Madly in love.

More of the "famous" three!

Olivia wasn't too sure about the babies.

Can I take this cutie home with me?

The calmest baby I have ever met... and she's been this way since she was a newborn!

Olivia had fun playing with the other toddlers- all 20 of them!

When Olivia was younger, we could never get her chubby thighs to fit in the "bumbo" seat, but somehow today she managed to snuggle right in.

XOXO

Victoria Triplet #2

Please pray for Victoria (triplet #2) as she's been rushed to a pediatric hospital with an extremely high fever. She may have some kind of infection and with her premature size this is quite serious.

Baby Victoria

Far left (she's always in yellow).

Baby Victoria with her grandmother

Sending a little love your way...

...from the babies at SK.

Yesterday, there was only one other *tia* working, but somehow we managed to change all 23 diapers, get bottles to the babies, and spend a little time loving on them as well.

If you're thinking of adopting don't hesitate just GO FOR IT! There are SO many orphans worldwide who need a family, who need YOU!

*tia- auntie

Let's help!

I know a lot of you are probably tired of hearing about Haiti (and now with the earthquake in Chile as well) but really... imagine if that was you right now? Imagine if those were your children suffering?

Haiti is a difficult place. I've been there. I've seen the extreme poverty. I've NEVER seen poverty like that before. Bolivia doesn't even compare to the despair and poverty in Haiti. But now... the country has been completely turned upside down. Is it possible to go below rock bottom?

My heart breaks for the children, the people, the country and I pray that this might be a time of revival. A time of great awakening in the lives of these hurting people.

I will never forget the summer of 03'. I had just graduated from high school and I so desperately wanted to help in an orphanage overseas. Somehow I chose Haiti or God chose Haiti for me and wow were my eyes opened. Terrified at times? Yes. There was so much spiritual warfare I felt like I could barely gasp for air.

I stood out like a marshmallow in a cup of hot chocolate.

However, when I arrived at the orphanage I felt at home. Not because it was comfy... quite the contrary, cockroaches plagued the house and we were only fed one meal a day, but because I knew God had called me there for a reason. He wanted to work on my heart. He wanted me to love as He loves. He wanted me to trust Him fully and to be willing to risk everything for Him.

Loving on the babies was right up my alley and I didn't mind all the spit up and head lice. But the thing that tore me apart the most was knowing that each of those kids and babies went to bed every night without a kiss from their mommy or daddy, without the reassurance that someone was watching over them, and without the joy of knowing that someone would always be there to love them.

Wow, just look at those beautiful children. How can we not help? How can we act like everything is okay when really it's not. Let's open our arms, our hearts, and our homes to children in need!

Diapers Galore!

A few days ago, we received a large package full of these!

I am SO excited because these cloth diaper covers will go to SK when I go there Wednesday. They are excellent quality and will last many, many years. You can't find covers like these in Bolivia, but thanks to a good friend (thx Emily!) who raised the money to purchase these covers and was willing to mail them to us, SK will now have lots of happy babies with dry bottoms!

We were also given donations for more disposable diapers- thank you to those who gave! I like to bring a few packages of disposables each time I go just to give the cloth diapers and the tias (aunties) who have to clean them a break! I have a high level respect for those who work so hard to clean the hundreds of diapers that are dirtied a day!!

Call me crazy!

Call me crazy but I don't mind changing diapers. Especially when I get to change the diapers of these sweet babies.

Today, like every other day when I go to Salomon Klein, I walk to the end of our street, wait for the J bus to come, pay 1.5 bolivianos ($.21) and take it until I see the abandoned lot with the black fence (since most of the streets aren't marked, landmarks are key).

After walking a few blocks, I reach Salomon Klein- the largest orphanage in Cochabamba, Bolivia and one of the few that takes babies- home to over 170 children ages newborn to 6 years. Heartbreaking? Yes, very. My first day there I could hardly hold back the tears.

Here's just a glimpse from the outside of the cloth diapers drying. Can you imagine how much laundry 60+ babies in cloth diapers and 110+kids go through per day?

When I arrive all the babies are just waking up from their afternoon nap. After they wake up it's diaper time! Usually there are 3 of us changing diapers... and right now there are 27 little bottoms to be cleaned, but that number fluctuates from week to week.

All the babies sleep in the same room... there are many more cribs I just couldn't get them all in the picture.

After they are changed, the older babies go outside and stay in these walkers for a couple of hours until it's dinner time. The little babies get bottles and then have playtime inside on a mat.

This tiny play area is where the older babies spend most of the day. Next door is the where the 18-24month olds stay.

Sweet baby girl... she wasn't sure what to think of my camera. She's usually pretty serious, but when she does smile it lights up the whole room!

This sweetheart loves to dance!

I love these precious little ones so, so much! I'm so grateful that I have the opportunity to spend the time with them that I do but there's just one problem... I wish I could take them all home! Do you think they'll notice if I slip a baby in my purse?

Today, I held the tiniest baby I have ever held and I fell in love all over again. I stood in awe of how God could create such a tiny, absolutely beautiful being and even though no one wanted this precious little angel He did and He chose to give her life.

and when I get home... this is what I find... priceless :)