Thursday, March 18, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Wednesday- Kind Hearts
Day Three-
Wednesday Today at 9:27am
Kind Hearts School.
There really are no words to say to describe our day...I mean honestly, we are all speechless! This was by far such a beautiful experience for everyone-not because of the scenery (which was, in itself so pretty-on the side of a mountain, eucalyptus trees dotting the land, and green grass!)...but the heart and souls of the children which were the epitome of the school name-Kind Hearts.
After our 45 minute van ride through rocky streets and clogged round-a-bouts, we headed to the outside of the city into the mountainside where the Kind Hearts School is located. Our van pulled up outside the school gates and children immediately started to run, wave and shout to us in sweet excitement. We could barely drive the van through the sea of children!Our group was greeted by the children and as we trudged towards the school building with at least a dozen children clinging to our legs and holding onto our arms, the kids sat down and the director welcomed us.
They opened the tour by singing “God is so Good” in a sweet African accent...then treated us to another song. The kids were so proud of their program and most of us were an absolute mess. I choked out who we were and why we were there...to build a well...and the director told the kids and the entire school-staff and children--erupted in singing and cheering. Their clapping and shouting brought nothing but tears from us and they had our hearts from that moment on.
We then headed down to the “river” where some of the children must cross every day. I put “river” in quotes because actually it is more like a polluted dump--brown sludge in some places, thick gray in others...with a stench that makes your head pound instantly because the smell burns when you inhale. We were bothered by simply the smell and sight of the river...yet some of these children and villagers must walk through it every day. Animals drink and die from how sick the water is...in fact skulls littered the bank of the river.
They wanted to show us where a bridge is located, but it is too far away for the kids to use. As we walked, we saw the villagers and donkeys crossing over the river. We were able to actually cross the river ourselves by jumping on rocks and make it to the other side where our translator talked to a woman who must cross it every day. She pleaded with us to help clean up the water and provide a well. She blessed us and said thank you as we left...we all left the river and quietly walked back to the school.
Next it was time for us to hand out some supplies we were able to bring; there were 63 children and we had homemade blankets that were made and prayed over specifically for this trip, along with notebooks, pens and pencils. I panicked at first because we counted only 52 blankets--after a second count, we decided to cut some of the larger blankets in two so we had enough. The staff lined up the children in two lines to receive the presents (picture this: these children were SO well behaved, they quietly lined up with their hands on the neck of the person in front of them, and waited to be called to the table where after receiving the supplies, they bowed and whispered “Thank You.” It was a precious, precious time. In about one minute I looked out over the school yard and the children had taken their new blankets and wrapped them around their shoulders. They were so pleased with their gifts; the colorful blankets were honestly one of the prettiest sites I’ve ever seen.
You might expect the kids to crazy and wild with their presents but they seemed to be in awe of what they were holding in their hand--like they weren’t sure what to do with the notebooks and pencils. So Kelly, Olivia, Laurie, & Julia sat down and started showing them what to do. “Draw a zeee-bbrrraaa please!” was the common request...and soon the pages were filled with hearts, I Love You’s, animals and rainbows. Tammy & Jennifer led a group of kids in singing songs: head, shoulders knees and toes...Jesus Loves Me...If You’re Happy and You Know It...Tooty-Ta and more.
They tried to follow along and repeated every word the best they could. We loved how they mimicked our actions and tried to repeat our words.
After a lunch of injera and wat, along with a traditional coffee ceremony, our time at the Kind Hearts School was coming to a close. We left with a challenge from the director to “Please keep your promise...don’t forget us...we need you...tell people about us...spread the word...we can make a difference. And God will show us the way.”
Please consider--if this blog has touched you--to make a donation to help build a water well at the Kind Hearts school. It not only means clean drinking water for the children along with providing water for sanitation--it can mean healthier crops so the villagers will have a chance to support their families.
You can send your donation (if so led to: St. Joseph Christian School, 5401 Gene Field Rd, St. Joseph, MO 64506...ATTN Kind Hearts Water Well Project)
We are all changed after today. Thank you to Children’s HopeChest for partnering with this incredible school and allowing us to partner with you. May God bless our efforts...and never take HIS eye off the children of Kind Hearts.--Pics to follow : )
Wednesday Today at 9:27am
Kind Hearts School.
There really are no words to say to describe our day...I mean honestly, we are all speechless! This was by far such a beautiful experience for everyone-not because of the scenery (which was, in itself so pretty-on the side of a mountain, eucalyptus trees dotting the land, and green grass!)...but the heart and souls of the children which were the epitome of the school name-Kind Hearts.
After our 45 minute van ride through rocky streets and clogged round-a-bouts, we headed to the outside of the city into the mountainside where the Kind Hearts School is located. Our van pulled up outside the school gates and children immediately started to run, wave and shout to us in sweet excitement. We could barely drive the van through the sea of children!Our group was greeted by the children and as we trudged towards the school building with at least a dozen children clinging to our legs and holding onto our arms, the kids sat down and the director welcomed us.
They opened the tour by singing “God is so Good” in a sweet African accent...then treated us to another song. The kids were so proud of their program and most of us were an absolute mess. I choked out who we were and why we were there...to build a well...and the director told the kids and the entire school-staff and children--erupted in singing and cheering. Their clapping and shouting brought nothing but tears from us and they had our hearts from that moment on.
We then headed down to the “river” where some of the children must cross every day. I put “river” in quotes because actually it is more like a polluted dump--brown sludge in some places, thick gray in others...with a stench that makes your head pound instantly because the smell burns when you inhale. We were bothered by simply the smell and sight of the river...yet some of these children and villagers must walk through it every day. Animals drink and die from how sick the water is...in fact skulls littered the bank of the river.
They wanted to show us where a bridge is located, but it is too far away for the kids to use. As we walked, we saw the villagers and donkeys crossing over the river. We were able to actually cross the river ourselves by jumping on rocks and make it to the other side where our translator talked to a woman who must cross it every day. She pleaded with us to help clean up the water and provide a well. She blessed us and said thank you as we left...we all left the river and quietly walked back to the school.
Next it was time for us to hand out some supplies we were able to bring; there were 63 children and we had homemade blankets that were made and prayed over specifically for this trip, along with notebooks, pens and pencils. I panicked at first because we counted only 52 blankets--after a second count, we decided to cut some of the larger blankets in two so we had enough. The staff lined up the children in two lines to receive the presents (picture this: these children were SO well behaved, they quietly lined up with their hands on the neck of the person in front of them, and waited to be called to the table where after receiving the supplies, they bowed and whispered “Thank You.” It was a precious, precious time. In about one minute I looked out over the school yard and the children had taken their new blankets and wrapped them around their shoulders. They were so pleased with their gifts; the colorful blankets were honestly one of the prettiest sites I’ve ever seen.
You might expect the kids to crazy and wild with their presents but they seemed to be in awe of what they were holding in their hand--like they weren’t sure what to do with the notebooks and pencils. So Kelly, Olivia, Laurie, & Julia sat down and started showing them what to do. “Draw a zeee-bbrrraaa please!” was the common request...and soon the pages were filled with hearts, I Love You’s, animals and rainbows. Tammy & Jennifer led a group of kids in singing songs: head, shoulders knees and toes...Jesus Loves Me...If You’re Happy and You Know It...Tooty-Ta and more.
They tried to follow along and repeated every word the best they could. We loved how they mimicked our actions and tried to repeat our words.
After a lunch of injera and wat, along with a traditional coffee ceremony, our time at the Kind Hearts School was coming to a close. We left with a challenge from the director to “Please keep your promise...don’t forget us...we need you...tell people about us...spread the word...we can make a difference. And God will show us the way.”
Please consider--if this blog has touched you--to make a donation to help build a water well at the Kind Hearts school. It not only means clean drinking water for the children along with providing water for sanitation--it can mean healthier crops so the villagers will have a chance to support their families.
You can send your donation (if so led to: St. Joseph Christian School, 5401 Gene Field Rd, St. Joseph, MO 64506...ATTN Kind Hearts Water Well Project)
We are all changed after today. Thank you to Children’s HopeChest for partnering with this incredible school and allowing us to partner with you. May God bless our efforts...and never take HIS eye off the children of Kind Hearts.--Pics to follow : )
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Tuesday
Day 2:
Hopefully you had a chance to see the video of the Opportunity House swimming field trip. It was wild, chaotic, fun...and after about an hour...it was calm, quiet and most of the children were quietly relaxing with their caregiver. Thankfully no one got sick, no one ran away (although a few tried...) and I had the joy of cradling the baby that was assigned to me for over an hour. She had cerebral palsy and the more she got used to the pool, the more her body relaxed. All of a sudden I felt her completely go limp as she fell asleep. It was absolutely precious and an honor to hold her! On the other hand, poor, poor, poor Kelly had Ryan, the wildest child in the entire universe, who had her jumping from pool to pool until she had the idea to buy him a pair of water wings. That worked for almost two seconds...then it was back to Kelly & Ryan jumping and running through the pools and the grass. Overall it was a wonderful morning and the kids loved every minute of it.
We went back to Layla House for the afternoon and it was time for the “Great American/European Soccer Jersey Hand-out...” Imagine children coming down the stairs on Christmas morning...now multiply that times a million! We had 29 jerseys to hand out and were able to do that with the oldest teenagers at Layla (who many, many times are overlooked)...and I wish you could see them as they poured through the jerserys...one at a time...painstakingly choosing their favorite ones. Most children in orphanages are never given a “choice”; they are given their meals, have very few clothes of their own that they usually share with others, and have a strict routine. When they have the opportunity to choose something, it is a rare privilege they treasure. The other children soon got word of what was going on, and crowded the hallway of the storeroom to crane their necks and get a glimpse of what was happening. Soon the playground was filled with colorful jerseys with new owners, proudly showing the other children what they received.
Tonight we are going to a local art gallery where artists are having a show. We hope to find some artwork to bring home! Wednesday we head to the Kind Hearts school to deliver our supplies, get a tour, and see where the St. Joseph Christian well will SOON be built! After that we are touring the Black Lion volunteer medical clinic/hospital...we met the founder on the plane and arranged a visit after he shared his vision with us. Amazing, amazing, work.
Please keep us in your prayers!
Hopefully you had a chance to see the video of the Opportunity House swimming field trip. It was wild, chaotic, fun...and after about an hour...it was calm, quiet and most of the children were quietly relaxing with their caregiver. Thankfully no one got sick, no one ran away (although a few tried...) and I had the joy of cradling the baby that was assigned to me for over an hour. She had cerebral palsy and the more she got used to the pool, the more her body relaxed. All of a sudden I felt her completely go limp as she fell asleep. It was absolutely precious and an honor to hold her! On the other hand, poor, poor, poor Kelly had Ryan, the wildest child in the entire universe, who had her jumping from pool to pool until she had the idea to buy him a pair of water wings. That worked for almost two seconds...then it was back to Kelly & Ryan jumping and running through the pools and the grass. Overall it was a wonderful morning and the kids loved every minute of it.
We went back to Layla House for the afternoon and it was time for the “Great American/European Soccer Jersey Hand-out...” Imagine children coming down the stairs on Christmas morning...now multiply that times a million! We had 29 jerseys to hand out and were able to do that with the oldest teenagers at Layla (who many, many times are overlooked)...and I wish you could see them as they poured through the jerserys...one at a time...painstakingly choosing their favorite ones. Most children in orphanages are never given a “choice”; they are given their meals, have very few clothes of their own that they usually share with others, and have a strict routine. When they have the opportunity to choose something, it is a rare privilege they treasure. The other children soon got word of what was going on, and crowded the hallway of the storeroom to crane their necks and get a glimpse of what was happening. Soon the playground was filled with colorful jerseys with new owners, proudly showing the other children what they received.
Tonight we are going to a local art gallery where artists are having a show. We hope to find some artwork to bring home! Wednesday we head to the Kind Hearts school to deliver our supplies, get a tour, and see where the St. Joseph Christian well will SOON be built! After that we are touring the Black Lion volunteer medical clinic/hospital...we met the founder on the plane and arranged a visit after he shared his vision with us. Amazing, amazing, work.
Please keep us in your prayers!
Swimming Video- Click here to watch!
Swimming with the children from Opportunity House, Tuesday morning.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Monday
Monday:
I’m not sure we could have packed anything more into our first official day at the Layla House. As one Layla employee said, “You guys don’t mess around-you jump right in!”
We started in the baby house where we snuggled and cuddled as many babies as humanly possible...then off to the toddler room where they were doing circle time that included dancing and singing (cue the video!!) Seriously it’s one of my favorite things to do at Layla--Jennifer knows she has to rip me out of the room so we can keep moving...mark my words, we’ll be back : ) My favorite little boy in the group was born with no arms who can eat, drink and run like any other little boy and whose smile was as magnetic as his personality. His father committed suicide when he was born because he felt he was cursed by his birth, and his family shortly relinquished him to Layla House. He has a family waiting and should be on his way soon to his new home...praise the Lord!
Next up was Opportunity House where Tammy was able to show the physical therapist how to use a “body sock” on a child that could help with muscle tone and also has a calming effect. Kids with cerebal palsy, autism and other challenges all can benefit from it. We were pleased to see a lot of improvement at the house from when it opened three years ago--kids were receiving more individual attention and were more alert and active. It is an amazing place where the “least of these” are getting loved and cared for.
There are a few places at Layla House that really need some color and fun...something that makes an adoptive parent who enters the Layla House for the first time smile...and give the kids something to smile about. SO, Kelly got our group together and we decided to paint a welcome mural that’s the first thing you seen when you walk through the gates. (Hopefully pics will be loaded tomorrow). We chose a house...complete with a dog and sunflowers. The children who watch us paint always comment “That’s a house! There’s a dog!” They get so excited about the hope of a “home” one day...so we hope this mural will give them a reason to dream big!
Tammy & Julia got to spend a wild afternoon with the toddler kids...singing, dancing all while they tried to teach her songs in Amharic (along with a few moves only learned in Ethiopia).
Please try to pray for our Opportunity House field trip to the Hilton Hotel tomorrow-we will be taking a large group of 24 special needs kids, with fewer volunteers this time...to swim for the morning in the hot springs. Needless to say, when these children are taken out of their environment (which is very rare)...they can become very agitated and react with sadness, anger or completely withdraw. Pray for calm spirits, weary bodies to recieve relaxation in the water, and safety for all involved.
The last part of our afternoon was spent trying to find bathing suits for the caregivers...and since there is no Wal Mart, Target or “easy” place to shop-we trekked all over Addis and enjoyed the traffic, people watching, and thankfully finding suits for all for the field trip tomorrow.
We are all healthy and so far crazy energetic...thank you for praying for us and the children here.
Thanks you are the best! Miss you guys-write with random updates please!!
I’m not sure we could have packed anything more into our first official day at the Layla House. As one Layla employee said, “You guys don’t mess around-you jump right in!”
We started in the baby house where we snuggled and cuddled as many babies as humanly possible...then off to the toddler room where they were doing circle time that included dancing and singing (cue the video!!) Seriously it’s one of my favorite things to do at Layla--Jennifer knows she has to rip me out of the room so we can keep moving...mark my words, we’ll be back : ) My favorite little boy in the group was born with no arms who can eat, drink and run like any other little boy and whose smile was as magnetic as his personality. His father committed suicide when he was born because he felt he was cursed by his birth, and his family shortly relinquished him to Layla House. He has a family waiting and should be on his way soon to his new home...praise the Lord!
Next up was Opportunity House where Tammy was able to show the physical therapist how to use a “body sock” on a child that could help with muscle tone and also has a calming effect. Kids with cerebal palsy, autism and other challenges all can benefit from it. We were pleased to see a lot of improvement at the house from when it opened three years ago--kids were receiving more individual attention and were more alert and active. It is an amazing place where the “least of these” are getting loved and cared for.
There are a few places at Layla House that really need some color and fun...something that makes an adoptive parent who enters the Layla House for the first time smile...and give the kids something to smile about. SO, Kelly got our group together and we decided to paint a welcome mural that’s the first thing you seen when you walk through the gates. (Hopefully pics will be loaded tomorrow). We chose a house...complete with a dog and sunflowers. The children who watch us paint always comment “That’s a house! There’s a dog!” They get so excited about the hope of a “home” one day...so we hope this mural will give them a reason to dream big!
Tammy & Julia got to spend a wild afternoon with the toddler kids...singing, dancing all while they tried to teach her songs in Amharic (along with a few moves only learned in Ethiopia).
Please try to pray for our Opportunity House field trip to the Hilton Hotel tomorrow-we will be taking a large group of 24 special needs kids, with fewer volunteers this time...to swim for the morning in the hot springs. Needless to say, when these children are taken out of their environment (which is very rare)...they can become very agitated and react with sadness, anger or completely withdraw. Pray for calm spirits, weary bodies to recieve relaxation in the water, and safety for all involved.
The last part of our afternoon was spent trying to find bathing suits for the caregivers...and since there is no Wal Mart, Target or “easy” place to shop-we trekked all over Addis and enjoyed the traffic, people watching, and thankfully finding suits for all for the field trip tomorrow.
We are all healthy and so far crazy energetic...thank you for praying for us and the children here.
Thanks you are the best! Miss you guys-write with random updates please!!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
We arrived!
We arrived safely in Addis! Thank you for all of your prayers. After a wonderful flight, and many hours of travel, we re-fueled in Rome and landed safely in Ethiopia.
We are thankful that all of our luggage and totes made it. We are staying in a lovely hotel, but are very tired after only several hours of sleep. Looking foward to a full day at the Layla House tomorrow-can't wait to see the children.
Look for an update tomorrow- we are off to bed!
We are thankful that all of our luggage and totes made it. We are staying in a lovely hotel, but are very tired after only several hours of sleep. Looking foward to a full day at the Layla House tomorrow-can't wait to see the children.
Look for an update tomorrow- we are off to bed!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)