful than anything in our past—no matter where we’ve come from.
One of the things I love about this family is the way they value relationships. Since we’ve been here, we’ve seen them work together over and over. They’re continually investing in each other, and their bond is quite possibly the strongest I’ve ever seen between siblings. They’re a team. Taking steps each day to know God more and love each other better. Talk about being inspired and held accountable each day. I’m loving it.
It’s been great seeing our team members each step into serving roles that highlight gifts they’ve been given. From playgrounds to Shepherd’s Pie (thanks, Bill and Mark!), we’re each finding different ways to connect with these kids and do our best to serve this sweet family. We rounded last night out with Uno, and I don’t think we’ve laughed that hard since we’ve been here.
We’re already so excited to share stories with everyone back home, and have full confidence this week is only going to get better.
Until next time,
Hillary
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