It’s crazy that I have been here for over a week now. It seems like the week was finished in the blink of an eye. I have a feeling that time will continue to fly by, making it that much more important to be present in each moment and cherish the time I have with the people I am surrounded by.
This past week we had a construction team here. It was fun getting to know them and see God break their hearts for the children here. I spent the week working with John and Poulin, our sponsorship coordinators. I am helping them to get things a little more organized. I also got to spend each afternoon with some of the Balan community kids who come to school here. I am absolutely falling in love with them. These kids live right around the school in small homes or shacks. It is such a blessing that the Lord has provided for some of them to come to school here.
One afternoon we had the opportunity to go to some of the homes of these children. We stopped at one of them and I was completely humbled by the home that 5 of our children live in. It is a 2 room wood hut that has one mattress and one counter to prepare food on. They only have their dad to care for them (which is rare, it is typically the mother who stays around). There was a small fire pit in the back of their house and that was about all they had. That day I had been frustrated with the Internet not working on my computer, lack of organized schedule, poor language communications and a few other things. When I was standing at that house I realized that none of my frustrations really mattered. All that mattered was that I was here to show the love of God to these kids and that I cannot let the works of satan and his frustrations allow me to lose my focus on where God has placed me.
These kids who come from the community ALWAYS show up with a huge smile on their face even though they come from nothing. They slept on the floor the night before, possibly on the wet floor if it rained hard enough. They do not have any food in their belly because their parents cannot afford meals for them, so they have not eaten since the previous days meal we provided them before they went home. There is so much more for them to be upset by than I have to be upset by, and yet they always come happy to have the opportunity learn and eat a meal. They are content in their situation.
I think I have a lot to learn from them. I am excited to get more of the language under my belt so that I can really begin to form better relationships with them and get to know them a little better.
Thank you for your continued prayers. I am learning a lot and am slowly starting to get things set up for the long haul here! I should be looking at houses this week and more cars. Hopefully in the next 2 weeks both of those things will be figured out and I can move on to thinking about other things 
