As always, we were greeted at the entrance of the orphanage by excited children calling out our names. Our team has been trying to make a special effort to learn the names of each of the 75 kids in the orphanage, so that we can greet them by name, too! We have a photo album with a picture of each child and their name. On the 3 1/2 hour bus ride to Pishana we have plenty of time to pass around the album and practice all the names and it pays off. When we got to the orphanage this time, one boy Vadim couldn't stop smiling when several team members called him by name. With a smile on his face he told one team member, "Three people already remembered my name!". We hope and pray that as we learn each name and show each child that they are loved and valued, they will ultimately realize that God knows their name too and knows just where they are.
Our lesson this month was a review of several Bible stories and topics that we have discussed in the past. The kids enjoyed some review games and questions. In our small group time, each child was able to make a small book with a Bible verse reminding them of each lesson. We finished the day with playtime and lots of smiles :)
