Wednesday's attempts to give the orphanage workers a rest by hosting a vacation bible school for the kids, making them dinner, and tucking them into bed were a huge success. Both the children and the orphanage workers felt cared for, while the spring break team got a small glimpse of what it must be like to care for these children day in and day out as the dedicated staff does.
On Thursday morning, the team finished up their work project at the orphanage, creating a wonderful retaining wall to keep the orphanage buildings nice and dry. In the afternoon, the group spent more time with the students at the orphanage, playing games like tag and volleyball, as well as making crafts together. One huge theme that is emerging from this week is just the simple joy of giving hope and building relationships with all the children and staff at the Casa Bernabe Orphanage.
Today (Friday), the group plans to go into the little town of Vera Cruz and spend some time with the local people there. The rest of the day will be spent at La Chureca, the city dump, enjoying the "Day of Light" with the people who live there. "Day of Light" is a concert put on IN the dump to give hope to its residents. In years past, this has been a huge highlight of the trip, and the team is excited to return for such a meaningful event and to build relationships with the people who live in La Chureca.
In the evening, the team plans to return to the orphanage to throw a goodbye party with all the kids and to celebrate the fun they've had and the relationships that have been grown all week. After the party, the team will spend time de-briefing as a group, discussing their experiences and reflecting on all that God has done IN and THROUGH them.
The team is scheduled to depart tomorrow (Saturday), and we will update the blog once again when they land (which should be around 11pm) in DC. The entire group would like to thank you for all of your support and prayers. Continue to pray for these final days, that God would meet them in a big way, and for safe travels as they return home.
