Emily: With a little bit of pressure from various people I have, yes, given in and decided to post something.. although I don’t even know where to start. This week has truly been some of the most fun and meaningful moments for me this year. As I slapped more of the beloved yellow paint[ish] ‘goop’ onto the new laundry room wall with dried out hands from days of constantly being coated in chemicals, I thought about how there is absolutely no other place I’d rather be.  I’m always excited to do some hard work, but while showing the kids God’s incredible love, I feel like I am getting just as much in return. Getting to know a few of the kids and their unique personalities has been one of my favorite experiences. So much so, that as we rested our hands on the kid’s shoulders at the end of the church service tonight and prayed for them, I’ll admit I was brought to tears. The thought that we have made an impact on these kids in such a short time combined with the knowledge that we have less than a day left to spend with many of them is hard for me to handle.
Alright, well its time for bed, but a couple things: 1) we sang some Hillsong songs [yes in spanish ha] in church and I hear them being played through the speakers around Emmanuel and its just so cool to see all the kids praising God and it helps me see that through all our differences, there is still so much in common. 2) I broke down and played a little soccer one night with some of the younger kids and they basically creamed me hah. 3) For those of you who know my dad, some of the kids asked him if he knew Scooby-Doo, and after he responded with an enthusiastic ‘yes,’ they pointed at him and shouted ‘Shaggy!’ My dad concluded that they definitely know their cartoons haha. 4) Thank you so much everyone for your prayers! I know it means a lot to me, and im sure it’s the same for the entire group.

Ellen's Paint Accident, Tripping up the Stairs