Open Hand Children's Home

So once again I am here to tell you of a Children's Home that God
is using to rescue children from lives of poverty and hardships.
Located in Kenya, Africa, Open Hand has rescued 41 children and
loved them the way Jesus loves us. Check out their website to
learn more about the work they do! It is extremely encouraging
plus they have adorable pictures of some of the kids! :) God bless!

~Lily

What's next :)

Hey! Sorry it's been a while since I last posted... I've been super busy!
I am graduating this year and so I have been praying about what come
next! I am hoping to go to an orphanage for several months and immerse
myself and learn all I can. So right now I am looking and praying about
where I should go. It's really exciting and a bit nerve-wracking but I am
excited to see where God leads. :)

Also, click this to go to Maggie Doyne's blog. She has a Children's Home
in Nepal and is doing AMAZING work there. This is an intense story about
some of the stuff she does. God is really using her in the lives of the people
living in Nepal.

Have a great week! :) Here are two pictures of two sweet girls I met while
in Ecuador. Karin was a little love bug who just crawled right into my lap.
The older girl (I never got her name) was thrilled when she found out we
both had braces and never left my side for the rest of the day. :)



God bless!
~Lily

Covenant Mercies

Covenant Mercies is a ministry through the
SGF church helping orphans and those in
need in Uganda. Their website really explains
alot about what they do.

"Covenant Mercies’ vision for ministry to
orphans includes:

*Enabling extended families of orphans to
provide effective care through our Orphan
Sponsorship Program

*Building orphans’ homes in cooperation
with local churches in other nations

*Providing adoptive homes for orphaned children

*Providing Adoption Assistance grants for
qualified families through our Orphans Fund"

Covenant Mercies also allows the children to be
sponsored. For just $30 a month you can make
such a big difference in a child's life. Click here
to go to the sponsorship page.

God bless!
~Lily

Missing Ecuador and all the cuties!

Final Ecuador post :)

Well, today I'll try to wrap up this super long saga of my trip... ;)

I was blown away by how much I learned on this trip. I am so blessed
to be a sponsor and be able to sponsor Kevin. I actually just got two
letters from him where he told me how much fun he had. So cool to
hear! I am excited to correspond with Kevin now that we have so many
memories to share together! I feel like I receive more as a sponsor than
my sponsored child does. Being a sponsor is more than a monthly $ sign
but it is investing time and love into a little boy who lives across the
continent. I am so thankful for Compassion and their ministry.

Have a wonderful week!
God bless!

~Lily

Ecuador, Day 5

Day 5 we spent at a child development center where mothers learn how to care for the young children. Most of this post will be pictures. The kids were adorable and I loved hearing them giggle as they held our hands and smiled their beautiful smiles. Children are definitely a blessing! Some of the mothers at the project did two Ecuadorian dances for us and then invited us onstage with them so I was able to dance with them which was a once in a lifetime experience! :)
I hope you enjoy these pictures!!!

Ecuador Day 4 part 2

Day 4 part 2 :)

At the park there was a really really really freaky zipline that Kevin decided to try! Basically it was a swing that went down a zipline and was stopped by two tires=dangerously fun! After he tried it he pointed to me and with a bunch of screaming... I ended up going on the zipline and actually enjoying it! We took a few pictures at the playset and I showed Kevin how to use my camera.



My dad found some small coconuts on the ground and he and Kevin practiced throwing them at an empty waterbottle! So cute and Kevin loved it because he beat my dad and knocked down the bottle! :) We played a little more soccer and then the hardest part of the trip came... saying goodbye.

We started out with a GIANT group picture of all the sponsors and sponsored children, family members, tutors, translators and directors.
/Users/kristiafluharty/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Originals/2010/Roll 478/P1020643.JPG



Saying goodbye was so much harder than I thought it would be. I was trying really hard not to cry because I was so happy about the two wonderful days we had shared but it was really hard. Kevin ran and picked me a beautiful flower which was really special.



I didn't want to let Kevin go but I am so glad for the time I was able to spend with him!




I am so blessed to be a sponsor and be able to know Kevin. The two days I spent with him some of the best in my life and the memories we share are priceless! I just received a letter from him today and he was so grateful for the visit! I will post the final day soon!

God bless!
~Lily