This has been quite a week at the orphanage. It has been full of blessings. I was pretty nervous as it was approaching knowing that Bob and Joy were going to be out of town - especially since it would be my first time in this country without an opportunity to have an interpreter. Yet, it has been surprisingly amazing.

Monday, we got one new boy right as we were finishing eating dinner. Then, last night at 9:00, we got another new boy. Both boys seem to be adjusting well as for right now, and I think they are already starting to fit into the TH family.

Normally, Bob will read from the Bible and do a devotional after dinner every night. Yet, with him gone, we have had to change the normal schedule. The boys have been taking turns reading the bible (during lunch and dinner) - and explaining the passage that they pick to share. It has been so amazing to hear some of them. One of the littlest ones wants to be a pastor and I have to say that he looks at Psalm 1 differently than I have in the past, and I was so blessed. He mentioned that sometimes there are hard times in life, but then when they pass, that is when God gives us lots of good things.

Tonight we had our normal Wednesday night service, but one of the 12 year old boys lead us in worship. He only played two songs on the piano, but he did amazing. He was really nervous, especially because of some of the jokes that another boy said earlier, but he did it. He had asked me earlier if I would buy him some chips if he did it (in front of the other boy that was laughing), and I told him no. Then, I told him later, look, I can buy something you want for everyone here, but I can not buy you something just for yourself. Then I explained, in the bible, it tells us that if we have a reward here on earth, then we don't have it in heaven. Yet, if we don't have our reward here, then we'll be rewarded in heaven. After asking him if he would rather have his reward here from me or waiting until the next world to have it from God, he started thinking and he did not ask me for anything else.

It's amazing to see how some of the kids are growing in their walks with our Lord.

Last night, one of the boys wanted to run to get some air out... So, I ran with him. He kept running faster when we went by the houses with the dogs and then I finally asked him - are you scared of the dogs? He admitted that he was, and then I told him a little something about me. I told him about how I always think of the story of Daniel if I start to get a little scared around the dogs on the streets, and I told him how I think about how God shut the mouths of the lions. Then I said, "then I think, if God can close the mouths of lions"... then he interrupted and said, "then God can close the mouths of dogs". Exactly. God is good, and He really him home in this boy last night, because the second we got back to the house, he had to tell his Tia Adela about it. :)

Thank you Lord for the ability to be used by You. Lord, please continue to open the boys' hearts and ears to hear Your words and to apply them to their lives.