Today was most definitely one of the best days of my life. 

We started the day off going to an orphanage that isn't one of the ones financially supported by Orphan Relief and Rescue. The more time I spent there, the harder it was to fight back the tears. I've never visited an orphanage that doesn't have someone financially supporting it, so it was a huge reality check for me to see. There are around 110 orphanages in Liberia and the vast majority of them are just like this one--leaking, rotting, and filthy, and filled with sick and skinny children. There are only a select few that have been fortunate enough to be sponsored by a church or some other sort of organization, and even those aren't necessarily up to standard. I walked into the kid's bedroom and my stomach nearly dropped. It was a room filled with twin sized bunk beds with thin, rotting mattresses that didn't even completely cover the wood frame. I asked the "father" of the orphanage how many kids slept in each individual bunk. He said three. That means six kids sleep in one bunk bed. The thought of three babies sleeping on those rotting mattresses was enough to make me feel physically sick. 

Needless to say, my morning started off very emotional. You know that feeling when you know God put you somewhere for a reason? I KNOW in my heart, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I was supposed to see that orphanage today. And despite the overwhelming sorrow I felt for my brothers and sisters living in that condition, I also felt such a hope when I thought of the possibility . I could almost hear God saying, "Haley, I am the God who makes beauty from the ashes." And I have complete faith He will do just that. 

After lunch, we took thirty kids from one of our core orphanages to the beach. Seeing their little faces when they saw the water was worth every minute, every penny, and every inconvenience of traveling halfway across the world. You would have thought that we had just walked into Disney World if you didn't know any better. They laughed and laughed and played for a solid three hours in the first three feet of water. I held onto "Eddy Boy", a precious three year-old who was everything but scared of the water. Within minutes of being on the beach he was completely butt naked and running as fast as he could for the ocean! After jumping waves and building sand castles for the entire afternoon, little Eddy was worn out and fell asleep right on my shoulder. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day. 

The only words I have to describe today are "pure joy." To see the faces of abandoned children light up is the closest thing to heaven on earth I've ever experienced. With each new day in Liberia, I am learning that one thing is constant. God is faithful. One day at a time, He is changing people's hearts to fall more and more in love with His children, and I couldn't be more thankful to have a front row seat in watching His plan unfold.