Kenzie and Heather here! We wanted to update all of our followers about the events of late. To begin with mornings, we have been awakened daily at about 4:30am by the same obnoxious rooster. As I'm sure you can imagine we have taken turns describing how we could slaughter it ;) haha! So we rise early, and to a wonderful breakfast because our Haitian caregivers have agreed to make all of our meals which we were in no way expecting! They have been great help to us. This morning a family staying in our guest house joined us on our expedition to build beds in the orphanage. They were very sweet and helpful. Today was our last day of actually building the beds because our men were so efficient!! We were able to present the beds to the children today, explaining to them that the beds, which were topped with beanie babies and Creole children's Bibles, were representative of God's love for them. The children bombarded us with hugs and "thank yous" as they slowly realized that EVERY child would have a bed! They were so excited by the presentation and amazed us with their feedback. When asked what they favorite parts about the gifts we gave them, they overwhelmingly agreed that the Bibles were their most treasured gift. This surprised and touched our team so much... and we know that tonight those kiddos are all tucked in reading away (to the extent that they are able) in their new Bibles from Sweet Sleep! Thank you everyone who made that possible! Even though today was the big bed presentation day, it was also a very challenging, sobering day for all of us. We grew closer with the children today and had many emotional breakthroughs that were very rewarding. Children who had been withdrawn began to smile and play. Some said "I love you" for the first time. Each of us bonded with different children and have spent the last few days trying to invest in relationships with them, building trust. However as we grow closer with the children and see more of their beautiful hearts, we also hear more of their stories and the hardships they face. Many team members today felt the heavy weight of reality fall on us as we learned more of the suffering that many of these kids experience on a daily basis. We had to collect as a group at the end of the day and share prayers and tears as we realized that this situation is much bigger than ourselves or anything we can do in a week. We had to give it back to God and trust that His greatness can override any difficulty that we see in the present. We believe that this time with the children and the hope and comfort provided for them through the beds will impact them eternally. That faith has been our stronghold as we have to continually remind ourselves that we ARE making a difference even when the situation looks grim. Please join us in prayer for these kids- they face more pain than most of us will ever see. On a happier note, we (Heather and Kenzie) have continually conversed today about how much we love our team!! They are truly incredible. Each member has such different gifts that they bring to the table... we truly need eachother. If even one person was absent, the whole team would be less effective because we all edify eachother and meet the needs that have arisen on this trip in unique ways. Plus, we have a blast! This is such a crazy, witty and easy-going bunch. We could have not asked for better people to serve alongside. Thank you all for continuing to pray for us and our kids- it is desperately needed. We love you all!! We will post pictures and video as soon as we return :) Kenzie and Heather
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