Well, Tomas came and went last week without leaving us with too much damage. The tents all survived with minimal flooding, praise the Lord! We were all stuck in the house, however, due to the rain and wind. What do you get when you add bored 20 year olds, soap, rain, tile floor, and ponchos? Thats right, a slip'n'slide on a balcony.

This week, we have been going to an orphanage about an hour away. There are about 30 kids who live there, most of them orphaned from the earth quake. Today, I held a little boy who was three years old for 3 hours straight. His name is Franze. He had a bloated belly because he was malnourished. Both his parents died in the earth quake. He is confused as to why he is there, so he doesn't talk very much. As I held him, he slowly rested his precious little head on my shoulder, and fell asleep. I was glad that he had some comfort, even for just a few minutes. I want to take him home. It won't be easy to say goodbye to him on friday. Their living conditions are minimal. There aren't enough beds for them, and the few beds that are there are not in good condition and don't have sheets. Most of them have been wearing the same clothes all week. They have simple meals of rice and water. I know God loves them, but it is hard to see His children suffer in this way. They all deserve better.

Yesterday, I was waiting in the truck with another team member while the rest of the team went into the back. The windows were rolled down and people were walking past on the sidewalk. I noticed a teenage girl as she walked past but didn't think much of it. A minute later, she doubled back and started talking to me through the window. She didn't ask for anything, instead she told me her story. She was 16 and her name was Esther. Her parents are both dead and she is now taking care of her two younger sisters. She lives with her aunt but had to quite school so she could work to provide for her younger siblings. I had nothing to give her besides prayer. When I asked her if I could, she said yes with tears in her eyes. I have never in my life felt my heart shatter like it did in that moment. What was I doing when I was 16? Definitely not struggling to survive, let alone take care of 2 other people. Esther has permanently changed my life. I am positive a day will not go by that I will not think about her, the sense of panic and desperation in her voice, and the hope she had when I prayed for her.

We now only have 29 days left. Some days are slow, some days are fast. Next week we are fixing up a school, then the following week is the 200 hour burn. After that, we only have 10 days before we say goodbye to Haiti. Its going to go so fast, but I know that God is going to do amazing work in this last month.