A short time left...

First day back to school in a week today for the kids. I left home at 7am and didn't get back until 5pm. After taking Unathi to school, Jenna and I went to Bara (hospital). Jenna needed to get meds for some of the kids. I went to see Phillipos 11 year old boy who has been at hospital since last Monday. I took a story book along to read to him. Jenna didn't take long but we were with him for about an hour. Sick kids are all in one ward with probably 10 to 12 beds in each room. As soon as I walked into Ward 33 I was met with sickening stench. It actually made me a little nausea on Thursday. It's not very clean and I don't think they have washed Phillipos since he's been admitted. It hard to see sick little babies anytime much less in such an environment. I read to Phillipos until he fell asleep. He might come home on friday depending on his condition. Update on Boitumelo...he is much better. Now smiling and cracking jokes, the boy I'm used to teaching. Thank you all for your prayers for him...continue praying, he usually bounces back and then gets worse again.

Things are going well and I can't believe I only have 6 weeks left in South Africa...! it's going by so very fast! I have learned so much about life and myself the 4 months I've been living here. Things I have before only seen in pictures, I've experience in real life...kids who are literally skin and bones, make-shift shacks that people live their whole lives in, the different cultural and the way of the community. Some of the stories about the kids here at Lambano and the places and homes they have come from seem so unreal at times. It's a fallen, sinful world we live in and we are so fortunate to have a hope greater than seen here. Some days its all I have to cling to.

Thank you for your continuing prayers, support, and encouragement! God is faithful. Psalm 33:4

Went to 82 Saturday morning because all the Lambano kids were to go there for an Easter egg hunt! An organization brought presents for the kids with birthdays from Jan-Mar...there was 12 who did. Then they all got cupcakes and party packs and after went to the other side of the house to find Easter egg which the Easter bunny had hide. Of course they all knew that it was someone in costume lol. But Unathi was freaked out by it, if he would even walk in her direction she was pulling my arm off lol.

Today was Mama Barbara and Noma's birthday. We had a little party Saturday afternoon with cake and presents for Noma :)

Boiutmelo was taken to Joburg Gen Hospital on Wednesday morning because the pain in his head was so severe. I missed church today and went to see him this morning with Jenna. The lively, smiling child that I've been teaching the sounds of the alphabet and who would give me a look of “are you serious” when I would give him too simple of math problems :) because he knew them so well, has been reduced to a solemn, wabbit boy. It was crazy how fast he depleted...in the matter of a day. He has 4 serious illness that can kill him. TB, HIV+, cancer, and meningitis. The type of meningitis he's had, has a 26% chance of survival and Boitumelo has had it twice in the last year. This child is very ill. We got there at 10am and washed him and changed his bedding. The hospitals don't do the basic caring here, most of the mothers of the child do it and if they don't have mothers, well then no one really does. Jenna read him a story then went to buy him some yogurt. I gave him some juice to drink will she was gone and he throw it back up...he has the looks of getting dehydrated since he hasn't been eating much. We sat with him for 3 hours he responded to our touch and wouldn't let go of my hand. He didn't say more than 2 words. And he didn't want us to go. Believe me it was so hard to walk away. Sibylle is visiting him tomorrow than I'm going on Tuesday. He's heavy on my heart now and it's hard to see him in pain. I'm reminding myself God is Sovereign, but when I'm faced with the actually situation of this suffering boy...it's hard. Don't know whether to pray he gets well, or that Jesus will take him to be with Him. But God is in control and he has a plan!

School starts in the morning, it's been a nice holiday to have a break from the usual routine. Bus I will be with school runs and homework. I'm only here for 9 more weeks and I know it will go fast since the 3 months I've been here have seemed to fly by. I'm focusing on my time here now, this is where God wants me, of this I am confident. But considering the future after this summer a few options come up, one is returning to Lambano for a longer time frame. God has a plan and I trust Him...He's brought me this far in regards to my calling for Africa. I don't know if this was just the work He has had for me to do here, some other places in the world have been coming up for me to go. That is in the back of my mind, right now my focus in on the 30 kids here at Lambano...the 7 in hospice...and the one in the hospital.

Thank you for your prayers, support and encouragement!

Last week of school holidays

Wednesday I went to the mall with a girl from Texas who has been here with another organization in another part of Joburg. Her mom is a teacher and her class raised over $300 for us to use at hospice specifically for school and educational supplies. So I took her to the mall and we got some book and other things I'd need for teaching the hospice kids! It was perfect :) The rest of the money will go for medical expenses at hospice.

Speaking of which, please keep Lambano in your prayers. No funds have been coming in at this point. God has kept Lambano going for 10 years now this month! Staff here are trusting Him to continue in His faithfulness.

Today a church in Edenvale took all Lambano kids (30 permanent kids and 3 from the hospice) to the movie theater. We saw the movie Rio! Jenna held Vuyo and I held Simphwe and they feel asleep for apart of the movie :) After they were taken for happy meals at McDonalds. It was really fun!

It is starting to get colder here. 2 days this week were cloudy and windy brrr...winter is not far of it seems like :P

School start back up on Monday!

School Holiday

This week has been  good in terms of I'm getting lots of rest. It's nice being able to lie in until 9am instead of getting up at 6am lol. One more week of school holiday! Tuesday was windy and cold, I had to bring out my sweat shirt! Wednesday was hot and I ended up swimming with the House 34 kids at 82...and got a little sunburnt :P

Thursday was another hot day. Went to Fruit and Veg with Martha. That afternoon I was to go with House 36 to the Children's Theatre. Since they were too young to go to the zoo on Saturday it was arranged for them to do this. Uncle Philly drove us so I would know where it was and then he went home and I was too drive back. It was in a familiar area I've been before so I wasn't completely ignorant of the locate. The play was Pippi Longstocking and it was quite entertaining. The kids really enjoyed it. The drive back was ok, traffic was back up on the highway so it took twice as long to get home. The kids were a lot quieter on the drive back since half of them were asleep :) Made it back in time to go play touch rugby and actually scored for my team this time! Woohoo!

Today is swimming lessons with the younger kids. Saturday is the Jumble Sale from 10 to 4 and I'm to help with that. Remember when I wrote about sorting 20 bags of clothes? Well this is what they were for!

We got another baby at the Hospice. He is 6 months old and came to us because of failure to thrive. He's not putting on any weight, just losing. He is super skinny compared to Bheki and Khaya the other babies at hospice that our 6 months old, but he is very active! Also my have a very sick 14 year old boy come to hospice...not sure yet, last I knew he was semi unconscious from being so sick so might not leave the hospital. Jenna said that he's just like Kokesto was...skin and bones, maybe even worse. So will see how this next week goes in regards to him. On Wednesday the police brought us a little 3 year old girl who someone found wandering around one of the squatter camps. She was so scared and crying. Thankfully the parents where found later that day and she went home.

BYSA

The Baptist Youth of South Africa (BYSA) conference was amazing. It rained most of the weekend, but despite that the sessions were so great and the worship was awesome! It was also a good time for me to rest and recover from being sick. I went on a jog on Saturday morning and felt ok so thank you for your prayers for my health. I wish to write more about the conference, but I don't have time right now. My laptop power cord doesn't work anymore so my computer is dead, so I only have 30 minutes to use the office computer most times.
This is the last week of school until school holidays for 2 weeks!!! Today my roomate Miriam is going home to France. It looks like I will be the only volunteer here besides Jenna and Sybille the long term volunteers until June...so not sure what my schedule will be once school starts again on April 11. There are the school runs and the schooling with the hospice kids and homework with the permanent kids.

The Weekend

The Weekend. January 14, 2011.

Friday: Woke up after sleeping 15 hours and just spent the morning reading and praying. Walked over to the office and talked with Martha about my schedule which starts Monday. I also start driving this week, taking some of the hospice kids to school about a 30 minute drive away. I'll observe until Wenesday then I'll drive with someone then Thursday I'm on my own! I'm a little nervous but I think I'll be okay, if you can keep me in your prayers. Just uncertain with the whole stick shift thing and driving on the left side of the road.

So this is roughly my schedule during the week, may change due to whatever is happening at the time.... in the mornings from 8-12 I will be teaching the hospice kids numbers, letters, and colors etc. Have lunch from 12-1 and then school run from 1:30 to 3. Three to four I will work with the house 36 children homework, playing with them etc. then from 4-4:30 sort out the store room and prepare lesson for the next day, then I'm free to do whatever for the rest of the day. That is Monday- Wednesday and Friday. Thursday is close to the same except I take the hospice kids to school instead of picking them up. Saturday I have swimming lessons with some of the hospice kids in the afternoons. Sundays there is church in the morning and evening.

After talking with Martha, Valerie (a short term volunteer from Ireland) took my to the police station so get a copy of my passport varified and when we got back we did somethings with Daniel a 14 year-old boy who isn't place in a school yet, because they are still waiting the hear back. By then it was time for lunch and went back to 82 to eat and I decided to go with Valerie on the school run.

We got back and I hung out in the office with Miriam and Martha til it closed at 4:30 and went back to 82 and rested until 8:00 when I went out for dinner with Martha, Miriam, Valerie, and Sibylle ( a long term volunteer from Switzerland). We went to Primi Piatti an Itailin restaurant. I got some sourdough crust pizza, it was delicious tehe. Then the ladies wanted to know more about me so went on about that. We got back to the house about 10:30 and I showered and me and Miriam watched a movie on my laptop and then went to sleep after midnight.

Saturday, January 15: Woke up at 6 and didn't get up til after 10. Miriam and I walked down to the shopping mall. I went to the post office to get some International stamps to post some letters home. We got coffee at Seattle Coffee Co. which apparently used to be a very popular franchise in the country but not so much anymore.

After supper I hung out with the kids, I'm still getting to know them and pretty much have their names down with their faces :) I didn't have a tired drag today like the couple of days before so I think I'm over being jetlag....I have Reliv and sleep to thank for that.

When it was bed time Miriam and I bathed Noma and Tshepiso then we gathered with the rest of the boys for a bible story around the table. Then we went around the table to pray and each one of them prayed aloud, even the youngest one who is 4. It was a bonding moment for me to hear their childlike prayers... after hugs and kisses they were off to bed. Tomorrow is church. Can't wait :)

Sunday, January 16: Church was at 9:30AM. It's called Wychwood Baptist Church. I really liked the service. Pastor Lance preached on Mark 5:21-43 about the woman who touched Jesus and was healed and about the dead girl He raised from the dead. It was a very good message and it really will be helpful for me. Just in the conclusion that God doesn't intend for us to live in this body which is a continuing reminder of sin. Why does He not heal? Because He has a plan! Jesus is stronger than death and it is not the end. It was good to hear this thinking about the children and how they all have HIV since birth...why won't they be healed? Yes, there are some miracle stories, but since Miriam has been here a 16 year old girl has died and a young baby. That wasn't the end for them though, they are no longer suffering.

The worship was amazing to! It was so awesome to be praising God with fellow believers on the other side of the world!

Sunday afternoon Miriam and I mostly walked around the neighborhood and that evening we went to an evening service with Martha and Valerie. We went to Cornerstone which is a very charismatic church...lol! The message was very encouraging though! It was on James 1 about trials. A few things here that convicted me was how when going trials and testing it's all about the attitude I have. I'm praying that when the times come that I want to grumble and complain I will have JOY. Another thing is that I can't wallow in self-pity...which was revealed in my heart that I struggle with that and have this past summer. So! NO more woe is me.

Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. James 1:2-3

I realize that the trials I went through this past summer wasn't meant for me to be feeling sorry for myself, but for me to be turning to my Savior and clinging to Him...having my patience strengthened and growing closer to God. People will fail me but He will not. I didn't learn that lesson very well I have to confess, but I thank God that I have learned it.

Tomorrow I start schooling with the hospice children and also start riding with Valerie to learn the route to take 4 of the kids to school, which on Thursday I will begin driving there myself! Eek :P It's been raining almost all day...