.bits.

Lauren and I stayed in the house with the girls all weekend. It was a blast (althoughhh we were pretty happy to see the full-time staff this morning I think.) Saturday night after church we let them have a "piyamada"- a sleepover. We watched a movie, made popcorn, and all the girls slept in the living room together. In the past I´ve slept in there with them... but we looked at each other when they were still up and chatty at 2 AM and headed to bed. We then let them sleep in/watch TV until about 10 Sunday morning. And Sunday was honestly a virtually perfect day in my book... after we all got up and had brunchish, we hung around the house cooking and dancing, ate lunch, played cards, did a workshop with the girls on discovering their and others´ ´love languages´, baked "American desserts" (chocolate chip cookies and brownies), played soccer at a nearby park, and they all on their own initiative agreed it would be a good idea to go to bed early. Rock. Star. Day.


I love this work.


I´ve been trying to grab one-on-one moments with the girls where I can... taking one with me to get bread from the tienda next door, washing dishes with another. I love one-on-one time.


I am trying not to say "my girls". I am so glad to be here but I am also very aware that two weeks is not six months. I´m so excited for Lauren to get to continue to form these relationships with them.


In staff devotionals today we read Psalm 91. It´s beautiful in Spanish and in English.


Have I mentioned how much I love the staff?


We have a beautiful girl here who is too young to have her driving learner´s permit in the States. A few months ago she birthed a perfect baby girl... by a member of her immediate family.
The other day I passed by her room and glimpsed her lying on her side on the bed. I knocked and walked in. She turned over and smiled at me. I saw that she was lying on her side facing her baby, who was laying on her blanket and smiling open-mouthed up at her mom. "Look, hermana. Isn´t my little girl so beautiful? Look at her eyes. Aren´t they so beautiful?" She turned back to smiling and cooing at her baby. "Mira, hija! Mira! Donde esta Mami? Donde estoy?" She laughed and gave her kisses on her face.
This morning at the staff meeting we discussed how we´ve never seen even a moment of anything other than responsible care and concern and affection and joy from her over her child.


I´m obsessed with the book Gracias by Henri Nouwen. I want to memorize every other page.


The cell phone ringtone of Hermano Tino, the director of Albergue, one of the kindest and most respectful, faith-filled men I know, is "Hey, Soul Sister" by Train.