Do you remember anticipating your birthday as a child? What gifts you would receive? What your cake would look like? I do, and now - thanks to you - so do the kids at Open Arms Village!
Many of our kids, especially those who have been abandoned or neglected, don't know their exact birthdays. We have quarterly birthday parties at the Village so we can celebrate all our children without pointing that out. It's also another opportunity to show them the extravagant love of our Heavenly Father in action!
Last month, we had one of the biggest birthday parties of the year. Not only did we celebrate summer birthdays, but we also celebrated all our high school kids who are away at boarding school during the year.
The child welfare department did an amazing job celebrating the birthdays for over 80 children, baking six large cakes! A visiting mission team coordinated fun relay games, and it was a special day celebrating our children's worth. (You can see more fun photos of all the activities on our Facebook or Instagram page!)
Thank you so much for your help in making this party a reality! Birthdays are very special for our kids because they reaffirm what we tell them every day: that they are loved, that they are not a mistake, and that despite hard things they've experienced, they now have a safe place to call home. Join me in wishing a Happy Birthday to our beautiful children!