Casa de Copii!

This is what I felt like this morning- Ha!

Yesterday and today have been some amazing two days! We spent all yesterday at Casa de Copii in Orhei, which is a special needs school for boys. Some of the boys are orphans (most were brought by their parents or family to receive treatment, and then never got picked up!), while others have families but they can’t take care of them. Sweet Sleep has been working with them for 3 years now, and in the past two days we were able to give them ALL THEIR BEDS!!

Yesterday was the “work-as-fast-and-as-hard-as-you-can” day! After we got back from lunch, we were told that the rest of the boys that were to receive beds had gotten so excited they had cleared their rooms out. Which meant that unless we gave them all beds, they wouldn’t have anything to sleep on!! Oh, goodness! So everyone had to move super fast and work super hard. With the help of LOTS of volunteers, we built 107 beds!! Holy smokers! That a record : ) Yah, you know. That’s how we do it here in Moldova! : )

So yesterday was great fun, and so much so because the famous MARTIN GOT HIS BED!! See below blog for tons of pics : ) Yay for staying up until 1:15 AM to get those puppies up!

Today we went back to mainly just hang out with kids. Jon, Eugen and I walked around and took some fun pictures of some kids! These children are just so amazing, and such a blessing. I think it was yesterday- some of us were talking about the salvation of these children. I believe that God has claimed these children and raised them up in His name! I am so thankful for their loving and caring hearts! It is so hard to see some of them in these conditions. Some of them were even born typical, but something happened to handicap them. I love that we can make their everyday life better by giving them beds! : )

(A bunch of the volunteers from the church in Orhei)

(The boys were so excited- these were their old beds)

(Cutest little boy in the gym area- he loved the camera!- the blue/green stuff is medicine)

(This is Lilian- cutest little boy EVER!)

(This dude was also funny- he loved getting his pic taken. He would come up to me and make act like he was taking a picture- hilar!)

(This picture makes me want to cry just remembering him! This boy was put in the middle of this circular foam thing. His sweatshirt and pants are tied at the bottoms. I guess so he doesn't bite his hands and feet! But he LOVED human interaction, and you can tell that he doesn't get even close to what he needs)

(I loved finding these boys because there is a picture of them from last year. They are still in the same bed, in the same position!)

(Boys getting their beds!!!)

(CJ playing with a little boy in the gym)

(Martin made this! He was SO PROUD!)

(He also made this)

(Back to Lilian! I am so in love with this boy! I did NOT want to leave him there- he loved human touch. Whenever you would touch him, he would lean into your touch. SO CUTE!)

(This is the look on his face that he would get when you would touch him- it was like he was so focused on that touch because it felt so good. Oh, man. Hey mom and dad, could we adopt him?!)

(Saying bye to Martin! So sad to do, but we are so happy that they all have beds!)

Thank you Jesus for that opportunity! Please protect them and keep them safe. Wrap them in your loving arms and show them how much you love and care about them. Thank you for these wonderful beds that they can feel warm and comfortable in! You are the only one worth living for!!

It was so sad leaving these children, but I feel so much better knowing that they all have a new Sweet Sleep bed, and they all have a comfy pillow to lay their head on! : )

We headed to lunch at KFC at mallDOVA (that is their new mall here in Moldova! For serious! Hilar.) So that was pretty exciting. After, Jon took us to Central de zi Speranta (Hope Day Center) which is a place for special needs children to go and get treatment. It is so amazing because they work with local special needs orphanages to help get capable students ready to go into regular school. It is part of this movement to de-institutionalize the orphanages. SO amazing! We were all incredibly impressed by this place!

After, we headed to another Monastery that was so beautiful! It was a little rainy, so the pictures aren’t as pretty as they could be, but I think it actually kind of added to the mood.

(Eugen took this one!)

Right now we are playing Phase 10 (best game EVER!), and just hanging out. Tomorrow we are going to the Art Market again and then to the church in Orhei that has been helping us all week. They are making us lunch! So exciting. Hope everyone is having a fabulous day : ) I am still weirded out that it is almost 10:00 pm here, but almost 3:00 pm Central Time. Craziness!

To God be all the glory!