Hospitality as it should be.

So much to update all of you one! This morning I rode along to the airport to drop Farryl off. She is headed back home, and now here I am without her support and knowledge! It will be ok because she gave me a crash course in the ten days that we were able to spend together. I moved my things up to the orphanage on Thursday, and spent my first full day there thursday to friday. It is very peaceful up there but as usual a lot to get used to. There are four houses up there, 3 for the children divided up by age group and one for meetings, church, and misc things. On Thursday I helped feed the babies, which was a challenge and a big fail on my part. You place the baby in your lap, place a cloth around there neck for a bib and you feed them their blended food out of a metal cup with a large serving spoon. Now most of you know that I am left handed, but I am often challenged when it comes to doing new things and figuring out which hand to use and what works best. Well the story ends with baby joseph knocking over the food, me spilling on him and my self and a sore back:) But I will get used to it hopefully. These babies need love and that's what I am here to give. It is so easy to put my needs first, but really i have everything and more and i just need to be loving on them and filling them up.

Then it was time to help with the two year olds and bath time. It was Farryl and my job to dry them off then put on vaslene when they were dry and then cloth them. Then we sat them on their potties. Well those smart children know that we aren't really incharge and they were running a muck and sitting on their potties, falling in their pee, and being rascals:) But whenever Sister Wendy came back in the room, they sat down and looked around like they had been doing nothing wrong. Haha It took a lot of energy to take care of 13 two year olds for a bit, but we got it accomplished.

This weekend I am back down in Moshi at the convent staying with the Sisters because Sister Agnes and I are doing a home visit tomorrow and it was easier for me to be in town to go along with. Tomorrow we are visiting a child who has left the orphanage and going to see them at their new home. To see how they are doing and if all of their needs have been met. Then it's back to the orphanage in Machame to love on the kiddos. It has been a hard adjustment because most everyone I am surrounded wth speaks swahili and me not so much, even though I am learning. The Sisters are all so welcoming and loving, but it is just hard when we don't always understand eachother. I have been a bit lonely lately, especially in the evening when it is dark out and everyone is settled in and then there is me haha. But I have some good books and journaling to do so that helps the time go by a bit faster.

Since I have been here I have noticed the never never ending hospitality. The people that I have met do not have a ton to give, but they give their hearts out and welcome you into their houses with warm arms. Last night we went to say goodbye to Nasibou, one of the children that has left Neema, at his nanny's house and they offered us dinner even though we were eating in an hour and there were probably 20 people in a tiny tiny tiny one bedroom house. it was nuts. i was a bit overwhelmed. But moments like this teaches me that it's ok if everything isn't perfect and your house isn't in order, it is better to love and have relationships with eachother, and most of all laugh, even though i hardly know what is going on, then to worry about anything else at all:)

I have a lot left to experience and take in. I am still overwhelmed at times, but slowly it is getting easier. I just have to remember to put Jesus at the center, and it is really his work that I am doing. I am just the hands. It is easy to become selfish when you are stepping out of your comfort zone, but that won't really help:) Please pray for strength, wisdom, and endurance. And that I stay safe and sound and am not homesick anymore! I want to fully enjoy my time here without counting the days until I get home, I want to leave everything here and have no regrets that i didn't get to do certain things because i was to busy being sad. I can't wait to see all of you and talk to you when i get home! Thanks for the support and take care:)