Program Progress

Hi everyone. I just wanted to update you all on the program. We've been up there four times this last week and already conducted more than 14 meetings. It's been going really well. The kids are beginning to open up to us and realize that we're serious about wanting to share truth with them not just give gifts, say we love them, and walk away.
Unfortunately, Americans have a very bad reputation in the orphanages down here. Kids see them as people who come and give gifts, paint wall or two and say they love them and will write letters, even though it'll be in English... then they leave and the kids never hear from them again.

The last few days have been hard, but the older kids who have seen me so many times the last 2 years now realize that if I had had the time, I would've spent time with all of them.

We've talked about drugs, sex, money, choices, etc. We plan next week to talk about creativity, gifts and talents, self-esteem, and again choices. We also have a Christian band coming to play live music for them on Saturday night.

One of the churches in the states gave us money just for the orphans, so we've been racking our brains trying to figure out how to spend it, but every time we think of something we realize that these kids don't need stuff, they need relationships. We thought about maybe a Bible for each one, but we found out that they all have Bibles already. We thought about heaters for every classroom but this orphanage is being shut down.
We just don't know what 'stuff' to get them, so we're spending time with them.

Anyways, I thought you'd like to hear how it's going.