Just like I knew they would be, the orphanages were my favorite! Our visits to Ana Paula's baby orphanage (ages 0-6) were almost daily and were what I looked forward to the most every morning when waking up. Our very first visit almost brought tears to my eyes when the children ran as fast as they could and threw their little arms around our legs and hugged us as tight as they could as if we were their best friends...and this was before we could even get ourselves through the door! I was touched at how immediate their love was for us. They were so excited and noisey that I didn't even notice that first day that many of them either had runny noses or wet pants or ear infections. They were just so happy to see us and it wasn't just the first day it was every day we came. We were always greeted with hugs and smiles. I found it a little overwhelming to have one child on my back, one or even two children on my lap and one in each arm anytime I wanted to sit down, but when they are so desperate for attention it's very hard not to give it. The children there have learned that pinching, biting, hitting etc. are the best ways to get attention so behavior was a little bit of a problem, but it couldn't stop me from falling in love with every one of them. One child in particular was a little boy named Armindo. Armindo is my very special friend. He is 5 years old and loves to be tickled and held "tia levanta!!!" is what I heard anytime he wasn't in my arms. We became friends one day when I was playing with about 4 little boys ages 3-5 and they were having fun hanging on me and standing on my feet while I walked around in circles...but then one little boy stopped playing and when I looked down at him he was crying. He wasn't throwing a fit like many others do he was just standing there looking so sad with big tears running down his cheeks. I'm not sure why he was crying, but it didn't matter to me so I pulled the little boys off my back and feet and sat Armindo on my lap and asked him why he was crying. He wouldn't say anything to me and not knowing what else to do I sang him one of the only songs I know in Portuguese and wrapped my arms around him and held him while he cried. I sang I Am a Child of God to him and when I thought about the words it broke my heart. I've taken so many things for granted that this little boy doesn't have. My family and the love and appreciation that comes from them, growing up with the gospel, security...I'm sure Armindo doesn't understand fully what he is without at the age of 5 but I can promise you it has been a long time since he has had someone to hold him and sing to him the way I was able to. From then on I was always greeted by Armindo running to me and throwing his arms around my waist and hugging me and begging "Tia levaaaaantaaaa!" until I picked him up. I love Armindo as if he were my own and it was heartbreaking to say goodbye to him, but I left him in good hands and I know the Lord answers prayers and that he'll watch over my Armindo for me until I can see him again.

Upstairs at the baby orphanage was where we got to visit and hold the babies. I loved going upstairs, but it was hard to walk into their room and see crib after crib of little babies wanting to be held and not knowing where to start or who to hold first. The first baby I fell in love with was a little girl named Anita Antonio. She always smiled at me and if I held my hand out to her she would pat it with hers, cutest thing ever! A friend of mine and I were blown away by a 7 month old boy that looked about 5 months old and couldn't hardly support his own head. Winnie picked him up and was holding him for a while but eventually put him down to pick up another baby and as soon as his head hit the mattress he cried and arched his back and twisted his head to look for Winnie wanting to be picked up again. Winnie couldn't stand it and asked me to pick him up for her since she was already holding another baby and when I did he went silent and his little fists grabbed onto my shirt and he laid his head against my chest and held me just as much as I was holding him.

It is so hard to put a baby down after picking it up because you can tell that they just want to be held and loved. I got attatched to every baby I held almost immediately. They would lay their head against my chest or stare at me with an expression i've never seen on an infant's face before. I couldn't stand to put them back in their crib and hear them cry for more attention, but with so many other babies in the room you just can't spend the only hour you have with them holding just one. It was always hard for me to say goodbye at the baby orphanage because I would always wish I had more time to spend with them.