Slumber Party!

So bear with me, b/c this is going to be a long post 'cause I have a lot to catch up on! This is my "journal" b/c I don't have the time or energy to keep one, but I want to remember everything.

This week was wonderful...it was like a big sleepover with 40 girls every day :) We spent our mornings working with the teenagers at the home for abused girls, then the afternoon with the younger ones. We told the story of Esther, played games (they learned how BAD we are at volleyball!), did crafts and sang...they LOVED it! The girls were so sweet..it was heartbreaking to imagine that anyone could hurt an innocent child...so young, so tender. One day, one of the girls picked a rose and then it got dropped on the ground and stepped on, and I thought, that is what has been done to these girls. But they are still so loving and full of joy. Let me tell you about my friend Norma...

She, if anyone, has a reason to be bitter and mad at God..she has had a terribly rough life BUT she wants to devote her life to helping kids on the street as a nurse. She loves God, and has chosen to use the evil in her life for good. She was so precious, and I loved getting to know her. Please pray for her...she has a physical disability which makes it difficult to walk, and she needs money to go to nursing school.

This darling girl is my friend, Karina. She stuck by my side the whole week, and we had a lot of fun playing and telling secrets (though I could only understand about half of what she said!:)

We also spent some time painting the library and bathroom..here are some pics.

It was soo sweet when we left today..the girls literally hung on us so we couldn't leave..and then, when we got in the bus, they all lined up like in the game "Red Rover" across the gate so the bus couldn't back out. When they finally moved, they begin to sing the worship song we taught them this week, and then chased us down the street. I am almost crying thinking about it!

And don't worry..all work and no play is no good, so last night we went dancing (well, if you can call what I do dancing). It was a show where they performed native Peruvian dances and then in between, a band plays and everyone gets out on the floor to dance. SO FUN!

Tomorrow, we have a new church team coming that we will be working with. We will be at a teen mothers home and an orphanage every day this week...it should be a little less busy....but then again, I don't think there are "non-busy" days here. But I wouldn't have it any other way.