Loads of Laughter

Friday morning we headed back to Tei--of course we were quite excited. Because of school ending, a few of the CTL staff members were at end of the year parties with their own children. Thus, we didn't have a vehicle available and we had to haul our stuff over to Tei--added adventure. 😊

Again, when we arrived, we were met with the joyous sound of little giggles and hellos. I was so excited to see the little ones, but I was overjoyed when I spotted Bianca. I've watched her grow up for the past four years, and I haven't been able to see her yet this summer because she has been in school. When I called her name and she realized who I was, she ran over and jumped into my arms. After a quick hello, she immediately asked about Brooke Brown (who has been on the BCHS team the last couple of years). Last year, I was able to FaceTime Brooke when Bianca was at the office, but I didn't have internet at Tei, so I had to settle for letting Bianca know I'd tell Brooke hi for her. Little Bibi is one special kid, and Brooke and I obviously adore her. Be sure to check out her age progression picture on FB.

The team sang and taught the story of Joseph, so our craft was an adorable little multi-colored coat with torn pieces of colored paper. It was so fun to watch how each child took it and made it their own in their own creative way.

We also had quite a few mamas outside with their babies, so a few of us had babies in our arms all morning. I'd never argue with that!

In the afternoon the kids from #7 came to the ministry center. The most entertaining part of the afternoon was breaking up the story of Ester into four parts and having different groups of kids act out a scene. We certainly had a few laughs.

After the kids left, we bid farewell to the team, and the interns (including Marc) went back to our apartment. Nelu and Florina came over a bit later and Florina (with the help of four sous chefs) cooked Fajitas for dinner. We FaceTimed my mama and Marc's mama while Florina yelled at us and ordered us around (all in love, of course). At one point, Marc and I were even messaging Aimee in India--talk about a gathering of cultures. We pretty much enjoyed every moment of the evening. The food was amazing, and the company was even better. I seriously love those people. Evenings like that are good for the soul.

After an emotionally exhausting week, a lighter day like this with tons of laughter truly was a blessing to my heart. The conditions aren't any better, the kids are still in desperate need, the situations are dire; but, amongst the pain, we can find joy and laughter.

Thanks for your continued prayers. Please pray for moments of rest this weekend as we gear up for another busy week. We're headed to the mountains early Saturday morning, and I'm quite excited for a beautiful day.