The Work of the Potter

Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Isaiah 64:8

He is doing great work in us. Every day we wake up to the gorgeous surroundings of a tropical land. A rooster crows to wake us, frogs chirp until the sun comes out, and even once in a while you can actually hear the howl of a monkey! What an amazing world our Lord has created.

Today we visited the local paper and silk umbrella factory and the Celedon pottery works. We had a chance to see artisans at work, masterfully demonstrating their craft. We saw how a tree becomes an umbrella. Artisans chisel the umbrella handle and harvest the pulp from the mulberry tree to make the paper for the umbrellas. The paper is colored and dried and then the umbrella spokes are made to fit. Finally an artist paints a beautiful design to complete the project. It's a work of art and no 2 umbrellas are exactly alike. They are the work of the hands of the master artist.

We moved on to watch how pottery is made - from a lump of clay to a beautiful piece of artwork. How amazing is it that something beautiful can come out of nothing? We know that this is also how God works within us. He can take anyone and make them a new vessel, mold them into a completely new creation.

It's time to celebrate!

Tonight was the BIG night! We brought the girls their "Christmas" gifts. We were all very impressed with the demeanor of all these little girls. No one complained, no one got out of their seat, but all were patient and courteous to each other. Once they all had their gifts it became a celebration, complete with glow sticks and cake! Everyone had a great time and we want to thank the sponsors who were able to send in gifts to the girls for tonight. They were all so excited and so happy. We're sure they needed extra time tonight to calm down after we left! Take a look at the photos below.

With the generosity of our sponsors we were also able to purchase the new washing machine, a computer, shoes, socks, and undergarments for every girl in the house and they are very much appreciative. Thank you so much!!!