It Feels Like Home

So I've been in Mexico for 2 months now... It's hard to believe how quickly the time goes! The Genesis House is starting to feel more like home to me; I'm still getting used to having 16 sisters, but we have a lot of fun together. We had our first school field trip a couple of weeks ago to the Cerro (a big hill with ancient ruins) and to Molino de Flores (a park with beautiful flowers and scenery and more ruins). The first stop was the Cerro, where we were divided up into two groups. Each of the two groups had a guide who led us through the rocky terrain and educated us about the ruins. The hike was tough and we had to keep the younger kids motivated to keep going. One of the house dads did the hike while carrying a baby the whole time! The ruins were really cool to see and it was neat to learn about Mexican history, but we were all definitely ready to be back in the vans after a 3 hour hike in the sun. Our second stop was to Molino de Flores, but by that time, the kids had had enough of walking and listening to the guide talk. We spent the time talking and taking pictures instead.

Erin and I hosted Girls Night this past Friday - it was a royal banquet where the girls came dressed up. The banquet was supposed to start at 8:00, but we forgot to factor in the amount of time it would take the girls to get ready. They finally arrived at 9:15. We ate desserts and sang to one of the girls for her birthday. After dessert, we had them read the story of Esther - they had various verses under their chairs to read outloud. We bought the girls each a rose and put the verse: "And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" to remind them that they each have a purpose. The girls were thrilled to get the flowers. We also played Mafia, adapting the game to fit the Esther story. It was great to do something special for the girls and to spend some quality time with them. Being here is teaching me a lot about loving like Jesus did - unselfishly and even when it's difficult. The kids here are wonderful about letting me know that I am loved and I am trying my best to show them that same kind of love on a daily basis.