Holding the little babies

June Update - 14 New Babies

How are you all doing? I hope your Summer is off to a great start and you have wonderful plans. Thank you to those of you who have written lately...it means a lot to me to hear from you and know how you are and know you care. It is rather hard to believe that my time here is soon drawing to an end.

When I first arrived many of the volunteers said their time here went very quickly and it's as if they've just arrived even though they've been here 6 months. And I can now see what they mean. Though it has been nearly 5 months since i arrived and SO much has happened...it also feels the time has run by in the blink of an eye.

Things that happened this week:

• I got off my fourth time on nightshift Monday morning.
• Baby-Y.K. was adopted on Monday.
• Baby N.T. was adopted on Friday.
• Baby F.A. was adopted on Sunday.
• Our dear Ron and Lynn (volunteers left on Tuesday.)
• We got three newborn baby girls mid-week.
• Two new volunteers arrived Friday morning. A girl from the UK and one from the US.

I was having a hard time that morning. I was missing my family. I was happy to see N.T. be adopted, but was thinking about how i'll miss him and how i so want that for all the babies here: to have that close, special love from a mom and dad. I was also frusterated and discouraged with many other things happening and feeling overwhelmed and alone beyond what i could take. I sat there holding a baby with tears streaming down my face. Jen came over and talked to me. I was glad to have someone there to talk to. But a little while later i nearly fell into Silje's arms crying and crying and hugging her. It felt good to cry and let it out. And that afternoon we went on a long walk and talked about some things bothering me and how i felt and missed my family and...she listened and cared and openly shared her thoughts and encouraged me by her words. I feel really comfortable talking to her and usually go to her first if i'm feeling bad.

• Later Friday we got a call about 14 babies/children from another orphanage needing somewhere to go...could they come here?

So Saturday morning a group went to fetch the 14 and they got back here around noon. We had heard they would be half little babies and some toddlers too. In the end they were all 1 yrs. old and up. But we had beds ready and just got them right in with the other kids and gave them lunch.

Saturday night many of us stayed later in the nursery to help get the new babies to sleep and get the feeding charts set up for the next day. It was a LONG day...but we managed incredibly well and got through it as a team. By time i crawled into bed that night I was completly exhausted!

Sunday is my day-off for this week. I am just chillin out around here for now and plan to go to church tonight. I slept in til 10:22 and then got up and made oatmeal for breakfast. I did some laundry and i might go read now.
Please continue to pray for me, this TLC ministry, and all the babies...especially the 14 new ones.