I should have guessed that baking cupcakes with 16 adolescent girls would end with everyone covered in cupcake batter and frosting. At first it was just having a little fun with wiping batter on our faces…it eventually turned into a full frontal attack with cookies and cream frosting smeared across my face, up my nose, plastered in my hair, and caked to my clothes. It was one of those moments where all you can think is "there is nowhere I'd rather be than right here, doing exactly this." It ended up being one of my favorite days on the race. Being able to get into a kitchen with those girls and give them free reign to make a mess of it to make something delicious was priceless. Especially since some of them had never even had or heard of a cupcake before.
I ended up falling in love with these girls who are also called Josie's Angels. They all live together in a home that provides them with a safe, loving environment, food, education, and opportunities for sports and hobbies. Part of my time in the Philippines was spent getting to know these girls through movie nights, waterfall excursions, spa days, and a baking day. My time spent with them was always filled with fun and lots of laughter, as you can see from the pictures below:
And in case you were wondering, the cookies and cream cupcakes were a success!
