I woke up this morning so excited. We were taking all four kids and going with our friend and her daughter to our first orphanage since being here. One of my very top excitements about coming to Africa was to have the honor of loving on sweet orphans here. One of my dreams for our future would be to have our own baby/children's home, but I am getting ahead of myself now. :) So we woke up today, had breakfast, everyone showered, and headed off to the orphanage. The one we went to today is actually just up the road from where our new house is located. We were all really excited as we pulled in and we explained to the kids what we thought would be happening and to prepare them, as they have never been anywhere like this before. As we walk in and are being shown around my heart starts to melt already. We walk into one room and there are about eight one year olds all in a row in highchairs getting fed at the same time. I wish so badly that I could have taken pictures, but out of respect with it being our first time there we didn't. Then we got the tour of the rooms, kitchen area, and play area. The line of boys came out of their room and they all started running straight towards me, so I bent down on my knees and they ran right into my arms. It was the sweetest thing. Then they got taken to the big play area. Then it was the line of girls with the same thing happening. They see me and start running for a hug. I am a complete puddle of mush by this point. We go with the girls to play with all the kids in the play area. It was a complete mob. I wasn't really prepared for it. I was holding two kids and had about four at my feet crying because they wanted to be picked up. It is heartbreaking as you see that all they want is love and to be held. As soon as you pick them up they stop crying and start smiling and laughing or snuggle right in. I notice that many of them have wet shorts {with urine} but there is no way I can put them down and stop loving on them. I remember reading Heidi Baker's book and reading about her holding the kids with lice, scabies, urine soaked, and wondering if I would be able to do that. Well, in the moment it didn't even cross my mind that I was now covered in urine. They were just precious little kids that needed love, cuddles, and snuggles. Kayden was thrilled beyond what I could have imagined! He kept saying Mom this is so amazing! Can we take all of them home? Mom I love them all so much! Our girls though were very overwhelmed. The kids kept touching them, trying to lift up their shirts, pinching them trying to get their attention, and the girls didn't understand. So we decided it would be time to go, we knew it wasn't fair to our girls as they just couldn't understand and were so overwhelmed. So we all left, and the screaming and crying began. It was more than I could take. I just broke down and started crying. Seeing all these precious kids younger than most of my kids, screaming and crying because you were leaving and they just wanted love from you was so hard.
My friend that we went with and I plan on going back every Saturday we can, without children, to love and spend time with the kids. Brian and I got the head of the orphanage's phone number and are going to be calling her this week to get the information we need to set things up so we can start fostering some of these children if possible. It is a home for children under the age of five, so once these precious kids hit age five they have to go somewhere else, and they have a hard time finding places. Brian and I are very excited about dreams we both are starting to have for our future here, involving many children. It will be so exciting to see over time how God will allow us to pour into these kids lives.
I have so much to blog about and will be playing catch up this week. The internet has been very unreliable lately so I am hoping this week it will be good and I can update everyone on what we have been doing! We love you all so very much!