Dresses, Hats, and Trouble in all Shapes and Sizes...

As Phil and I were going through pictures last night very late in the evening putting names to all the faces of our precious kids, Little Lizzy was sitting across the table from me being her usual kind self. She was working on her blog while harassing me with a pencil that she had attached to the end of a stick. Every time I looked down at my computer screen this stick appeared out of nowhere and poked at me. She was not being kind! I’m guessing she had used it all up on the kids playing during the day…

The night ended with me making a formal complaint to management. Liz and I had been without light in our room since the second day of our arrival. We had pursued this with management (that would be Phil) several times and were assured that when there was enough power our lights would come back on. We believed this for a while but by last night I was no longer buying it. So I personally watched Phil take the light bulb out of the third room and replace it with the dead light bulb in ours. And miracle of all miracles we had light. Until today, that is, until the power actually went out. Then it was back to darkness!

So today we woke up and decided it was time to distribute the dresses and knit hats that were so graciously donated to us to bring on this trip. In between doing interviews Jenifer Kawudha, one of the sweetest girls around, and the daughter of Phil’s cook, helped me sort all the dresses into the different sizes. I was concerned there wouldn’t be any for the older girls, long enough for them to wear, but we solved that problem by offering them as blouses as well. The girls were thrilled to go through the piles and find one they each liked. As for the hats they were a great treat! And they all looked so cute once they put them on! The real little hats that are still remaining Liz and I plan to give to the neighbor babies. We have to do this inconspicuously so that no one feels left out. But what a joy it will be to give them to someone who really will use them and need them. It was so much fun watching them go through the trunk and get to pick out the dress and hat they wanted. What is remaining we will certainly give to someone in need before we leave.

And then it was time to proceed with the interviews. This process is taking much longer than I hoped it would but it is interesting to find out their backgrounds. I know I’ve said this before, but their histories just tear at my heart. Some of the stories are just gut wrenching. And then you look at their faces, and their smiles, and you just can’t understand how the two go together. The kids are so resilient. The other thing I find so interesting is that because the kids have all come to Phil’s at different times in their lives they are all at different levels of education. It is not at all unusual to see a young teenager still in primary school because they did not attend school at all as a younger child! These kids were often living on the street or being kept at home to watch the younger children. I’m in shock at the number of our kids who have been thrown out of their homes by their mothers or stepmothers for one reason or another. And I am not talking for disciplinary reasons. I am talking because they were unable to feed and care for them or simply because they did not want them anymore. And still we come and they smile. Some more easily than others but given time I can make them all smile. In spite of their backgrounds they are not afraid to love. I have found that true with the younger girls, but I have especially found that true with a group of the older girls. And even some of the older boys. I guess that has been the greatest part of the trip for me. Seeing the older kids smile!

During the interviews Emma and several of the older boys were helping to translate. Emma likes nothing better than to harass me (I think he’s taken lessons from Liz). So today he took his comb and started combing my hair. Now again, I don’t have much hair but I am very particular about people playing with it (just ask Steve)! So here he is doing all sorts of weird things to my hair and all I could think about was who else’s hair has he used that comb on! But I continued to sit here and let him do his thing! I have yet to figure out why he likes my hair and not Liz’s. She’s the one with the long beautiful hair!!

Then I’m sitting here minding my own business (you all know I am the good one) when I feel this thing on my neck. Now I think Liz is handing me back the key to our room (we lock it every time we leave since that is where we leave all our stuff) but no… I go to reach for it and it’s moving. Well I must have jumped a mile because next thing I know all the kids are laughing. Turns out it was a bright green grasshopper she had found outside! I know God talks about revenge but I don’t remember seeing anything about payback in the Bible. Little Lizzy better watch out!!!

We did get a lot of interviews done; in fact, we finally had to stop because our computers had died due to lack of power. It was also late and the kiddos had to go back and eat dinner…, which brings up the story of our dinner. Tonight we had chicken. Step one was going to the market to get the chicken (live chicken). Step two was bringing it home so Moses (the guard) could cut the head off. Step three was plucking all the feathers off. Step four (which I saw for the first time and couldn’t believe my eyes) was someone holding the whole chicken, by its feet, over an open flame on the gas stove while it browned. Step five was seeing the finished result and thinking to myself “I am not eating that” for the neck and everything else was included in the pot! So once again I dined on potatoes and noodles! Even Liz refused to eat the chicken and that definitely should tell you something about its quality!

Tomorrow is Sunday and that means another church day filled with singing and dancing. It will be our last Sunday here so I am hoping that we have a full day with the kiddos. Emma will be preaching in the morning for the first time and I am so excited to see how he does. He is so good with the kids – I just wish I would be able to understand his message. I hope to speak to the kids in the afternoon at the Bible study. I want to leave them with a positive message about how much our God loves them and what a pure joy it has been to be here and spend time with them. Jerri and Sam, Emma loved talking with you both today. He is such a good guy. You would be so proud of him.

May God bless you all. I love you and miss you.