First week here! (Part 2)

On Wednesday our first team from Buckner arrived! About 30 mothers, grandmothers, daughters, and granddaughters joined us, and we are so thankful that they are here! One of the main things we have done these past three days is get a chance to pamper the mothers/daughters of San Jose Pinula.  We massaged their hands, gave them manicures, brushed and styled their hair, decorated cookies, and made flower jewelry with them.  It was such an honor to get to serve all these women and teach them about how much they're worth to God.

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

One of the girls with her hair done and the tissue flowers we all made together.

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Brittany painting one of the mother's nails.

In the afternoons we traveled to the City of Children orphanage home and spent time with different girls there.  There are a total of about 800 kids living in this one orphanage, and, to be honest, I was not prepared for the effect it was going to have on me.  On Wednesday we set up the same stations and got a chance to pamper about 200 of the girls there.  It was hard not to get emotional thinking about all the times my mom and I had done that same kind of girly girl stuff together.  It's just difficult thinking about how those girls will never have that same kind of bond as I do with my mom.

Each afternoon we also spent time with some of the special-needs girls there.  I quickly formed a bond with one of the girls, Erica, when she insisted on painting my nails after I painted hers.  She ended up painting about half of my hand with magenta polish and was just laughing hysterically the whole time!  The next day I saw her again and we got the chance to make fruit-loop necklaces together.

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Putting her necklace on.  A few minutes later we took it off so she could just eat the fruit-loops.. that's my kinda girl!

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

Erika!

We also all had a big dance party towards the end of the day.  So much fun!

(Photo by Kaitlyn Whitley)

These girls wore me out! 

Yesterday, after working with the special-needs girls again, we got to spend some time with the little kiddos in the playground!  Check back tomorrow for the rest of this blog!