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| The girls room! Five girls share this room. This is the view from the door. The last crib is hiding behind the door. |
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| It is a good thing they like each other because they live close to each other! |
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| The closets. They hold clothes and many other baby supplies. |
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| The mixed room. The biggest boys and girls sleep in this room. There are 4 babies in here total. |
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| More of the mixed room. |
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| The boys room. There are five boys in this room. |
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| I really like the walls of the girls room and the mixed room but I love the walls in the boys room. |
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| The closets used for clothes and baby supply storage. |
Blog Week 7
Mugg and Bean
I cannot say enough how great Mugg and Bean is. It has
become my home away from home away from home as my mom says. I am there at
least once a week and usually it is more like two or three times a week. It has
been fun to work my way through the menu and I also already have a few
favorites. I have heard many raves about the Caribbean Mocha from many people.
I had it for the first time the other day and wow is it delightful. It will
defiantly be something that I order regularly and will crave once I go home. I
am mentioned before how we have become regulars at M&B and realized today
just how much of regulars we are. We sat down and were on our computers getting
in our Internet time and waiting for our orders to come when manager John
walked past and said how long how you all been here. How did I not see you walk
in? He then grabbed a chair and sat down to talk for a few minutes. We are such
regulars that the manager just pulls up a chair when we come it. It is so funny
but I love it!
Schedule
January
|
Sunday
|
Monday
|
Tuesday
|
Wednesday
|
Thursday
|
Friday
|
Saturday
|
|
30
Work
|
31 Off
|
1 Work
|
2
Off
|
3 Work
|
4 Work
|
5 Work
|
|
6 Off
|
7
Off
|
8
Off
|
9 Work
|
10
Work
|
11 Off
|
12
Work
|
|
13
Work
|
14
Work
|
15 Off
|
16 Cape Town!
|
17 Cape Town!
|
18 Cape Town!
|
19 Cape Town!
|
|
20 Cape Town!
|
21 Cape Town!
|
22
Work
|
23
Off
|
24
Work
|
25 Off
|
26
Work
|
|
27
Work
|
28
Work
|
29 Off
|
30
Off
|
31
Work
|
|
|
Starting the month of January I will be working with the
toddlers in the Starfish program. I am excited to work with these kids but will
miss my babies in big babies so much!
All in a day’s work!
This past Thursday was a quite the day at work. The morning
was pretty normal and the kids were great. Then after our 10am tea time we had
a farewell party for two of the volunteers that will be leaving beginning to
mid January. These parties are a time for the volunteers, aunties who are
working and some of the leadership staff to get together to thank those that
are leaving and tell stories of the times we had together as well as eat some
snacks. Those leaving also receive a gift from Door of Hope and we have a time
of prayer. They are lots of fun but it is hard to start the good byes at these
parties. Right before the party a man came to put in a water purifying system
in the kitchen. We are so excited to have this but that meant that the water
had to be turned off. Thursday was also a day full of donations again. December
is a month that we gets lots of donations here and it is great. One of the
things that we received along with the baby things was a big box of cupcakes.
We enjoyed these throughout the day. We were also told to share with the kids
who are 10 months and older. The babies up in big babies have never had solid
food. They eat baby cereal and baby food. We decided to give the babies the
cupcakes after their last bottle and before bed. We put them in their
highchairs and cut the cupcakes into quarters so that they could try a small
little bit. Nicole got the six babies ready and I ran to grab my camera. I took
the pictures and Nicole gave each baby some cupcake. Their reactions were
hilarious. Many of them did not know what to do with it and some would not even
touch it. A few of the kids took a bite and two of them ended up throwing up.
We believe because they just tried to swallow and not chew it. We ended the
cupcake party pretty quick. Nicole tackled the cleaner babies and floor while I
took the two that threw up and changed them. Remember how the water was turned
off earlier, it was still not back on. Definitely a this is Africa moment. Once
we got everyone cleaned up we went back to the living room where the aunties
and other babies were and started playing again. There was some great music on
the radio so we ended the night with a little baby dance party. We then put the
babies to bed and cleaned up the living room. While we were cleaning up the
radio reminded us that the following day would be the end of the world so
before Nicole and I went down to the flat for the night, all the aunties hugged
us and wished us well for the end of the world, if you can do such a thing. You
really never know what is going to happen when you go to work every morning!
New Baby
We have another new baby here at baby house 1. This means
that we have 11 small babies now. All of the beds in small babies and big
babies are full. This little one does have some medical complications and has
already had 2 surgeries in here short 20ish day life. She is beyond precious
still and she has already captured the hearts of so many of us.
Attachment
It has been really neat to see the bonds develop between the
babies and myself. They know my face and it is such a cool thing to be able to
say. When you walk into their rooms in the morning and after a nap they smile
up at you with a smile that says hey I know you and I think I like you. The
other day while I was sitting on the floor where they were all playing and I
was helping one of the boys finish his bottle and four babies started to move
my way and try and climb unto my lap. I had to keep telling them to wait until
I was finished and push them away but they are persistent and kept trying. This
happened again later in the day. I love the feeling of them all trying to climb
their way up. They have certainly stolen my heart.
German Restaurant
This past Friday night three of the girls (Cassie, Nicole
and Renita) and I went out to dinner at a German restaurant here that just
opened. Renita is from Germany so she was able to help us with the menu and
everything else. It was a lot of fun and a great meal. We ended up getting a
complementary appetizer of bread and a spread to put on it. The spread no joke
tasted like bacon! That was fun since there is not real bacon in South Africa.
I then ordered chicken schnitzel and mash potatoes. The meal was really good
and we said that we will have to keep this place in mind when we want to go
out. We also decided to order two desserts to share between the four of us to
finish off the meal. They were also really good and we were stuffed by the time
we left. Cassie had her camera with so I have to get pictures from her sometime
and we also took a few photos on Renita’s phone. A few of these are on facebook
so you can also see them there. It was a great three-course meal with amazing
company!
Prayer Requests
Two prayer requests-
One of the volunteer’s grandpas passes away this past week.
He has not been doing well the past few weeks so this was not a complete
surprise but it is still very difficult. She has decided to fly home for a few
days to be with family and will fly back after Christmas. Pray for her travels
and the quick time that she is at home. Pray for her family and peace in the
loss of such a dear family member. Pray for her transition back here with being
away from those that she loves during a difficult time.
Pray for transitions. I have really found my place here this
past week and now a bunch of transitions are going to be made again. I have
grown to really love and cherish the friendships that I have with the other
volunteers here. We talk all the time about how we are the only ones who will
ever understand this part of our lives. As excited as we are to go home and
share the pictures and stories people at home will not have the same
understanding as we do for each other. This being said two of these girls will
be leaving soon and another one will be coming. Pray that these transitions are
easy on everyone. Also pray for the work transition for me. I will be moving
from big babies to the toddler/starfish program in January. I have ‘my’ babies
in big babies, am comfortable with the schedule and have gained the trust of
the aunties there. I am excited to continue to see and work with more of the
people here but prayers that this is a smooth transition.
Thank you to all of you who have sent cards recently. I love
being able to get handwritten letters here through the mail. It is such a
blessing to be able to communicate with so many from home even being this far
away. I am well aware that it has not and in some places is still not this
easy.
I pray that you all have a blessed Christmas season with
family and friends. I am excited to be able to celebrate here with my South
African Family. I have heard a few things that we have to look forward to on
Christmas and will be sure to write about it on the blog afterwards.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the
government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 Praise be to God
for sending His son to earth for us that first Christmas night.
Merry Christmas!
Emily
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