I’m just getting over a stomach bug of some kind.

I haven’t been that sick in a while! I imagine it’s inevitable; ice in a drink made from unboiled water; fruit that wasn’t washed properly; everyone has an opinion about the cause. I’d just like to avoid it for the foreseeable future.

This past weekend we all took a road trip to Thissamaharama. We’d gotten word that an orphanage there was about to take in 100 more tsunami orphans from various refugee camps. A pastor and his wife run the orphanage, and couldn’t say no when they were asked to take the additional children. They already have three kids of their own and 33 other children living with them. The property is laid out like a college quad; four buildings each housing about 8-10 kids facing a central play area with a volleyball net, swings and jungle gyms. Ironically, these are some of the happiest kids I’ve seen in Sri Lanka. The story of this extraordinary couple and how they came to start an orphanage five years ago is incredibly moving and inspirational. I’m writing it all down in detail, and when I’m done with it, I’d be happy to send it along to those of you that might be interested. When we asked him how in the world they manage to feed this many kids, he just looked to the heavens and said, “The Lord always provides.” One of us expressed awe at his faith and he just smiled at us and said, “The Lord brought you to us today!” I was pretty sure we came by van, but I know when to keep my mouth shut… besides, he’s right. We are currently working on getting a contractor to dig a well and getting them a pump. They can’t take in the extra kids until they build the additional homes and improve the water situation. They currently have access to a public water tap for about three hours a day and you can imagine what a chore it is to get all those kids bathed in that amount of time.

The name of the orphanage is Our House. The pastor didn’t want the children to interact and identify as orphans out in the community, so instead of saying, “I live at the Assembly of God Orphanage,” they say, “I live at Our House.” I’m attaching a bunch of pictures of the kids. By way of explanation, I purchased a slew of those long balloons that you use to make sculptures and animals. During the loooooong van ride, I taught all my fellow volunteers how to make hats; dogs and flowers (as well as some yet to be identified critters). Suffice it to say, they were a big hit with the kids.