Day 1- SFCV

We had a busy today! We got a few hours of sleep and woke up just before 6 am wide awake and ready to go. We started out the morning with a tour of the Clinic. This is where the sickest babies are kept. Dr. Moody introduced us to some of the children and we spent time loving on the babies.

There is one baby in particular that really got our attention. Her name is Leah and she is NOT a newborn (age unknown- thought to be 6 months) but is so fragile. She is not thriving. You can see her bones through her skin and her skin hangs from her body. She takes short breaths and her eyes will roll back when she is falling asleep. I hate to say it, but it feels like she is dying. I have never held a child like this and it was a bit overwhelming. Please include her in your prayers.

After the clinic we went to the House of Blessings where we got to spend time with some more adorable children. I played games with Robert and Josiah (they are home from VBS with the chicken pox) and Mitzi, Kyle, and Jamie went upstairs to love on some babies. After lunch, we were given the task of cleaning the therapy room. We disinfected all of the toys and wiped down the floors, mats, and equipment. It was a big job, but it looked great when we were finished. (It smelled really clean, too!)

We were allowed back in the children's homes after nap, so we headed straight for the clinic. The babies there are all so precious, but in need of so much care. We loved, hugged and cuddled the babies for an hour. Kyle held Leah for an hour which was great! I have a feeling we will be at this house everyday.

 This is Isabella. She is 2 and half years old and needs a family. She has been through 4 or 5 major surgeries and it is a miracle she is still alive! She is a little firecracker and made sure to let me know exactly what she wanted (or didn't want!)

This is Leah.

We finished our evening with a trip to Agape house. It is amazing!!! Clay and Jewel Floch used to work at SFCV and left in the fall of 2011 to become house parents at Agape House. It is a foster home for children with Brittle Bone disease. It was such a joy to hear Clay speak about what they are doing and to tour the 5 houses. Please visit them on facebook or go to their website to see all the amazing things they are doing. They have 5 girls who are older and learning life skills to support themselves. They started a bakery and sell various goods. We bought 2 pizzas for dinner and loaded up on cookies and carrot cake. The pizza was delicious! We called Clay last minute and he was so kind to come and pick us up, give us a tour and bring us back to SFCV. It was a memorable trip, and I hope that we can raise awareness of Agape house and help them to find more sponsors for the children.

It was a wonderful day full of many sweet children. It was a reminder to me that no matter the special need, the greatest need of all is to know the love of a family.

**it is difficult to upload pictures, so I will try again tomorrow.