Hi friends!
We are starting our last week here in La Republica Dominicana. I am sad beyond words every time I think about leaving these boys and this place. But we are going to have a great last week here, I am sure of it.
Tuesday night, Amanda and I went down to visit the boys along with our friend Nathan. I sat down on the ground and held Luis Alberto in my lap, because he was on the verge of fighting and was freaking out a little. Amanda sat down a few minutes later with a nearly-asleep Remi. About an hour later, we had almost every single boy laying on us in some form or another. Lorenzo was on my right leg, Galan on my left, Luis Alberto in my lap, Alex on my right side, and Manuel laid to my left. I told the kids I had a mountain of children, and they asked if they were my sons. I told them yes, we are family forever. And they all agreed. We laid back and watched the stars together (the stars are amazing here) and Jose and I saw a shooting star together. Amanda and I agreed, it was one of the greatest nights of our lives. Something so small and simple, but it was a glimpse of what it is going to be like for all of us in Heaven. We'll just get to hang out together in a big heap and revel in God's love and majesty. As family.
This past week, we had activities in the morning with the boys here, and in the afternoon we did a camp in a town called Damajagua. Then, on Thursday, we got to have the BEST best Thursday ever with the boys!
Here's the story behind the BEST best Thursday ever: 5 weeks ago, we had planned to take the boys here to the beach, and the day before, it rained. It was decided that it wasn't safe to drive down (the roads are not in great condition anyway, and the rain makes it worse) at 10:30 the night before. John, the director here, said, "Okay guys, the boys are bummed they can't go to the beach. Make this the BEST Thursday ever... GO!" All the interns/volunteers stayed up extra late and planned what ended up being a really good best Thursday ever, complete with sumo wrestling matches on mattresses and a mass game of capture the flag. The NEXT Thursday, we planned to go to the beach, and AGAIN, it rained the day before. AGAIN, we had to plan the BEST Thursday ever... and this one was again, complete with Capture the Flag and a bunch of fun skits and a movie for the boys. It was awesome, but we were not excited to try and top it.
This past Wednesday, all of the leaders here told us that we wouldn't have camp on Thursday, and on Wednesday night, they announced officially that we were GOING to the beach!!! It was AMAZING! We were excited, the boys were excited! We got up at 5:45am the next morning, and already we could hear boys talking excitedly outside. We packed on our buses, and every single boy had his head glued out the window (they rarely get to leave the orphanage because safety issues) and when we got to the beach, they dove right in. It was AWESOME! We spent the whole day playing with them, and I buried 10 different kids in the sand. I also carried a 12 year old on my shoulders. And I'm sunburned, but every second was worth it, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. The only thing I would change, would be that I wish all of our intern friends who left recently could have been there with us. It was pretty epic. I missed you all.
Yesterday, we went to Santo Domingo (the capitol) and it was beautiful. We visited the oldest church in the Western Hemisphere, ate at the Hard Rock cafe, and Amanda and I were able to get some pretty cool gifts for people back home. We also got to stop at McDonald's in Santiago, and I ate a Kit Kat McFlurry which was LEGIT, just saying.
In 7 days we will be back in the US. It sounds surreal to say that, and I am not ready to leave. This place has become like home to me, and these boys like family. We ask for your prayer for endurance and strength for each one of us as we finish this part of the race, and I pray specifically for my heart, as I tend to be not so great at goodbyes. Pray for these boys, whom I love like brothers with every piece of my being. Pray for our interns and volunteers. Pray for safe travels. But mostly, pray that Jesus is shown through everything. Pray that God is glorified in every action, in every word, in every breath. I have seen Jesus in a new way, through the smiles of these boys, through the hugs, and the laughter we share together that goes beyond language and skin color and age. Pray that all of this takes root, and pray that the potential that exists in these boys would continue to be released every day. My friend, Lolito, says that he will be a doctor someday, and if I need surgery, I should come to Haiti and visit. Then again, he told everyone else he wants to be a pastor. :)
Todo de mi amor,
Marissa
We are starting our last week here in La Republica Dominicana. I am sad beyond words every time I think about leaving these boys and this place. But we are going to have a great last week here, I am sure of it.
Tuesday night, Amanda and I went down to visit the boys along with our friend Nathan. I sat down on the ground and held Luis Alberto in my lap, because he was on the verge of fighting and was freaking out a little. Amanda sat down a few minutes later with a nearly-asleep Remi. About an hour later, we had almost every single boy laying on us in some form or another. Lorenzo was on my right leg, Galan on my left, Luis Alberto in my lap, Alex on my right side, and Manuel laid to my left. I told the kids I had a mountain of children, and they asked if they were my sons. I told them yes, we are family forever. And they all agreed. We laid back and watched the stars together (the stars are amazing here) and Jose and I saw a shooting star together. Amanda and I agreed, it was one of the greatest nights of our lives. Something so small and simple, but it was a glimpse of what it is going to be like for all of us in Heaven. We'll just get to hang out together in a big heap and revel in God's love and majesty. As family.
This past week, we had activities in the morning with the boys here, and in the afternoon we did a camp in a town called Damajagua. Then, on Thursday, we got to have the BEST best Thursday ever with the boys!
Here's the story behind the BEST best Thursday ever: 5 weeks ago, we had planned to take the boys here to the beach, and the day before, it rained. It was decided that it wasn't safe to drive down (the roads are not in great condition anyway, and the rain makes it worse) at 10:30 the night before. John, the director here, said, "Okay guys, the boys are bummed they can't go to the beach. Make this the BEST Thursday ever... GO!" All the interns/volunteers stayed up extra late and planned what ended up being a really good best Thursday ever, complete with sumo wrestling matches on mattresses and a mass game of capture the flag. The NEXT Thursday, we planned to go to the beach, and AGAIN, it rained the day before. AGAIN, we had to plan the BEST Thursday ever... and this one was again, complete with Capture the Flag and a bunch of fun skits and a movie for the boys. It was awesome, but we were not excited to try and top it.
This past Wednesday, all of the leaders here told us that we wouldn't have camp on Thursday, and on Wednesday night, they announced officially that we were GOING to the beach!!! It was AMAZING! We were excited, the boys were excited! We got up at 5:45am the next morning, and already we could hear boys talking excitedly outside. We packed on our buses, and every single boy had his head glued out the window (they rarely get to leave the orphanage because safety issues) and when we got to the beach, they dove right in. It was AWESOME! We spent the whole day playing with them, and I buried 10 different kids in the sand. I also carried a 12 year old on my shoulders. And I'm sunburned, but every second was worth it, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. The only thing I would change, would be that I wish all of our intern friends who left recently could have been there with us. It was pretty epic. I missed you all.
Yesterday, we went to Santo Domingo (the capitol) and it was beautiful. We visited the oldest church in the Western Hemisphere, ate at the Hard Rock cafe, and Amanda and I were able to get some pretty cool gifts for people back home. We also got to stop at McDonald's in Santiago, and I ate a Kit Kat McFlurry which was LEGIT, just saying.
In 7 days we will be back in the US. It sounds surreal to say that, and I am not ready to leave. This place has become like home to me, and these boys like family. We ask for your prayer for endurance and strength for each one of us as we finish this part of the race, and I pray specifically for my heart, as I tend to be not so great at goodbyes. Pray for these boys, whom I love like brothers with every piece of my being. Pray for our interns and volunteers. Pray for safe travels. But mostly, pray that Jesus is shown through everything. Pray that God is glorified in every action, in every word, in every breath. I have seen Jesus in a new way, through the smiles of these boys, through the hugs, and the laughter we share together that goes beyond language and skin color and age. Pray that all of this takes root, and pray that the potential that exists in these boys would continue to be released every day. My friend, Lolito, says that he will be a doctor someday, and if I need surgery, I should come to Haiti and visit. Then again, he told everyone else he wants to be a pastor. :)
Todo de mi amor,
Marissa
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