Goodbyes

Really not looking forward to saying my goodbyes tomorrow and Wednesday morning. I hate goodbyes, especially if I don't know if I will ever see people again. I've just started getting to know some of the older kids in the orphanage and I wish I had a lot more time with them! I'm glad some of the babies are going home soon because goodbyes will be easier knowing they finally get to go home where they belong, but I'm really sad to leave the ones that will still be here. I just wish they could all go home now because it would be easier to say goodbye. I know that God is in each adoption and His timing is perfect. He'll get me through my goodbyes and maybe someday bring me back here again!

Last week in Taiwan

It's my last week in Taiwan! I can hardly believe that summer is just about over! I've loved being here and will miss the babies and friends I've made here, but I'm ready to go home and start a new school year.

Things I'll miss:
-Baby smiles
-Baby giggles
-Babies snuggling
-Playing with babies
-Late night chats with Bev
-Pineapple, mango, bananas, other fruits
-Eating with chopsticks
-Spending time with the other volunteers
-Showhwa
-Cold showers (and wanting to take them!)
-Rocking babies to sleep
-Babies in general (because I could go on and on with a list of things I'll miss about the babies)
-Bike rides with Abbey
-I'm sure there are more things that I just can't think of right now

Things I won't miss:
-Always smelling like sweat and spit up
-No weekends
-Fish
-Heat and humidity (although I may still have that at home)

Looking forward to seeing family and friends, a new school year, and some good American food!

MATT AND CHRISSY ARE COMING TODAY TO GET MIRA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Night time bonding

Our 8:00pm feeding is usually pretty crazy. The babies go over to devotions at 7:15 to be held by the older kids. We usually take the bottles over to them at devotions, so once devotions is over, we technically only have to change diapers and put them to bed. This rarely happens. Usually, there are babies who haven't eaten their whole bottle so we have to re-feed them. We appreciate all the help from the older kids because it takes a much shorter amount of time to feed the babies! All the babies are usually in bed by 8:15, but they are not generally calm, quiet, and asleep. Lately, the babies seem more lively than ever at this time, so we've been spending some quality bonding time with them. Some babies require only that you put their pacifier back in their mouths while others demand another bottle. Some will go to sleep simply be having their back patted for about five minutes, while others are just not ready to go to bed and want to play. This can be tiring at the end of the day and sometimes it's easy to get frustrated. Last night, most of the babies actually went to bed, but there was one little girl who kept crying. She had already been given a second bottle, and still carried on. I pulled her out of her crib and took her to the kitchen to rock her (isn't that where you keep your rocking chair?!) She snuggled against me, stuck her thumb in her mouth, and I thought "Oh good, she'll be out in no time!" Boy was I wrong! For the next half hour, she smiled and talked to me! Hard to be frustrated and crabby when that's the picture you see looking down at her. :-) As exhausting as these evenings can be, they are sometimes the best times to bond with the babies.

Happy Birthday Joel!

Happy birthday Joel!

Wish I could be there to celebrate with you! Love you!

Trust His Heart

All things work for the good


Though sometimes we can't

See how they could

Struggles that break our hearts in two

Sometimes blind us to the truth

Our Father knows what's best for us

His ways are not our own

So when your pathway grows dim

And you just can't see him,

Remember he's still on the throne



[Chorus:]



God is too wise to be mistaken

God is too good to be unkind

So when you don't understand

When don't see his plan

[ Find more Lyrics on http://mp3lyrics.org/863P ]

When you can't trace his hand

Trust His Heart



He sees the master plan

He holds the future in his hand,

don't live as those who have no hope,

While our hope is found in him.

We see the present clearly

But he sees the first and last

And like a tapestry he's weaving you and me,

To someday be just like him



[Chorus]



He alone is faithful and true

He alone knows what is best for you



[Chorus]



When you can't trace his hand

When you don't see his plan

When you don't understand

Trust His Heart

Amazing babies!

It's 7:30am and all fifteen babies are still in bed! I can see one peeking out at me from his crib, but he's content to just stay there for now. He knows the routine and usually sticks to it! It amazes me how smart these babies are! At four or five months old, they know the routine, can hear the microwave and know that means bottles are on the way, open their mouths as you're drinking from your water bottle because they want some too, and cry as soon as you walk in the room because they know you'll pick them up! Sometimes I have to remind myself that they are still so young!

Veggietales... in Chinese

Tonight we watched a movie in devotions. I never know what it is until they turn it on and then I usually recognize it as Hermie, Adventures in Odyssey, or McGee and Me (all great old movies!). As I watched the first few seconds of tonight's movie, I simply heard voices and there wasn't anything on the screen. I didn't recognize the voices, but heard all the kids saying the words with the movie and immediately thought "Veggietales!" Then, they all broke out into the song! I never really thought about kids in other countries loving Veggietales as much as kids in the U.S. do. I'm imagining a group of kids from all over the world singing the Veggietales theme song in their language all at once. How cool would that be?!

Kelsey, Adrian, and Kalyn left yesterday :-( Miss them already! It's so much different with just three volunteers left. I'm SOOOO thankful for Showhwa (who is here everyday except Sunday)!

14 babies right now, one possibly joining us soon, five leaving soon. I'll miss them, but I'm so excited to meet the families and see them finally get to go home! Then it will be my turn. Mixed emotions- excited to see family and friends, but I'll definitely miss the babies!