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button on her iPod, and the screen lit up with surfing action.
    â€œWhat’s all this footage for?” Kai asked as the boys scooted forward quietly, their eyes glued to the TV.
    â€œIt’s a collection of shots I gave to my sponsor so that they can use it for promotional stuff,” Bethany whispered.
    â€œThere are some good shots in this,” Kai whispered back.
    â€œThat’s because my brother edited out all the waves where I don’t get out of the barrel or land the trick.”
    â€œStill, the surfing is great! I didn’t know you were that good.”
    â€œAnd I didn’t know you could play such a mean ukulele,” Bethany laughed. “I ought to get you to record something for my next DVD project.”
    â€œThat would be cool.”
    Bethany glanced back to the young faces enraptured by the sight of her image sailing across the powder blue water and wished with all of her heart she could have more than a day with them. She wanted to give them a chance to see the world outside the gates of the orphanage.
    They live so close to the ocean, but most of them will never go, she thought sadly.
    Suddenly the kids began to squeal and laugh, and her smile returned.
    â€œAh! The wipeout section,” she grinned, glancing to Kai and Dano. “Now you will see my true talent!”
    They watched and winced at the footage of her getting clobbered by the lip of a double-overhead wave or being swallowed whole by a racing tube or being air-dropped into oblivion by a late takeoff.
    â€œThat must have hurt,” Dano said with a note of awe.
    â€œNot too much. But I sure got held under for a long time on a couple of those. Watch, you’ll see my board get snapped in two on the next shot.”
    Ooohs and ahhhs roared out of the kids at each wipeout.
    The grand finale was footage that her brother Noah had shot by jumping in the water with the camera just as Bethany had sailed by him. A thin curtain of water covered her. He slowed it way down in editing, ending the film with a ballet of beauty and grace.
    Clapping erupted all around the room as the end credits rolled.
    â€œTake me surfing! Take me surfing!” The darkhaired brood chanted in Spanish (apparently over their apprehension about sharks).
    â€œI think they had better learn to swim first,” Maggie laughed.
    Bethany smiled, but underneath her smile was a jumble of emotions. She felt like her eyes had been opened for the first time. These kids had so little, and yet they didn’t ask for the moon and the stars. They asked to go to the ocean.
    Or to see God’s face, Bethany thought, still unable to shake the memory of the ragged little boy who had stood in the doorway. He had been in the back of her mind through the entire video show, and she prayed with all of her heart that somehow, someway, she would have the chance to see that little boy again.

    four

    Bouncing down the road from the orphanage in Miguel’s taxi, Bethany was uncharacteristically quiet as she thought about everything that had transpired.
    â€œI wish they all could find a real family,” Holly said suddenly, voicing what most of them were thinking. “I wish I could take a bunch of them home with me.”
    â€œI would hate to live like that,” Malia admitted, and Jenna nodded.
    â€œIt’s just not fair,” Monica added, glancing around. “They’re little kids!”
    â€œIt is tragic,” Maggie allowed. “But it is much, much better than the world they came from.”
    â€œI can’t even comprehend where they are now,” Bethany said.
    â€œMost of us who have been raised in a safe, secure environment can’t ,” Sarah said gently. Bethany could tell by the look on her face that she had been affected as much as the team—if not more.
    As Miguel’s taxi came to the crest of the hill, Maggie spoke to him in Spanish, and he pulled off the road and drove half a block down a