New Schedule

Today was the beginning of me balancing both the boys cottage and the nursery. Paige doesn't leave till Wednesday but I'm starting the new schedule now anyway. I'm going to miss being in the nursery as much as I was, but I still enjoy being with the boys. I feel a little stretched but I guess I'll get used to it. 

So my new schedule is that I'll be working in the nursery from 7:30 till 9 then I have my break as usual till 10:30. At 10:30 I go down to do one on ones with the boys and help with lunch from 12 till 1pm. From 4 till 5:30 I alternate each day doing either activities or outings then I'm also alternating each night helping in either the nursery or the boys cottage. So I'm a little all over the place. Hopefully my energy and my heart can stretch a little further to do both! So now I am aunty to 23 children all together:)!

I went on a nice long walk with Paige, Eric, Michael, Alex and Babu. I haven't been on many walks since being in the nursery so I really enjoyed that.

Simon, Emily and Mariam

Isaiah

Freddy

I had physical therapy this afternoon with Paige. Rukia loves to be in the car. She sat on my lap with her eyes closed feeling the breeze coming in the window and squealing with laughter. 

Michael

Michael loves to be in the standing frame and play with the therapist or with an aunty.

Philip

Philip is happy to be able to walk around much better now that his cast is off. He still does not like to be told he has to use his weaker right hand though. 

Michael is able to stand by himself for longer periods of time now. Hopefully he'll work himself up to walking without assistance. 

There seems to be a bit of a bug going around the kids at the moment and the babies were a little out of sorts. John and David didn't eat much and Zion and Anna wouldn't take their bottles. Apparently Zion hadn't taken her bottle after her nap either. Agaba had a high fever too, so he's staying upstairs with Londa tonight. Hopefully whatever it is will pass soon.

"He who loves father and mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."

Matthew 10:37-39

Ann

So, remember how I'm in Africa? 

Just checking you've been paying attention:).

Well, plans never quite work the same here in Africa the way they do at home, and I've learnt to be flexible. I was meant to be working in the nursery this morning but Sandra asked me to look after Ann instead. Ann has had the measles and has been staying with Sandra so she doesn't come into contact with the other kids. She is pretty much over it now but is still contagious. Sandra was meant to be singing with the other girls this Sunday at church and couldn't find anyone to look after Ann. I was more than happy to babysit. After all, I've gotten used to looking after seven babies so one baby is easy! I had her upstairs with me for the morning and she just sat quietly while I did dishes and then bible study. Then as the girls got back from church I had to take her down to the clinic as some of the other girls aren't vaccinated for measles and Sandra doesn't want them exposed. We sat in the clinic together singing as many Sunday school songs as I could think of until Sandra came to collect her at lunch time. 

Ann having her morning porridge.

This was pretty much the only face I got the entire time. She was happy to simply take everything in and watch me. 

We had a pretty lazy afternoon after that. I sat on the balcony for a while writing. Elena and Katelyn went and visited one of the mamas which was a great experience for them. They even had lunch with her and got to hear her life story. After they got back, Elena and I walked down to the dairy to buy ice cream for our dessert tonight. It was a nice walk together. On our walk back we passed a little boy pulling a container along the road with two puppies inside. We waved and kept walking. After a few metres we came across another puppy by the side of the road, crying, with it's front legs tied together. We yelled back to the boy that he'd dropped it and he came running back to rescue it. 

Something interesting always happens on our walks. 

Well, I'm now over half way through my stay here. I don't know how I'm ever going to leave my babies behind!

"How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light."

Psalm 36:7-9

Breakfast and Babu

Breakfast at The Keep this morning!

Paige and Katelyn leave on Wednesday and Amani always pay for a "last supper" before you leave. Paige and Katelyn decided to do a breakfast together which was a nice change. It was delicious!

Katelyn and I went to get some hair extensions so she could get her hair braided today by Mama Rukia. We weren't able to find the right colour though so Katelyn ended up giving Mama Rukia boda money to go and buy it for her. 

Katelyn had a few braids like mine done at the front and on the back of her neck with a little blue as well. Paige had a few small corn rows done on the side of her head. They both look pretty cool! 

Londa and Elena went to Budondo after lunch so it was just the three of us for the afternoon. We headed into town so that Paige and Katelyn could do some final souvenir shopping before they leave. Katelyn and I got some awesome paintings amongst a few other things. 

We arrived back just as Charlie's mum was dropping him back and he helped me carry in my painting with his big strong muscles and then waited at the foot of the stairs for the three of us to come back down and play. Charlie is probably the most charming of the boys and frequently tells his aunties that they are beautiful. He gave me a colouring picture that he'd done today and explained it all for me. 

Me with Dorothy and Charlie on my lap, Freddy playing with my hair and Michael trying to get some attention too. In these situations I'll often turn around to see who's behind me and when I turn back the children in my lap are not the same ones that were there before! They move so quickly I barely notice when they climb in and out of my lap! 

Little Freddy asked me today if I could take him home with me. This just adds to the many moments during the day when my heart breaks. Freddie doesn't cope well with the constant coming and going of his aunties and often needs just a little extra attention. I told him that his mamas loved him very much and so did all his brothers and sisters and that at the moment this was his home. I said "Freddy, I love you and I'll always pray for you, okay?" He just said, "Okay, Aunty". Of course, convincing myself is not nearly as easy. As wonderful as Amani is for these kids an orphanage is never an ideal situation for a child. Children belong in families. Amani does a great job of trying to replicate a family as much as is humanly possible but it can never be the same as a "normal" family. I wish I could see in to the future and know that each of these precious children will grow into adults who have a deeper relationship with their Father because of the experiences of their childhood. 

Christopher, happily singing to himself while he waits to go inside for dinner.

Our chapati man.

Katelyn, Elena, Londa and I bought rolexes for our dinner tonight.

The sunset was amazing tonight! It was as if the clouds were aflame and glowed like molten lava. 

We had Babu upstairs with us tonight. He has recently had a hernia operation and we are concerned that the operation wasn't done properly or maybe his stitches have come out. So he needs to have an eye kept on him for a while. He managed to wriggle around enough that he scooted off the mattress onto the ground at one point. He's not used to sleeping in a bed with no sides:). 

"Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

Mark 10:14-16

Sugarcane and Song

I managed to capture Joanne saying aunty!

This is the nursery schedule, which is followed fairly closely.

David and Florence

David has still been unwell and doesn't like his nap very much at the moment. 

Rosie, always climbing. Today she sat there rocking the chair for ages:). 

David decided to help Florence with her book:).

Mama Josephine is the lady that cleans the guesthouse, does our laundry and even cuts up our pineapples. She mentioned to one of the girls once that she doesn’t know when her birthday is and her kids never make her a cake. So Elena decided that we should bake her a cake and celebrate her birthday together. Londa made a delicious cake and we all sang happy birthday to her after lunch. She was so surprised and said “thank you for loving me!”  Mama Josephine laughs almost constantly and we all love her. 

Us girls and our Mama:).

We headed off to Budondo again today. It was the last time for Paige and Katelyn before they leave for home next week. 

Our first stop is always Steven's home. The above picture is his families home. The roof is in desperate need of repair especially with the rainy season beginning.

Steven’s mother gave us sugarcane when we visited this time which was great! I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed a nice stick of sugarcane :). We got ourselves all sticky in the process and the fibers always make a bit of a mess around you. 

Another family visit.

We're always greeted so warmly and asked to sit on any small stools they might have while the children crowd in for photos.

Plenty of little chickens running around!

The older boys love to show off for the camera. This boy flexed his muscles and was pretty impressed with himself when I showed him the picture:).

Dark clouds had been threatening on the horizon all afternoon, but it held off thankfully. Our van barely makes it through these villages and mud would not have been a help. It often stalls going over the speed bumps or up hills. It always feels like one day it will just rattle itself to pieces. I sometimes wonder what would happen if it decided to die out in one of the villages one day. 

We visited the triplets again. The seemed a little less scared of the white people this time. 

Simon still wasn't too sure about being held though. 

The family gave some of our guys some avocados to take home. I just noticed this little boy on my way back to the van, casually cutting up his avocado with a machete blade.

We went to a place called The Hub with Sandra and Mary for a praise and worship night. It was fun to sing together with people mostly from Worship Harvest. It got very hot and sweaty in that little room even though there was probably only twenty of us there and we sang for a good 2 hours. It reminded me of the sing song nights we used have when I was growing up, but a little more animated and much louder. There was no projector slides or hymn books we simply followed along with the lead singers. We took communion together towards the end and then finished with as many hymns as were requested. It was a fun night together and I enjoyed taking communion as I have only experienced that once since I've been here.

Paige, Londa and Elena are planning on singing a song together on Sunday at church, so they took the opportunity to practice with the guys who will be playing with them. The musicians are amazing. They'd never heard the song before and don't have sheet music but they just picked up the tune and followed along with the girls. I won't get to see them perform because I'm scheduled for nursery on Sunday so it was nice to hear them practice. 

Thankfully Mary was able to give us a lift home as the rain that had threatened all afternoon finally came. 

I'm looking forward to a whole day off tomorrow. Because I am rostered on nursery for Sunday then I don't have to work on Saturday. Yay!

"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers."

Acts 2:42

Conversation and Cooking

It was another normal day at Amani. 

Playing on the floor with my babies, feeding, washing, changing nappies, wiping noses, singing songs, dancing, disciplining, and teaching them how to walk, talk and play games. 

Bernie visited the nursery again today and Florence, Bernie and I had a long conversation which began with Australians, travelling and languages then somehow led to women's rights. It was interesting to hear the opinions of someone who was born in Uganda and has traveled a little bit too. He has a slightly confusing mix of Ugandan tradition and sensitivity to western thinking. Florence and I seem to agree on most things but Bernie has some funny ideas. Our conversation led to Bernie giving Florence relationship advice which didn't contain much wisdom so our 2 against 1 debate continued all morning as we played with and fed babies. By the time lunch came around, we still had not reached a conclusion so Florence invited him to eat with us upstairs so we could continue our conversation. With the addition of Londa and Elena it now came to a 4 against 1 conversation. Most of what we talked about was what kind of person you should date. Bernie seemed to think it didn't really matter how many people you dated, what you did with them or who they were, so long as you're attracted to them. Us four girls stood firm on our Bibles and defended our high standards with God's Word. He left saying that we were very tough girls and that he was not as strong as we were. I believe it's not me though that gives a good defense but the Word of God which cannot be refuted. You can't argue with God's standards. I hope we gave him something to think about anyway. 

After lunch Kaity popped in to visit and we all headed out for outings with the kids. Katelyn and I had Lydia and Mercy and so we took them to the grocery store with us before heading over to our usual spot at The Keep. Mercy has only just been added to the list of kids we take on outings and has probably never been on a boda or maybe even into town. She kept quiet the entire time just taking everything in.

Mercy all dressed up in rainbow colours. Half the fun of taking kids out is dressing them up all nice. 

At The Keep they had a cartoon playing on the tv and Mercy was glued to the screen having never seen one before. I got a plate of fries to share and handed one to Mercy to try. She daintily nibbled at the first one but when she decided it was good she shoveled them in. At one point I hadn't given her one for a little while and she simply put her hand on my arm and stared at me still not saying a word. Then another time she just opened both hands and stared down at them, as if to say "my hands are empty Aunty!"  

Lydia, also glued to the tv screen.

Lydia, Katelyn and Mercy

I love getting the chance to spoil the kids like this. 

It was my turn to cook dinner tonight and I was supposed to make burgers for everyone. I often finish up earlier than the other girls and so I planned on having it almost ready by the time the other girls came up. When I got upstairs though I discovered we had no meat! How was I going to make burgers with no meat? I stared at the fridge for a while, hoping something would appear and then looked up a few recipes on the internet. I eventually decided to make veggie fritters instead. I've never made them before so I wasn't sure how they would taste and I was already running late and everyone was getting hungry. It took me forever to get all the vegetables done as I only had a very blunt grater to use. They turned out really well though and made plenty for everyone even if we did eat a little later than usual. Typical Africa! My plans never quite go the way I want but I'm learning to be flexible. 

The power went out after dinner and so we all headed to bed early. The rain came at about 2am and I enjoyed laying in bed listening to the thunder and watching the lightning flash across my room. 

"For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has mercy on you.

Isaiah 54:10

Princesses

It was a chilly morning again and stayed fairly cool all day.

The babies were their normal mischievous selves today. Though there are only 7 of them at the moment I always seem to have my hands full! When they get extra crazy they all go in the jumpers. Even then, they are close enough to one another to annoy the baby next to them, so I still have to keep a close eye on them. 

I’m getting to know Florence a lot more now and we had a long conversation today about coping with difficult people and how to deal with gossip. I enjoy working with her in the mornings.  

Jane being her usual bossy self. She's been getting into trouble a lot lately. 

Rosie

Joanne learnt to say aunty today! She says it over and over now and she recognises that I am aunty and not her mamas :). 

Zion, right before she spit up all over me:).

Zion had her head shaved today! Her first hair cut. She looks so different. Her hair will grow back a lot nicer than what it was but her funny little hairstyle was so cute I can’t help but be a little sad. She wasn’t too impressed with having the clippers on her head and screamed the whole time. I was holding her, so my t-shirt was soaked with her tears by the end of the ordeal.

Zion makes the funniest little faces:).

Florence and Anna

Jane

Before

After:)

Spiderman (William) and Spidergirl (Joanne)

Godfrey and Simon

For activities today it started to rain a little bit so we did dress ups in the preschool area. It’s so funny, a lot of the boys go straight for the princess dresses :). They danced around in their long flowing dresses being silly together. 

A damsel in distress!

Little princesses

Jane

Sande, the teddy bear with his baby.

Isaiah, the princess with his baby.

I felt unusually tired tonight and a little shaky for my last few hours. I didn't say anything but I think the mamas knew I was tired because they kept taking jobs off me and just handing me the little babies to hold. I love this shift of mamas, we work really well together and they joke around with me which is nice.

Elena and Katelyn had a tough day today in the girls cottage. Please pray for them and the mamas

“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 22:6