Sunday at #88

   I have not blogged in a while, Matthew has done too good of a job expressing what I am thinking.  I told him yesterday "You are writing everything I am thinking."....finally after 11 years we are getting better at ESP. :)  He is a great writer and he can process this experience quicker than I can.  

    Today Matthew and I  had a GREAT experience.  We went with Michelle to orphanage #88, another orphange that she works with in the suburbs of Odessa.  She goes there on Sunday mornings to spend time with a group of 20 or so orphans.  We met the children walking down the street.  As soon as they saw Michelle, they were all a buzz talking.  It was evident that they were excited to see her and Vica, a friend of Michelle's who helps her at #88.  We walked with them to their building and as soon as we joined them a sweet girl (above)  grabbed my hand and began to talk to me. She latched on to me and it was such a sweet walk.  Once we got to the orphanage we helped Michelle do some crafts with the children.  These children were so warm and loving.  These children range in age from 15-6.  The atmosphere here was warm and more like a family atmosphere.  The teacher there was kind and caring and very helpful.  We got to spend time in a small room with all of the orphans and we really got to see their personalities come out.  It was fun to see these little boys act like our boys.

     Somethings don't change no matter where you live.  

      I must say that these children pulled my heartstrings.  They are so loving and warm.  They adored the attention we gave them.  They longed to use their limited vocabulary of English.  They just wanted someone to listen and to see them as valuable.  They wanted someone to view them the way God views them.  I must say that it was hard for me to leave.  My heart was heavy as I stepped  on to the bus to go back to "my world " in Odessa's center.  Oh, how I long to see these children have a home.  Here are a few of the faces we saw...please pray for them.  Praying for specific children is the first step toward their adoption, maybe not by you, but by someone who God uses to answer your prayers.  Here are a few faces to add to your prayer list:

If you want to know the names of these children or of any others, please let me know via email.

     Thank you for praying for these children.  May the Lord answer these prayers for the fatherless.

     I must say that this experience has been such a blessing to us.  The Lord has grown me and stretched me in ways that I could have never imagined.  We are so thankful for the way the Lord has blessed this trip and has blessed us to see these children and spend even a short time in their world.  

      We look forward to our return when we can share even more of our experience and the ways the Lord has blessed and grown us.  Please continue to pray for us and for a court date this week.                                                                               

     You all are such a blessing to us with your comments on the blog and via email.  You are an instrument that the Lord has used in our lives.   

Sheila