Day One Complete

The team visited two orphanages yesterday.  The first one we visited was called Madame Elyennet's orphanage.  There were 65 children there and it recently moved from tent city.  There is no support for this orphanage but they will begin on the Convoy of Hope feeding program in July.  The children were very excited to see us.  We are the sewcond group of Americans to visit them.  Most of the young children were naked and dirty.  They had so much fun getting baths from the team.  After the baths, they each received hygiene kits, vitamins, and clothing.  The Hayes Barton Sew and Sow dresses were a big hit among the little girls.  (Sorry about no pictures right now.  We will keep trying.)  At the first orphanage, we distributed the following items:

• 140 hygiene kits
• 4 water filtration kits
• 2 first aid kits
• 4 large suitcases full of clothes, underwear, socks, and shoes
• toys and candy
• beanie babies
• a full box of recreation equipment
• 13,000+ vitamins, which will help them through 3 months
• Thousands of hugs, smiles, and prayers for the children

The second orphanage was called the Good Samaritan orphanage.  There are 135 children at this location but most of them were sick with fever and did not come out.  The emphasis here was much more on education about water filtration and the importance of proper hand washing.  Also, we had a team perform a skit about God providing for them.  At this location we distributed the following:

• 140 hygiene kits
• 140 school kits
• 2 first aid kits
• toys
• candy
• feminine products
• recreation equipment
• Lots of song singing, love, and hugs

The day was long riding in an open air truck that carried us and our supplies.  There were diesel and exhaust fumes, unreliable roads, and lots of images we have never seen before.  But there was also a cool breaze, fellowship, and a sense of purpose.  We were even able to stop at the memorial for the mass grave which is on the side of a mountain with thousands of crosses representing the 250,000 people buried there.  It's almost breakfast time....we have much to do.  We'll try to post at night but with it being rainy season the internet signal is not very strong.