
"Little" Sharon

I could shoot myself.

I got confused and sent a wrong suitcase home with the team and its insides hold all the material and dyes I packed to make scarves with the kids this week.

I'm just way more disappointed than I need to be, but grateful we will be back next month...but still! I really want to whine to somebody and alone I sit in my room with a big ol' pout on my face.

The morning was slow paced and restful. Janet picked me up about 11am and we ran a few errands...ie bank, setting up a cell phone and then meeting with Chris our driver to reconcile our account with him. Janet dropped me off for a meeting with another ministry leader here and my eyes were opened once again to some of the painful difficulties of the mission field. Satan has a counter plan to every good work God wants to do. Add people just like us, and our weaknesses and the best of circumstances can crumble under the temptation and deception of the enemy.

Ephesians 6:12^"For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." ASV

"God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels." The Message

Life is messy and that includes ministry. Its difficult not to be discouraged when there is human failure...not to want to pull out, throw up our hands and avoid all of the hard parts. Hearing the heart ache of another makes this empathetic heart break right along side. But Jesus loves children, which makes them a favorite target of our enemy. If they can be corrupted, hurt, abused early in life, he's got a foothold for the rest of their lives. Children still need to be protected, loved, and nurtured regardless of the obstacles and the risk. So we pray more for the wisdom to do our best and trust God finish what he has started.

We arrived at Chayah in the early afternoon and today I was able to sit and watch them play and talk and though I understood nothing at all, it was really sweet to see them interact as a family. Some played soccer, many more sat on the front porch and talked.


John

I didn't need an interpreter to see how bonded they are to each other, how much fun they have and I am always impressed that they gather together in big groups, not two or three sitting off by themselves. I guess it just feels really inclusive and warm.

Judith, our counselor

Judith, Sharon and Olivia

I pulled out some paper and they got a pencil and we talked about building a new house on the property. I asked them to think about what it should be like and draw their ideas out.

Doreen

Janet and I went over most of the sketches and she commented that of course Judith wanted a "reading room" (library) and that the boys put the sports storage room right next to their bedrooms.

Jonathan

Some had our cooks sleeping next to the kitchen and others drew swimming pools and fish ponds. Some want 2 to a room, others designed 4, one of the older boys thought maybe he and the other should have their own rooms.

Shakira

They had two things in common...multiple stories and everybody put themselves on the top floor and nearly every house had guest rooms for our teams.

I loved their creativity and especially the way Yoweri was so careful to draw detail,

Yoweri

using the edge of a soccer cone for the round parts and a lego piece for the straight parts. Now before you take up a collection for rulers and protractors...those things worked just fine and I have a feeling their school supplies are put away for safe keeping and only school work.

Melisa

We had been given a large piece of left over cake at Solomon's wedding, so that was served as Janet and I spent a good deal of time talking about Chayah's future.

So it was a casual day I guess and was a good change of pace for today. Tomorrow we will go back to Kakira and check on the 5 boys, praying the absent grandmother has returned and has some completely justifiable reason why she has been gone and a HUGE PROMISE that it will never happen again. I pray that is so. I am not very confident that will be the case, but regardless we are heading back to check on them and make sure they have enough to sustain them for a while more.

I'm out of good judgement tonight so I've overloaded you with words and pictures... be blessed by these faces, by the joy and contentment and stability our kids are experiencing. I know most people are drawn to the rescue of a child...but God is bigger than that and is in the business of healing and sustaining those he loves...it is amazing to see it...I guess I wish you were here in person but pictures may be the next best thing.