This trip. Geez Louise, this trip. You would think that after spending 13 years taking relief trips, serving the poor, and loving on beautiful kids, that I would become calloused or get used to it. Nope. I found myself in tears more than a few times during this Simply Love trip, over the heartbreaking and devastating stories of the children at the orphanage. Stories of abuse, abandonment, neglect, and horrifying truths about how much our world can be so messed up. But int he middle of all this, there is light to be found and hope to be clung to. Karissa and her family started Casa Feliz in Ecuador a few years ago and it is so obvious that the orphans there, despite their horrific backgrounds, are thriving. Hey are happy, healthy children who are loved and secure.

This trip, as usual, was an incredible one. Our team worked their bums off and I was so impressed with their willingness and desire to serve! Rain or shine, they were ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work! While there we did the following:

• Made an in-gound checkerboard with tile
• Painted the back retainer wall and turned it into a chalkboard wall
• Laid concrete to smooth out their back patio
• Organized Casa Feliz’s orphanage supplies storage room
• Organized the “tool shed” and general supplies storage
• Organized ALL the donated items we brought (THANK YOU to everyone who donated! We had SO MUCH to organize and the staff was THRILLED!!!)
• Built various carnival games, including corn hole, bean bag toss and a ball toss game
• Sewed copious amounts of bean bags
• Put on a carnival in a remote jungle village
• Made and handed out 150 lunches to the village
• Played lots of Duck, Duck, Goos, tag, and wheelbarrow races.
• Loved on lots of adorable children!

If you are interested in joining us on our 2015 trip, you can visit the Simply Love website to look over the information. Dates will be announced this summer!