The kids leave tomorrow

Today was the last full day with our kids and I am so sad that it is about over. Our kids will be leaving at 8:30 tomorrow morning. I am not looking foreword to saying goodbye. It seems that today was the best day with Dominic. He was such a good boy today. Although he was getting sick, He was so outgoing and happy and he was sitting on my lap, hugging me, holding my hand everywhere we went. He is just starting to come around and now i have to say goodbye and pray that he will have people continue to enter into his life to continue the work that has begun. Stone told me loved me and he calls my name where ever we go. Peeterr, Peeterr! I will miss it but I will always here him calling my name. I don't think there is a kinder soul that I have ever met. I will miss them so much.

Today Dominic spent his whole craft time busy and into the project. They were making memory books of their time in camp and writing letters to me with help from the translator Eric so I could read it in English. I will share them with you tomorrow. I know I will ball my eyes out when I read how this camp affected them. I just hope they are not distraught when they leave us. I don't think I could handle that.

Eric had a real rough day today. First thing after breakfast I took him and Dominic to the Chinese medical clinic. They both needed medicine because they have sore throats and were running a fever.They started taking their medicine and by the afternoon they felt batter and the fever was gone. I have no idea what they took but it seemed to work for them. I was so nervous that our last full day together would be ruined and Praise God they were able to enjoy their day and feel better. On the way to the clinic, Eric and I were talking on the way and I was telling him how upset I am that the kids are leaving and that it is sad that this might be the best week of their childhood. I started tearing up thinking about it and Eric said to me I will pray for you and them. He also said that he has a Bible which he got from his theology class at the University. He said that he has not read it much but he will read it again when he got home. I exchanged emails with him and I have built the start of a great friendship with him and I know that God is working on him. It is so awesome to see.

At the water park today, Eric dropped his glasses and they were broken. He did not seem too upset about it but when I talked to him later on, he was concerned because he only had 200Yuan on him which is about 30USD. He needed money for the long train ride home on Saturday.He told me he would call his father in Beijing and he could wire him money.He said he would just wait until he was back at school to do that. I felt terrible about that, because he could not see that well without them. We found a local eyeglass store in the area thanks to a translator who lives locally. I told him go order his glasses here. He said he did not have enough money. I told him that God told me that " You need to see and he asked me to give this to you." I gave him the money he needed and he almost cried but He stopped himself. He is very proud and I know I would have had trouble taking any money as well. Glasses are amazingly inexpensive here. He got a very nice pair of prescription glasses that they made for him in a little over an hour for less than 30USD. He was very happy. I am so happy that I could do that for him. He is a good friend and I know he does not have much. I know that if he could he would do the same for me. I just thought I would share that. I am sorry if I am all over the place but it is pretty much the story of our week here. I have been all over the place both physically and emotionally.

A little note about the girl Hannah I was telling you about. It turns out she is not an orphan. Her mother actually works at the orphanage and her Mother sent her to see that there are people who care about them other that the people at the orphanage. What an awesome lesson to teach your daughter. She enjoyed camp as one of them and really shined in her own way. She never left Marie's side. She is the little person in the pictures. She was always with her. She is a sweet caring little girl, just like our little Hannah.

Dominic ran away from us like usual today but the difference today was that he would just run ahead than he would wait. It is a game to him and it is actually expected now and it does not phase me anymore. I know that he will be back because he would not miss out on all of the fun stuff and meals. The kid eats more than I do.

I have really been enjoying the pool, but so much for the pool even though that is great too. The showers there are a treat. It is a big shower that has very hot water, so I along with some others have been using pool time as our shower time as well. The bathrooms here leave allot to be desired in the size and cleanliness category.

Assembly tonight was great as usual. The kids performed for us again and were so much fun to watch. It was a great time. Dominic has been loving using my camera and I have been letting him take it and he has taken some real good pictures. He figured out how to take photos, video and go back and review them. I did not even have to show him. He is very smart. I am glad though that he was not able to figure out the delete function.

After assembly We stayed with the kids and watched Tom and Jerry with Chinese subtitles while the translators and staff had a meeting. It was nice to spend some quiet time with the kids just chilling watching a movie. I wish we would have had popcorn. The kids would have loved that.

After the meeting we said goodnight and headed to the office for a volunteer meeting. We were all telling our stories and ended the night in prayer followed by praise and woship. There is something really powerful about singing praise and worship in this country. It is a freedom that is not enjoyed here. Everything we do is and has been very subtle and discreet until this. It was the most amazing and powerful singing by thirty or so people. I know that the translators and kids had to have heard us. It was incredible to spend some time with God and fellow believers in a traditionally Atheist country. Words cannot describe the power.

The following verse was on the board in the office and it is the perfect verse for this camp. It has sustained me.
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power.Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly,Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary." Isaiah 40:28-31

Most of this batch of photos were taken by Dominic. He is quite the little photographer.