(no subject)
Andrea came into my room bright and early this morning, whispering (sorta, kinda, not really), "JENNIFER, CAN I SLEEP IN YOUR BED, I HAVE BEDBUGS." My first thought was, "What the crap, I'm so tired. I'm going to kill her." She's one of my closest friends so I'm allowed to think that hoho. Second thought was, "OH CRAP, WHAT TIME IS IT?!"
Of COURSE, Murphy's law was instigated this morning, and my alarm clock just HAPPENED to not go off. Stupid thing, I'm going to throw it overboard one day.
Anyway, rush to the 7AM prep meeting in an irritable mood. Was put in a MORE irritated mood by how I felt towards our lack of preparedness. Then our ride came, Terri, and we were taken to Calvary Chapel. All this is said to show you that this morning did NOT start well for me. I was definitely Cranky McCranky the Asian American Girl.
We drove an hour to Calvary Chapel Orphanage and when we arrived, the kids were outside already with signs saying, "Welcome Doulos!" There was still a half hour before the program began, so each of the seven of us began to talk with a group of the children. It was a lot of fun but I was just so so tired from lack of sleep and still in my "morning miserable" mood.
Then a girl, roughly 9 or 10 years old, came ambling up to me. She took her hands and started innocently reaching out at me. At first, I thought she was mentally disabled because there were many mentally disabled children there, but then her caretaker came up to me and told me she was blind. Out of nowhere, the girl just started to hug me. And it wasn't one of those brief, polite hugs. It was a long, please-don't-let-me-go, hug. Even when her caretaker sister became embarrassed and tried to take her off, she wouldn't let go and I told her sister it was okay. Throughout the entire worship session, she held onto my hand. Her name was Glory and man, that was a good hug.
The kids and the people there blessed me so much. It's an orphanage run by an American couple (FROM SOCAL, NO WAY!) for the last 30 some years and they take care of over 150 children from all different backgrounds. The thing that impacted me the most today was how much Calvary Chapel represents the church that is written about in the Bible. A body of people who really take care of one another, who struggle with various weaknesses, and yet, are united in their love of Christ first, each other second.
Calvary Chapel Orphanage was such an amazing representation of Christ on earth. That's the purpose of the church. Man, I freaking hope I'm as cool as Joe and Billie (Tatay and Nanay = Mom and dad) when I get nice and old. It's not easy for them to take care of so many kids, something they kept saying was, "God provided it all." and even while we were there, they were having a harder time than usual today cause one of their newest babies (4 months) was in the hospital with liver and kidney failure and the doctor said she wouldn't make it. Yet, they trust. I'm so freaking ecstatic that there's more to life than this short chapter of life on Earth. 'Cause it definitely sucks like no other sometimes.
Headache! I'm getting sick, hohoho. Friends that I made here are taking me out soon to see the local places of Barcolod, sweet :)
Of COURSE, Murphy's law was instigated this morning, and my alarm clock just HAPPENED to not go off. Stupid thing, I'm going to throw it overboard one day.
Anyway, rush to the 7AM prep meeting in an irritable mood. Was put in a MORE irritated mood by how I felt towards our lack of preparedness. Then our ride came, Terri, and we were taken to Calvary Chapel. All this is said to show you that this morning did NOT start well for me. I was definitely Cranky McCranky the Asian American Girl.
We drove an hour to Calvary Chapel Orphanage and when we arrived, the kids were outside already with signs saying, "Welcome Doulos!" There was still a half hour before the program began, so each of the seven of us began to talk with a group of the children. It was a lot of fun but I was just so so tired from lack of sleep and still in my "morning miserable" mood.
Then a girl, roughly 9 or 10 years old, came ambling up to me. She took her hands and started innocently reaching out at me. At first, I thought she was mentally disabled because there were many mentally disabled children there, but then her caretaker came up to me and told me she was blind. Out of nowhere, the girl just started to hug me. And it wasn't one of those brief, polite hugs. It was a long, please-don't-let-me-go, hug. Even when her caretaker sister became embarrassed and tried to take her off, she wouldn't let go and I told her sister it was okay. Throughout the entire worship session, she held onto my hand. Her name was Glory and man, that was a good hug.
The kids and the people there blessed me so much. It's an orphanage run by an American couple (FROM SOCAL, NO WAY!) for the last 30 some years and they take care of over 150 children from all different backgrounds. The thing that impacted me the most today was how much Calvary Chapel represents the church that is written about in the Bible. A body of people who really take care of one another, who struggle with various weaknesses, and yet, are united in their love of Christ first, each other second.
Calvary Chapel Orphanage was such an amazing representation of Christ on earth. That's the purpose of the church. Man, I freaking hope I'm as cool as Joe and Billie (Tatay and Nanay = Mom and dad) when I get nice and old. It's not easy for them to take care of so many kids, something they kept saying was, "God provided it all." and even while we were there, they were having a harder time than usual today cause one of their newest babies (4 months) was in the hospital with liver and kidney failure and the doctor said she wouldn't make it. Yet, they trust. I'm so freaking ecstatic that there's more to life than this short chapter of life on Earth. 'Cause it definitely sucks like no other sometimes.
Headache! I'm getting sick, hohoho. Friends that I made here are taking me out soon to see the local places of Barcolod, sweet :)