What a week.... oh wait! We've only been working two days!

It seems as if we have been here for days...maybe even weeks...but we are enjoying EVERY minute of it! The kids can be a handful at times...grabbing paint buckets, nail polish remover, scissors, and even glasses...but they are such a joy! We have had so much fun building relationships with them and laughing with them! It's amazing how much you can accomplish without even knowing Bulgarian! Just don't go to the hardware store with Wayne and David... that's another story.

Speaking of the men... We should give them some credit for the hard work they have done all week. David Applegate, Carlton, Joe, David, Wayne, (and some younger helpers)have done an AMAZING job after only 2 days! For the past two days, they have painted all the outside fences, the playground, and a bedroom. It was a much needed face-lift! Everyone was eager to help--even the young girls! By the end of the day, we all had green paint on us somewhere! Tomorrow, they are going to be painting another bedroom, building a wardrobe for the girls, and building a puppet theater. I'll be sure to post pictures of the completed projects! We are so glad that Wayne was able to find his passport and come on the trip :)







We have been extremely busy these past days with crafts and games! These children are constantly on-the-go and demand lots of attention and energy! Just today we ate tons of oranges, played handbells, danced, colored, made airplanes, made necklaces and bracelets, played cards, tag, did the limbo... plus much much more!






One "project" that we are focusing on this week is building a relationship with the older girls. For the past three years, Susan has developed a strong bond with them. They adore her and anticipate her arrival each year. However, we are concerned with how they deal with their feelings of anger, acceptance, and sadness. In an effort to understand them better, we are beginning to have round table discussions. Today, it started as a discussion about good character traits, friends, trust, respect, and role models. Often these girls try to gain attention from older men as a way to feel loved and wanted. It's a really sad situation. We hope that by talking to them and gaining their trust, we can show them how to respect themselves and how to make good decisions. Please pray for these girls! They are in desperate need for parental guidance, and they just don't have any at all. They were very interested to talk to us today, and we hope that their willingness to be open and honest will continue.

Overall, the group is doing well! We are having a great time together and are enjoying the company of new and old friends from the UK! It seems as if we have known them forever!

Bulgarian language tip of the day.... don't say "super duper"... you can ask Susan about it :)

Please continue to keep us in your prayers! One prayer request... Joe has not been feeling well since Friday. He's been a trooper though! Wayne has definitely kept all the men busy! Please pray that he will feel better soon!

Love you all!

More pictures from days 1 and 2
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52050526@N02/?saved=1