Wednesday at Dorie's...

Most of us went to the Dump and Limonada today, but a small but dedicated crew remained here at Dorie's! [It's tough work, but SOMEONE has to stay here and carry Jose around!] We started with painting - the second coat on the bottom half of the pink room in Casa 5, the bottom half of the purple room in Casa 5, and the two toned greens in the Isolation Room. Just when we thought we were nearing the end, Desi came down and said, "Oh, hey, guys! We have some cream colored paint here, too, maybe you could paint the hallway, too!" Craig just sighed and picked up the blue tape and started covering trim, and Bob picked up a clean roller.

I had to bow out of the painting after lunch to get ready for my next cupcake party with the 4-11 year olds. This one was a little calmer, and very fun! We all fit at one table, and the kids loved teaching me new words in Spanish and learning English phrases. I drew pictures with Ana, and she made a picture with a Spanish message for my Ana at home! We went outside and blew bubbles [thanks, Mrs. Klopfer!], and really just hung out and had fun for over an hour. When they left, I went back down to see the painting, and found Lindsay in the baby room, playing with Mauricio, who really looks like a miniature Sumo wrestler, with a constant smile! He is SO cute! Of course, when my little Jose heard my voice he started complaining, so I held him for a little while and then forced myself to put him down to go back up to the guesthouse to clean up the party mess. He managed to wrap Lindsay around his other little finger, because a half hour later she turned up in our kitchen holding the grumpy little guy. I got to feed him his bedtime bottle and get him ready for bed, and when I left, all the babies were almost asleep.

Ellie and I ran down to Casa 6 to visit Jonatan, who showed me a really cool origami trick today. Ellie is really good at origami, so I'd asked him if he could show her. We were mobbed when we entered the house, and I'm not so sure the Mamas were as happy to see us as the kids were, but we used the rest of the package of construction paper making "avions" and flying them around the dining room, until the Mama in charge had enough and sent the kids to settle down in the living room. We ended up back there a little while later to video Pastor Evan's haircut. Don't worry, Beth, he still has a little hair, but the sideburns, well, I'll just let you see it when he gets home....

Nayeli braided Desi's and my hair with colored ribbon tonight, and I played with little Ana's hair for a while, and finally it was time for the kids to get to bed. The older kids [4+] leave every morning for school at 6.30 AM, so they go to bed early. One of my favorite things about these kids is their absolute happiness. Sure, the have fights, and some complain, and sometimes some of them have bad days. There is always someone who doesn't feel good, a runny nose to wipe, or tears to dry. But if you have a moment, even one moment, to hug a kid or sit quietly with one of them, you will ALWAYS come away feeling better. I often feel that they are blessing me so much more than I can bless them, even though we can do so much for them physically. These kids are awesome, and God really lives and works here at Dorie's Promise. So tonight, I go to bed with some paint spatters on my feet, some frosting in my hair [along with the ribbon], a smile on my face, and gratitude in my heart. I'm so thankful that I'm able to be here. I'm so thankful for Dorie's Promise and the amazing staff here, and I'm so thankful for all of the prayers being sent up on our behalf. If this trip accomplishes nothing else, it has changed the lives of most, if not all, of us. And that is something to truly be thankful for.

Stay tuned...Ice Cream Party tomorrow!!
[Amy}