Joy, Laughter..and Cheetos

It's always so hard for me to try to capture an entire week in one post with just my words..because every day here is so full and rich (and sometimes hard and sad). I wish I had the time or ability to record every detail...but I do my best! Here are some of the highlights of this past week working at Caritas Felices....

Party!
Sweet Karina..for some reason, she attached to me the last time we came and never left my side. She said she first came to give me a hug because no one else was hugging me.

The girls working hard on their painting projects...we made a big black mark through their paintings when they were done to teach them that people do bad stuff to us in life, but we can chose to make it in to something good (i.e. repaint it)

Oh, what you can do w/ Play Doh

*One of the first days we were there, the girls sang every word to a worship song we taught them in June (I don't even remember all the words to it!) It was a beautiful reminder that God is using us to make some sort of impact.

*We did a lot of comforting...it is hard to see these girls cry, because you don't know why they are crying..if it is from something minor or their deeper pain

*BUT we also shared a lot of laughter and teasing too!

Two cuties and Meredith (well, she's cute too!)

*Each of us interns shared our testimonies with the girls, to show them that we are real people with real hurts too. God has been teaching me all summer that He uses my pain for His good and to help others.

*I got to spend some sweet time with my friend Norma, who I met last month. We really have become friends, and we just got to sit and talk like two teenage girls.

*We had an "all you can eat" junk food party. These girls barely get enough "real" food, so we decided to let them be kids and stuff themselves silly. We refilled their cups with soda and their napkins with Cheetos until it all ran out. They would stuff their faces just so they could have another serving. Little Fiorella ate more than her body weight..we were afraid she was going to throw it all up, but she just fell asleep after the sugar high :)~We will be back at the teen mothers home for the week..I LOVE these girls, so I can't wait. Please pray that that Isaiah 61 will become a reality for them. Thank you!