My Favorite Day

Hi everyone! Emily here!

Today's evening activity is probably my favorite of the week as we traveled to the orphanage. Upon entering the facility, we talked a bit with one of the sisters who take care of the girls at the facility. She stated that twenty-five girls between the ages of 5 and 12 are currently residing at this center, which seemed a bit low to me compared to last year's higher number. We then traveled inside to meet the girls and spend time with them.

Since we spent most of our time at the orphanage playing outside last year, I was expecting a similar experience this year as well. However, we actually stayed in a large gathering space and worked with the girls to create necklaces, bracelets, and rings with colorful beads. It was nice to sit and make conversation with some of the younger ones as we created jewelry together. I don't know much Spanish, but each girl asked me simple questions I could answer, and we enjoyed one another's company.

After this crafting time, the real fun began! We also brought some balloons with us and blew some up for the girls to toss around. However, soon we were seeing girls pop the balloons, rub them on each other's hair to create some static electricity, and even throw them at plants to see if they'd pop! This time was a bit crazy, but it was definitely entertaining to see the girls get their wiggles out and just have fun and laugh with us!

Our stay ended with a performance of some songs sang by the girls. As we left the facility, we were bombarded with hugs, good-byes, and thank-you's. I truly loved the energy I saw in these girls today, and hope that every one of them receive the love and care they need to be the best they can be as they grow up.