Preparation Day!

Wasuze otya! (Good morning!)

Today was supposed to be a preparation day for the village mission tomorrow, but one of the girls is leaving tonight, so she wanted to go to a babies home this morning. We left around 7 so that we could get back in time to have our Monday meeting about the week. We did the typical floor scrubbing and just making sure the babies feel loved and cared for. There is so much work to be done there everyday that the kids very rarely get individual attention. So, the kids love when we come, but the workers think it's bittersweet because they cry when we put them down. It always breaks my heart to leave. I'm really excited next week, but I also would not be opposed to changing our village week into a "Babies Home" week. They are not all potty trained, and they don't use diapers. They use cloths and then slip on plastic underwear type things. Yeah, they don't work. We hit them at the time of day where they ALL had to use the bathroom and only 1 is potty trained. haha. Enjoy the pictures!

Wilson, the founder of EAC asked me today if I could extend my stay. I don't think I've ever been more tempted to do something in my life. hmm .. I don't have a job waiting for me. I was going home early so that I could bring some of the BR kids from the Dream Center to camp, and that isn't happening anymore. So, I was just going to go to camp for the ozark for all session, but I've emailed a few people and haven't heard back from anyone. Maybe it's God keeping that door closed so that I can stay here, right Mom!? :)

We won't have electricity next week, much less internet, so I probably won't be posting until Saturday night or Sunday afternoon at some point. Just a heads up about that.

When you walk into the office, this list is on the bulletin board. I'm pretty sure they get very little to any money from the government. If you invested in one of the two babies homes, I would suggest this one.
Remember little Katrina from 2 weeks ago that was extremely tiny and over a year old? Yep. That's her! She is getting so big! Keep praying for her! She had an IV in her hand, so they're really trying to stabilize her. Last week she pretty much just rested in my arms motionless. This week she was smiling and holding herself up! God is good.

http://bpstewart.blogspot.com/2010/06/thursday-is-my-favorite-day-in-states.htmlThis is Michael, the other really small over a year old baby. He has grown so much. He actually laughs now. He is really sick though. I could feel the air rattling in his lungs today while I was holding him.
Another picture of Katarina mesmerized by my hair.
Maria! She is sooo sasssy! I loove it!

Fun Facts:

- I mentioned a few posts back about how people place their babies on the sidewalks to beg for money. It is illegal to give money to beggars, so the people that give the money are arrested, not the people placing their children or their handicapped relative on the sidewalks to fend for themselves. very frustrating ... Last night we went to the grocery store, and I saw an older handicapped girl sitting in the parking lot behind a car. I just wanted to start crying then and there. Ivan said that a lot of times people from the village bring their handicapped children into town to make money. The reason they arrest people is because they want the people in the village to stay in the village and live off the land, not beg people in the city for money.

- We saw a group of construction people digging a trench on the way home, and a lot of them were women. I would even venture to say that there were more women.

- One of the kids had a TERRIBLE fever this afternoon .. I would venture to say 102 or 103. We tried to tell someone, and to help him they just put a cold cloth on his feet. These are the times that I do wish Africa was a little more like America. I'm sure it works, but he was just so miserable! Most of the children there have really bad colds. Not a fun fact, but just an example of the way of life here.

- I never proofread my posts, so I'm sure there's been lots of times that some stuff hasn't made any sense, especially considering how tired I am when I write them. I apologize for that.

PRAISE THE LORD!

- Auntie Brooke