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happy july 5th!
Centrifuge was quite an experience. challenging in many ways, good ways mostly. yes, im still catching up from averaging 5hours a sleep a nite, but wow. we had a group of over 50! it was good to spend so much time with the girls, and many of them opened up and decisions were made. some are still struggling, but they are thinking and asking, which rocks, so please pray for them. two of the cottages left today for the beach. one boy begged the pastor to let me go, but well, obviously im still here. :) it was good to be back at the pool with 3 kids crawling on me at the same time, i missed it. dont know how im gonna function when i leave here. one boy asked me who my foster mom's name was and was speechless when i said i didn't have one. another girl was real upset today when some kids were playing graveyard and acting dead, because her mom is dead, and she said half her family is dead. i just can't imagine. pray for me as i have conversation with those dealing with death in the family, past abortion, bisexuality, hatred, and other things. i just cant explain how it is here. i dont have the words. one thing that is big to me is that they will position me so that my arm is around them, or something, however they want. last nite at the 4th celebration, it was just wow to me seeing all the connie max family together having fun, knowing each kid had their own trunk of junk to carry with them from their homelife. and at centrifuge, some were fightin during the week, but the last nite, we were all together, and the oldest boy shared and i do belive no eye was left dry. one thing he said was how that they were a family, and other kids can go home to share with their parents, but they cant and it sucks, but its the way it is, they have each other and need to get along. sunday he shared verses his dad sent him from prison after accepting Christ. after, we all got in a circle to close in prayer, and just seeing everyone so connected visually like that, man, im not used to things affecting me so much. usually im good at guarding myself from too much emotion stuff, but man, i cant do it anymore. its so real here. so much need. thanks for your prayers. love you all,
lauren<><