Goodbye (for now) to our sweet girls!
Our hearts have been rung out today. It was our last day with our Thai girls at Baan Choo Jai, and we have felt every single emotion in a 15 hour time span. We love all of the kids we care for – but this Children’s Home is the only one we’ve ever started from the ground up. So we feel so much more responsibility for these girls. Spending a week with them just wasn’t long enough!
But since it was our last day with the girls for a while, today was our “Fun Day”! We started by giving each girl a pewter heart necklace. We told them they were their “sister” necklaces and they made them family. That every time they looked down at them, we wanted them to remember that they were loved and special. Turns out, these girls have never had a piece of jewelry in their lives! We all got a little teary exchanging gifts. These precious little girls have come from some truly heartbreaking situations, so it’s important that they know they are valued. We took the time to look each girl in the eyes and tell them we loved them in Thai. It was such a sweet time.
Next, I gave the girls all manicures (another thing they’ve never experienced), followed by a “Girls Night Out” (turns out they’ve never been to a restaurant before either! They tried to clear the table and wash the dishes when they were done eating because they are just that precious.) Then we came home and had movie night – complete with candy and popcorn! (For those wondering, “Frozen” is adorable in Thai too!) Here’s a little video of all our “Fun Day” highlights!
Fun Day – Maesariang from The Sound of Hope on Vimeo.
The day ended much too soon. I don’t ever remember a goodbye as hard as this one was. So many hugs and kisses – “I love you’s” and “I’ll miss you’s”. So many tears. If we had any doubt as to whether or not we are family to these girls – we know it now. We will carry them in our hearts every day, from now on. And we will do whatever it takes to make sure they are provided for!
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