Just miles from the ocean

So a couple of weeks ago we finally took our first-ever field trip to the beach with children who we work with. Six children from Casa Hogar San Jose, along with 7 of Oti's children came to the beach with a visiting family missions team from Ohio. We packed a big picnic lunch, we buddied up to be sure that everyone had a life guard, and we loaded up in vans to enjoy a day in the sand and the sea.

I've got to be honest...for our first ever field trip to the beach I think it was pretty successful! No one got burned, no one got lost...and in the end I think everyone had a great time.

I loved watching each person from the team connect with the child they were spending the afternoon with - some burying each other in the sand, some building castles, and other playing in the water.

One thing that really hit me was that 5 of Oti's children had never been to the beach. They were born and raised right here in Cancun. They literally live just miles from some of the most beautiful waters in the world - and they had never even seen the ocean. Their faces were priceless as they arrived, as they walked in the sand...and as they set their eyes on the Caribbean Sea. I can't say they were not filled with a healthy fear of the ocean, and it's gargantuan waves - but I know it was a day they will never forget.

Oti's 7 oldest children during our trip to the beach