Day #9-I will always remember

Oh the kind of memories you make on missions trips. Some funny, some serious, and some life changing. But no matter what category they fit in they all are important. Some of the memories I have already made are enough to fill a book....but don't worry, I'll only share a few. The first is probably eating a traditional dinner at Vera's house. Her hospitality and great food show's how wonderful people can be....even to total strangers. It was so nice to be able to share a meal with a total stranger and feel completely comfortable (and at home!). The second I found pretty hysterical. Yesterday at the orphanage their was a young woman who was obsessed with rings. She would come over to you pull your hand up close to her face and inspect your rings. She would touch them to her face and would touch them delicately. As she was "inspecting" my ring she noticed my thumb. Now for those of you that don't know, most people make fun of my thumbs saying that they look like toes on my hands (and I have to agree that they look pretty abnormal :). So when she noticed my thumb I thought to myself....oh here we go. She was fascinated with it and pulled at my other hand to make sure my other thumb was the same way. I couldn't keep from giggling at the escapade and was very pleased that my thumbs brought enjoyment to her. The third memory would also be at the orphanage, but this time with a girl named Rodica. She was the first to greet us as we came out of the van, and her enthusiasm was contagious. As we toured the last building Rodica came over to me and started carrying on a very random conversation. Then she went over to a stack of papers and pulled out a picture she colored. When she gave it to me I couldn't help but smile. Her smile was so big and her face just beamed (you would have thought she had painted the mona lisa). Shen then quickly grabbed my hand and would not let go. She told me repeatedly that she thought I was beautiful and she was so excited to show me her room. When we went in she pointed to all the pictures she colored on her wall and hurriedly went to her dresser and pulled out a ripped photo of herself and presented it to me. I was touched and I will never forget her face as long as I live. The last memory is the babies. I will always remember the way they cuddle up to me when I hold them, their smiles when you make silly faces at them, and their sweet faces in general. I thank God for every moment I have with them. I'm sure more memories will be made in this next week and I'm so anxious to tell all of you out there about them. Until then, GOD BLESS and have a great week :)