Returning

This year's preparations for Lebanon have been much different...there is a sense of familiarity of what this trip is going to look like which is comforting.  We are going to be on the plane for a LONG time! We will greet the boys as they return to the orphanage and immediately begin the non-stop week of play, tutoring (which the boys will not be excited about!), trips to the pool, and excursions to the beautiful coast and mountains of Lebanon.  There is also familiarity in the cuisine to expect: bread, cheese, bread, fresh fruit, bread, hummus, bread, and more bread!

This year there is also a sense of hesitancy to return in the midst of what has been said in the media regarding the crisis in Syria (which has spread into Lebanon).  I have come to understand that this sense of instability is "normal" in Lebanon and trust that our team will be safe. I know that this year's trip means so much to the boys and staff at Dar el Awlad.  It also means a great deal to Calvary that we are returning.  It is so amazing to see the impact of these trips on our church.  Our team of eight represent a church body who love and serve each other in amazing ways!  I am so glad to represent that love at Dar el Awlad.  I'm looking forward to sharing your notes and little surprises with the boys when we give them their shoes this year.  It will be so fun to see the joy in their eyes as they remember your names and faces from last year!  It means so much to them that we continue to come and continue to share our lives with them.  This is just one of the tangible ways Calvary continues to build a strong foundation with Dar el Awlad. 

Last year at this time I really didn't know what to expect. This year as I begin checking the final things off my to do list I am filled with joy as memories from last year flood my mind.  I'm excited to see the boys again and to see how they have changed and grown from last year.  I can't wait to see the Bouchers again and to meet Chad! I'm also looking forward to the memories that will be made with our team this year and the way God will bless and use each one of us. 

Jenn Caballero