By Shayla Tonge
Many of you have asked for updates on how many Friendship Bracelets we have given to children around the world so far. Thanks to many of you who helped us make a record-breaking number of them (BTW, we are still waiting to hear from Guinness about our record designation, and we’ll let you know when we have official word)—but thanks to you, we have been able to share oooooodles of them with kids of many different languages! Here’s a recap of the joyous giving so far–in India, Thailand, Uganda and our first stop in Kenya.
INDIA – LITTLE FLOCK CHILDREN’S HOME
At Little Flock Children’s Home we shared 30 bracelets with the children whom we’d come to love. It was sweet to give them a special momento when it was time to say farewell. Once we had tied one on each child’s wrist, we had a BIG group hug and sang a song we had sung together: “Here we are, gathered together as a family…” It most definitely felt like we had formed family ties. It was comforting to remind them that whenever they looked at the colorful bracelet, they would know we are thinking of them. What a precious reminder.
Oh how I love these precious sisters of mine!
INDIA – SNAKE VILLAGE
Snake Village was one of my favorite places to visit near Little Flock and it only felt right to share friendship bracelets with the children there. They had shared so much JOY with us in so little time, and that’s what friends are for. We were able to give about 40 bracelets and each kid absolutely lit up when they got to choose their favorite colors.
THAILAND – BOYS’ & GIRLS’ HOMES
On our last few visits we tied 60 bracelets in the Girls’ and Boys’ Homes of Help Thailand. They loved it. Even though we couldn’t speak Thai, we had connected through playing UNO, singing together, eating, beading, and playing intense games of badminton and soccer. We shared lots of laughs even when we didn't have the words to say, and we left with such fond memories of our time with them.
THAILAND – HILL TRIBE VISIT
After a magically surreal day visiting a hill tribe village–being invited into homes, witnessing a traditional dance, and holding hands with so many precious little ones in their Chinese New Year robes–we stopped in the road to tie on some colorful friendship bracelets before parting. We gave away about 30 bracelets. We’d hoped to give more, but many of our sweet shadow friends had scurried away into their bamboo homes.
UGANDA – YOUTH LEADERSHIP CAMPAt the end of camp in Uganda, the bracelets were the most perfect gift. Our week had been so filled with joy and bonding, I felt like I was walking away with a whole pack of fun, passionate, loving brothers and sisters. It pained me that we had to part. Presenting them each a bracelet, 65 in all, was such a beautiful thing and I hope that it will help them always remember our time together. We referred to the verse “A chord of 3 strands is not easily broken,” using the bracelet with 3 colorful strands as a symbol for that. The three strands are us, them, and God. And because of those 3 components, our friendship and love for each other is not easily broken.
KENYA – SAMRO SCHOOL BOARDING STUDENTS
The friendship we have with the Samro Boarding students sprouted out of our friendship with sweet Magdaline, our first Sudanese friend who invited us to join their devotional gatherings. We loved our time with them and visited with them every chance we could, and they really seemed to latch onto our stories and our presence. When we presented all 70 of them bracelets as a final goodbye, it was a big ordeal and some of them even tied bracelets on me, making me promise not to forget them. And I sure haven’t…
KENYA – EMPOWERING LIVES CHILDRENS’ HOME
Saying goodbye to our ELI family was incredibly hard. We shared 60 bracelets with them, and it was the first time to tie them on so many tiny wrists. The bracelets allowed us to express our love and gratitude for their friendship, and to remind them that there were many people in America that were thinking of them and praying for them too.
That makes a grand total of about 350 friendship bracelets that we have given so far!! We are so grateful to have met so many friends all around the world, and to have the bracelets to give to remind them that they are special and they are loved.
And it’s not over yet…We have many more countries to visit, friends to meet, and bracelets to share. To be continued! :)
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