Final day

I'm really struggling to put my thoughts of today into words.  There is a part of me that just doesn't want to write this post because I simply don't want this experience to be over.  I don't want to step back into a world where kids living in institutions without parents is OK.  

So I will leave you with a few pictures taken between sobs today.  I did manage to hold my tears around the kids.  I did not want them to see any sadness, only happiness that we got to spend more time with them.

Here is the group that attended our final meeting.  So many of our favorite kids were missing from this activity.  

My painting partner from the other day presented me with our painting framed and a picture of him.  There is such a sad story behind this boy but I will save it for another day.  

And one more...this boy just lit up around us.  He is such a sweet kind hearted young man.

When we headed to lunch with the officials, we noticed the older boys watching for us from their second floor room.  We waved back and forth and headed in to lunch.  When we finished lunch and loaded into the van to leave, we noticed those boys still at their window watching for us.  We all managed to wave out the windows of the van.

And then the tears flowed.

Please pray for these children.  Pray a family will see past the scary diagnosis and see the beautiful souls in these children.  They all deserve a family but live in a world that tells them otherwise. 

Please pray for the next teams that visit this welfare house.  There are teams scheduled in the fall and next summer.  I pray all the children we loved on will not be there because they've been adopted.  But many of the same children will be there.  

Please also pray for our team as we travel home to our families and life.  I know we have all been deeply affected by this trip and are not sure exactly how to step back in to "normal" life.