More than a year after the Staines family moved to the Philippines to help run an orphanage, they made a fleeting visit to Australia.
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Tracey, her husband Mick and their son Rene are part of the crew to run Arise Children's Home in Calapan, about three hours south of Manila on the island of Mindoro.
They were inspired to relocate after visits to the Philippines with Rene, who was born in the region. What they saw convinced them they could make a difference - but that didn't mean it did not pose its own challenges.
Tracey and Mick left behind three older sons and grandchildren in Australia and they certainly missed home.
"I don't think anything can prepare you for moving to another country, let alone taking on the running of a home with almost 40 children," Tracey said.
"I kept thinking to myself 'What are we doing here?' But then, I'd look at the kids and everything they have overcome.
"Their stories are heartbreaking. Some of our kids were living on the street, some are from abusive households and some children's parents are in jail."
Tracey said one of the little girls at the orphanage was found after the devastating Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
"She was not even two years old and was so malnourished; she couldn't walk, talk or move her arms. She could only move her eyes. She is now a healthy, gorgeous seven year old, and absolutely thriving," she said.
"Another child had been badly abused by his uncle, whom he lived with. He was treated like a dog. Chained up, kicked and forced to eat from a dog bowl. In his years of being in the loving, safe environment of Arise, he has now grown into a strong, confident teenager.
"Each one of our children has gone through so much, but with God's help and the love, care and support of everyone at Arise, they are able to heal from their pasts."
There is also the challenge of helping students catch up when they have had little or no education.
"In the Philippines, public school classes have up to 50 children, with only one teacher and no substitutes. This means that if the teacher is sick or decides not to turn up, the children just have to stay home from school," Tracey said.
"A lot of our children struggle with learning difficulties, which they do not get help with at school. They are just forced to repeat that school year until they pass."
As part of their future plans in the Philippines, the Arise crew is building a school on the property, aiming to provide smaller classes and catering to individual needs.
It was hoped the school would also be open to the poor families in the local community, who could not afford their children's educations.
The building project required about $10,000 in donations to allow it to be completed, Tracey said.
"If you are in a position to help us finish building our school, please contact me by email at tracystaines9767@gmail.com to make a tax deductible donation," Tracey said.
"Alternatively, you can donate to our gofundme https://www.gofundme.com/roof-for-a-school-for-poor-kids-in-the-philippines."
For more information, you can visit the website, www.ach.ph.
