Things have been going extremely well here at the orphanage. I find myself never wanting to take a break because I love every moment of this ministry. Because of that, my team is forcing me to take some down time so that I don’t get burnt-out. It’s nice to have that voice of reason and it makes me even more thankful for them 🙂
On our most recent off day the director of the orphanage and Hector took us on a hike up to the top of a nearby mountain. Not only did we hike about 2,000 feet to the top, but we also had to walk the few miles to reach the mountain, lol. It was one of the most strenuous hikes that I have ever done. There was no set path and at some points I had to pull myself up a steep incline in order to continue. Throw in a ton of loose rocks and sand and you have the perfect workout. When we finally reached the top we relaxed and ate lunch for about a half-hour and then descended back to the orphanage. In total we were hiking for about 7 hours. Needless to say we were exhausted by the time we returned but it was well worth it!
The next day we participated in a parade to raise awareness for neglected and abused children. We helped the kids decorate our bus and then we joined with several other orphanages to walk the streets of Cochabamba. We walked hand-in-hand with our kids and it was a lot of fun. We ended at a downtown square and then we returned home.
The other day we took the kids to a park that had a massive slide. Yeah, it was fun, but it had to be the most painful slide ever created, lol. I have so many skin burns from that thing that it’s ridiculous. It really was a blast and it was good quality time with the kids.
I slipped when I pushed Cory and Agar but luckily I caught myself.
As I said, this month has been an awesome blessing to me and my team. I have felt extremely close to God throughout the last couple of weeks and my quiet time with Him has been awesome. It’s sad to know that we will have to leave this place in a little over a week. That’s the thing about the race. You go to a place, do the works God has planned out for you, and then move on to the next location he has called you. But we trust God and we know that He is preparing our hearts for the next step in our journey no matter how difficult it may be to move on.
