Speaking of magic, today the staff held their own Christmas party for each other and their families. At the party there was live music and one of our team members from Florida performed a magic show. This was just one of the many ways that we have been able to be a part of the lives of the families who are connected to the center. Orphan's Heart will host another Christmas party for the workers later in the month when the team will serve the families a meal and worship with them.
Speaking of improvements, the center has changed a bit since I was here last December. There are so many diapers now that they have their own stock room. The food pantry has increased it's supply greatly. And the clothes and blankets are well-stocked. But, although the center appears stocked well on all these, we are told that these rotate out on a continual basis. The clothes go out to the kids here at the center and to their siblings at home. With some 40 kids in diapers, nearly 120 diapers are used daily, 800 weekly, and 3200 monthly. The 78 kids at the center are fed breakfast, a morning snack, lunch, an afternoon snack, and dinner. All said, supplies get used quickly here. But thanks to mission teams who come to the center the supplies are staying constant and increasing. Another addition that I noticed today was mirrors in the baby play area. This might not seem all that significant, but these kids rarely get to see themselves. I never thought about that until it was mentioned this week, but there are next to no mirrors in the center, and most certainly none at home. Having a mirror is a very special treat. Can you imagine what life would be like without it?
There's some talk about remodeling a portion of the center to be used as housing for teams to stay a portion of their time here. This would help to reduce the cost of travel, and the plans would still include Antigua and other frills that we all love about the trip. Other talks have included looking into a church plant and doing construction projects for the families of the children at the center. These could be viable ways to reach out to the local communities and draw them in to knowing and experiencing God's love.
So far this week we have noticed some interesting things about the kids: 1) Some of the kids are now calling us 'momma' and 'dad' 2) Most of the kids eat ALL of their food. They wil not let you take a plate with food left on it. 3) They eat a LOT of food. Their meals are jam-packed! 4) Some of them can speak a few English words...but most all of them understand what we say in English (such as sit-down, lay down, play ball) 5) When they get the chance to watch TV, they are glued to it...they seem to look right through you if you stand in the way 6) Two things they love: riding their trikes and playing ball (not so different than our children!) 7) They are all well taken care of at the center. They have a good life here...even though it is not home.
From day one, perhaps one of the most memorable experiences about this trip has been the fellowship of the team with each other. We have heard from each other how God orchestrated this trip, we have shared ministry experiences and future ministry plans, we have prayed with and for each other, and most of all, we have met people that you can truly call friends.
I have to say, we all know that we are on a mission trip, but in a way it feels like a vacation. I mean, the hotel is beautiful, the food is abundantly excellent, the mountains are gorgeous, the culture is authentic, the architecture is rustic, and the shopping is a classic experience! We have even experienced a tremor caused by the local, active volcano. It was wierd to feel the concrete slab underneath our feet sway like wooden boards (happened during a prayer too...now that's neat!)! We regularly hear the volcano boom (like a shotgun) and see it put off plumes of smoke. These are all of the things that you would want in a vacation! But none of us are kidding ourselves, we know we are on a mission. And the last couple of days we have felt it. A combination of fatigue from elevation, weariness from chasing infants and toddlers, and a busy schedule has played upon the team. It hit me sooner than most of the rest as I was suffering from caffeine withdrawals. Solution? I hit the store across the street from the hotel for a big bottle of Coke (there is no Dr. Pepper here - geez!). After 3 days at the center, tomorrow we will be getting a nice break as we pause to go zip-lining, shopping, and sight-seeing. Then we will be back at the center again on Monday!
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