Day 8:

I LOVE cleaning!! I know this sounds, weird but I do. I think whether you like to clean or you don't like to, it always feels good when you are finished. So, today this was our mission. Clean the whole entire orphanage and make it as clean as it can be. We started off by going to the largest market here, the Osprey Market. Here we had to get all the cleaning supplies you could think of and more. You might think this is very easy, however this took almost two hours. This market is not like your average store. Everything is in a different area, we walk single file, and we probably find one person who can speak English, if that. This is an experience in itself! Ha! We eventually bought everything we needed and all seven of us and our large supplies got in the tuk-tuk with Lay and headed to the orphanage.

Driving around Cambodia is crazy. It is just like driving on Highway 6 but with cars, bikes, motos, tuk-tuks all driving in a different direction directly at each other. You might think the cars are beat up little cars, but people drive Lexus, Mercedes, Land Rovers, Toyota trucks, etc. All the cars you wouldn't expect to see here. Also, car horns are used all the time here because it is there way of telling the others on the road that they are coming. I say it is the part of the car that has to get fixed the most. Pretty sketchy if you ask me!!

We eventually arrived at the orphanage and once again we all recieve a greeting that I personally think is the nicest. Amazing! Whenever we have supplies, they always help us bring them into the kitchen and put them away. Reminds me of home a little. We wasted no time today and we started cleaning the girls section of the orphanage. The only thing I saw all day was bubbles and water, and I could smell disinfectant and bleach. I really find it amazing when all the little hands of the orphans and the Cambodia Crews come together. Everything gets accomplished faster and much better. I love the feeling! The girls section is a bit larger than the boys because it is shared for other purposes, so it took most of the morning. As a group, we did our normal and left at lunch and took are small, nice little break. When we came back we cleaned the boys section of the orphanage. This to me was nothing but hilarious!! We all scrubbed the floors and walls and again all I could see was smiling faces and bubbles. To get all the bubbles out of the room, we have to flush it out with large buckets of water. I am not sure these boys have ever seen this much bubbles and water in one area in their life. For this reason, they used this oppurtunity to make their own slipping slide. I could of watched it all day it was so funny.

After we finished their room, we de-liced the girls again, and handed out little flip-flops to the children. Once again I de-liced the girls. I personally love the feeling when I get my head scrubbed by anyone and so do they. All I here is "Sister, sister more more more!" So I add a little bit more lice shampoo and scrub and itch and do all the things they would want done. Lovely! When they recieve their flip-flops their faces are so happy and cute. They come out of the room and they run up to and ask for pictures because they love seeing themselves through the screen. Ha!

Once again, I leave with hugs from every kid! When we drive away from the orphanage the smiles, blow kisses, and waves last all the way till we turn the corner. I will never ever be the last one to stop waving! I am getting more attached everyday and I offically am dreading the day I have to leave.

I would like to thank Lisa-Marie Howell, founder of Children's Global Alliance for making this trip happen. I could not be anymore thankful for being here and she has been supportive to me through all the good and bad times. I love her!

Love and miss you
Anna