Thursday, January 12th

Today was our final day at the Malnutrition Center. It was filled with joy and emotion. The “Ducks and Squirrels” enjoyed puzzle time and taking a walk outside. They covered the pavilion in sidewalk chalk. Several of the children wanted us to outline them on the ground. They were covered in chalk as they walked back inside. It was precious to see little Victoria join the Squirrels over the last couple of days. Her face lit up when she went down the slide for the first time.

Right before lunch most of the children had the opportunity to help unload supplies for the center. We couldn’t believe how excited the children were to carry a container of wipes & diapers. They ran back and forth to the van without any whining or complaining. It was a joyful experience.

In the afternoon, the staff provided a wonderful snack for us as a send off… Authentic Guatemalan food. They had fun taking pictures and we had a chance to see more of their personalities come out despite the language barrier. A smile and laughter are universal.

As we prepared to say good-bye, the kids were given packages of Oreos. We loved seeing them with chocolate outlining their mouths and faces. They enjoyed every morsel and I think they left some clean up for the workers at the center too.

This day was no different than the previous three days in regard to the way we would leave each afternoon. The children and staff would all come out and wave good-bye until we were out of sight. What was different about today was the fact that we wouldn't physically be back tomorrow. Our team may not be at the center tomorrow but a part of our hearts will always be there. What a joy and a blessing the Lord gave us this week!

We (the Fountain family) will be in Guatemala until Tuesday, the 17th. The Baggotts and Parkisions will be leaving us Saturday. On Monday, we will go visit our World Vision child, Zuly Elizabeth. We are very excited to see her and her family. Starting tomorrow we plan on visiting some sights in and around Antigua. It is a beautiful city. We have taken lots of pictures of the center and Antigua that we plan to share soon.