The DRYER came in, finally! Yea! Because of the dampness of the climate, the orphans clothing gets mildewy, especially their bedding. Neither do we have space to hang all the kids clothes inside when it rains. We have needed a clothes dryer for sooooo long, and thanks to Lancaster Presbyterian, its finally here. Thank you! It is an interesting model, with NO exhaust hose - strange. You can look up the model on the internet with this link. http://www.ifbindustries.com/home_appliances/dryer/maxidry_ex.htm  

In December, Sangeetha's brother, Sathish, would barely crack a smile. Now he is an abundance of smiles, and he talks easily and freely. Freedom from the crushing weight of grief - freedom brings new life. It is our goal to bring this freedom and hope for a bright future to each child who enters Miracle Garden. You can help a miracle happen in their lives. We still need many sponsors for the children and for their educational fees. Please spread the word! 

Hope. It shows in a smile. Sangeetha, age 12. 

One thing we noticed this time - smiles were abundant, expecially in the kids who have been at MG the longest. They have really been able to work through their grief and pain and focus on their future.  

Karthi (Karthik) age 6. You can't resist that smile! 

Boys on new land, farmost section. Three plots have been purchased to date. The kids are already so excited about their future new home! You can still contribute to the building fund. We want to have it completed inside one year. Currently the kids are in one story dorm buildings with asbestos/cement sheet roofs. They need a solid structure to call home.  

The "circus" or playground is still the favorite place of both boys & girls on campus. 

From top left - Joel, Maniyandan, Balakrishnan in red, Nandakumer on side & Mohana Pandiyan sliding.  

Adi & Raghu prepare the evening snack - mangos & pineapples.Kanmani and Kalai Selvan are visible in back. 

Michelle passing out the oranges for the boys, Mohana Pandiyan receiving it.  

Oranges! yum. The kids get sliced fruit for a snack everyday, but individuals can sponsor a whole fruit per child for about $25. Thank you to Judy Egelston-Dodd, who is an orange lover herself. 

Biriyani - rice cooked with chicken, boiled eggs and spices. 65 packets of biriyani (one for each child) costs about $40 for anyone who wants to sponsor such a treat. Biriyani takes hours to prepare, and thus is typically served only on very special occasions. Thus, it was a treat for both the children and for MD, who did not have to make it. :-) 

The girls holding up biriyani packets given by a special sponsor. What a treat for the kids.  

Girls' karate lesson - yes, the teacher is a woman (for both boys and girls)! Shown here are Yamuna & Sangeetha (front row), Ellakiya & Kanimoli are visible in second row, and Priya is in the back. 

The girls show off their name tags. Thank you team member Alicia for this great craft idea - what a great way to help us learn 65 names in 2 days. 

Adi and Sathish show off their craft projects.  

Velusamy shows off his crepe-paper and clothespin butterfly that he made with team member Robyn. Thank you Robyn for your tireless patience and mother's instinct with all the kids (and team members, too!) 

Santhiya, Gowthami, and Swathi on the "myil" or peacock ride.  

Even 2-year-old Swathi cracked a smile as the waves washed over her. Team member Alicia helped her not to get completely washed away. Swathi and her brother are not tsunami orphans. Their mother was the victim of a stove burning - where the husband pours kerosene on the wife and sets her on fire. The two children lived beneath their mother's hospital cot in the burn unit for weeks until a nurse called us to pick them up. Her 8 year old brother Vijay has acclamated to Miracle Garden well. Swathi still does not smile often and prefers to stay with MD and the older college girls. Please keep these 2 precious kids in your prayers.  

Everyone loves the wave pool, which is good therapy for many of these kids. Here Pazil, Susheel, and Nandakumar (bottom to top) enjoy the "shore" of the wave pool. 

The girls enjoyed some splashing of their own. 

We treated the orphans to a day at the water park nearby. Many of the new children had never been before - it was quite an experience for them. As we were walking back from the park, the girls kept asking, "Auntie, we are going back tomorrow, right?" Shown here, John & Michelle with Little Sangeetha. 

The children LOVE looking at photos of their sponsor families and others from the US. Thank you to everyone who send albums and photos. Here Kanmani shows pictures of his sponsor's family to his friends. 

After a long day, the smallest ones find refuge in the arms of Jen (with Nandini, age 4) and Emily (Little Sangeetha, age 3). This is what these little ones truly need - arms to hug and hold them. 

Team members Jen & Kim organize and help stock the girls' bureaus with Gayathri (front) and Vijaya Bharathi (kneeling down).