October 25

It has been two months!!! How crazy is that. It feel like I was just celebrating our one month yesterday. This past week was our midterm break; we took a week off school and with that time we were able to help out in the office and take the kids to the beach. On Tuesday we had a long day at the immigration office. We walked in and found out that we needed a lot more than just our passports, so we drove around getting new visa pictures and a letter from ECM office. Praise God we were able to get six months extinction on our visas.
On Wednesday we went on an adventure to find the ECM office. We were given directions and amazingly we found it. (well Lindsay did most of the work considering I am directionally challenged) When we arrived Abby was waiting with piles of papers for Lindsay to type and a desk load of paper work for me to file. We had a great time visiting with Abby; she is a very hard worker with huge heart for the kids.
Wednesday was the big day! We loaded up 35 kids with two mamas and headed to the beach. The pure excitement and joy the kids had was like nothing I have ever experienced. Just to get in the van and go somewhere was a big deal to so many of the kids. There were two brothers who had never been to the beach before; I was so excited for them and all the kids. The look on their faces when they saw the ocean was priceless. We all ran to the water, with a few behind in fear of the waves. Only a few of the kids wanted to go out a little deeper, so with a death grip on my arm we walked out waist deep. I know that may not sound very exciting, but for them it was huge. As each wave came the grip on my arm only got tighter, the terror on their face after a wave hit instantly turned into joyful screaming when it past. I couldn’t keep from laughing. They were all so content flopping around in inches of water and burying each other in the sand. To see them play so contently with each other for hours, just showed me again how we are to be grateful for the little things. God is continually reminding me that He is everywhere. I never really grasped that, I see how different everything here is, but yet God is still same and living in the lives of the kids and seeing him in his beautiful creation in Africa, it has defiantly smashed the little Bonney Lake box I had him in.
Again I want to thank you all for your prayers and loving support.

Oct 12

So this week was one of love and of hardened hearts becoming soft. I have experienced the fruit of unconditional love and trust.
I wrote last week about a boy holding my hand, well his name is Baquin. Baquin is 11 years old and about the size of an 8yr old. He has been very closed off, didn’t talk or even smile, for a long time I thought he hated me. Now he is one of the many that hangs out on my porch with me. He will take my arm and he put is around his shoulder while walk. His smile and laugh melts my heart. He has also shown a lot more compassion and love to the younger kids. To see his transformation in these past two weeks has been an answer to my prayers.
The Gowinns arrived last week are going to be living here for as long as they are needed. They are going to be taking over the school. Lindsay and I so excited to get some organization and changes, it’s going to benefit these kids so much. I am so glad the couples are to here, they are the parents these kids need so badly.
Africa is so beautiful!!! The weather is not as bad as I thought; it stays around 80 degrees in the day and drops down to about 70 at night. The wildlife here isn’t too crazy, well minus the kids I did see a big green snake, and I think I was a green mamba, they are around here. We do have lizards everywhere; we do get little geckoes in our house at night. ( Megan, I have friends here too) At night the toads come out and the kids are afraid them, the first time I caught one they all freaked out. They said that toads are poisonous and where afraid for me because I touched it. I had to tell them if I ate it then I could get sick, but it was ok to touch it. I don’t think they believe me because they are still very afraid. I use the frogs as pay back for when they chase me with the big beetles. It is so funny.  It is a very strange to know that is fall and getting cold there at home. Christmas is going to be weird; December is the start of the hot months here.
Please pray for Abdul, he has not returned, buy law we cant really do anything about it. He has lived at HH for six years, so now some of the other kids are missing him. I am concerned about what the other kids might be feeling about this and if they think this could happen to them too. To be honest, I worry about that too. I have to keep reminding myself that God in control and He watching over Abdul and all the kids here. Please keep all these kids in you payers.

God bless!!!!! Happy Fall 

October 5

October 5

Psalm 29:11
The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses His people
with peace.

This week I really had to draw on the strength of the Lord.
It all stared with receiving a new girl to my class. This girl cried the entire week along with the other girl who likes to cry every time I look at her. So trying to get from one place to another is so fun with seven kids, one criers tied to my back, the other I carried while shrieking, and just hoping the other five would follow. There is no way I could do this in my own strength.
This Tuesday we had a boy named Abdul leave with his father for a few days. His family is all Islam and wanted him there to celebrate their holiday. He was supposed to arrive back here Saturday, but has not. Please pray for him, this the first time in six years his parents have come for him. I am trying not to think of the worst. Abdul is 11 years old. He is in the 3rd grade and loves to learn. He is very smart. He is very animated when he is speaking to you, he can’t tell a story without yelling and laughing. And he is always carrying the younger ones around a making sure they are being taken care of. He has a very caring heart.
Yesterday was a very big day for HH, we played a soccer match against Raffiki. (the other home and school a mile away)
The kids have been practicing and talking about this day for weeks, it has even been in our nightly prayers that we would score them. ( which means win) J When we arrived and saw the other team I had to laugh, they were all much larger and also had shoes and uniforms. Most of our boys and girls played with their bare feet. J The boys lost but played with such heart, I was proud. The other girls fought hard and won. We all came home a celebrated with a long nap. JOn our way home some of us slow walkers lagged behind and were sharing stories about the day, when one of the kids took my hand to hold, now my hands are always filled with some kid’s hand, but this one was different. This boy who I have shown love and trust to with giving nothing in return, held my hand for only a few minutes, but those few minutes made my day. The Lord blesses His people with peace. And that is exactly what I felt. God bless!!!!