Surprise Visit

After cutting veggies this morning (still no pataste to take a picture of for you), we got the kiddos breakfast and then into the pavilion to play.  The big girls stayed home from school today due to a missing cell phone that needs to be found.  Glinda's phone went missing on Saturday and the girls had 2 days to find it, but now there consequence for not turning it in is not being allowed to go to school, so they spent the entire day raking leaves and burning them.

After lunch I gave a tour of the elementary and secondary school to Laurie and her daughters.  Rachel wanted to check in with the elementary school librarian (who is a volunteer) if she could borrow a few books to read to the toddlers.  The librarian told her that there were already books locked up in the pavilion and she would just have to ask for the key.

After working in the toddler house this afternoon (playtime, supper, showers and dishes), I stopped at the Big Girls yard and Doris told me that she wanted to straighten my hair.  She advised me as she was doing it that I was supposed to wear it straight and not wash it for a week, which is what many girls down here do once it's straightened (even a volunteer said that she did that).  The problem is that I have fine hair and it tends to get very oily after just 24-36 hours.  Since I had washed it that morning, it was already starting to produce oil near the scalp (which she could feel).  I let her know that I'd go as long as I could, but I couldn't make any promises.

Jeremias, Alejandra (in back), LoriAnn, and Nicole

When we came back to our room, there was a big van in front of the hotel.  As I came closer, I saw that John and Jenny had come back for a visit!  John was in charge of the Grandecitos house last year when it was opened.  The pastor who read Psalm 133 for the ribbon cutting ceremony is also down here (part of the OH group).  I was so touched by his choosing of scripture that I had a plaque made for John's house with the verses engraved (I might have mentioned this in an earlier post)...however John was no longer here.  I was told that he left in February to go to the States to try to raise funds to begin an orphanage in Thailand.  What a surprised to see him back on a visit!  He let me know that the Thailand goals didn't work out, but that he was living in Tennessee and working on a horse therapy ranch that spent much time working with ADD and ADHD children.  He came down with the owner to work with Emmanuel's horses (and the boys that work with the horses) to make sure their program that was started a couple of years ago was still running strong.  I gave John a small bag of the chili suckers - his favorite!  

Plaque for the Grandecitos house is hanging above entryway

After chatting with him, I went into the kitchen to say "hi" to his wife, Jenny.  She was surprised to see me too and we chatted for a while.  She said she was glad that she was back home for a visit (she was an orphan here since very young).