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Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Thank you for caring and praying
It seems that finally the mumps epidemic is coming to an end and we thank God that no one had any long term affects from the illness. The days in confinement were very boring, long and hot but were necessary to keep the disease from spreading further. Each child had to be in quarantine for about 12-14 days when they had the mumps and that is without TV or a fan! The doctor here wouldn't let them run the fans in the rooms where the sick were so it was very warm and the air thick. Thank you for praying for comfort and healing.
posted
by Thomas at 4:42 PM
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Construction continues
The High school is being presently built and already the first of three floors is up. The 2nd floor on our house is also about half done as the workers rush to complete as much as possible on the roof before the big rains start. Our property never seems to be clear of brick and sand piles, nor metal bars and scores of workers milling around. We are thankful and happy to write that through all of it, God has protected the children and workers from any accidents over the past 2.5 years. Many times they weld right next to the playground, throw down tools from high up, use very unreliable electric lines to hook up their machines to and have absolutely no safety procedures to speak of.
posted
by Thomas at 10:44 AM
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Cruising down our corridors
How would you like to meet this guy in your kitchen? That is where our cook met him recently. This very large lizard, similar to a Komodo dragon measured about 5 ft. long. Our cook stabbed him with a knife after the boys chased him into the kitchen. The lizard came close probably to steal chickens but was then spotted and in the confusion entered the boys' wing of the orphanage and began running down the corridor! We were all amazed at the sight of this reptile right on the property. When I go outside in the evening I normally don't use a flashlight but the last couple of nights I have been very careful where I step, I don't want to see any relatives of this lizard on my own!
After we took pictures, the boy's barbequed the lizard and then ate it.
posted
by Colleen at 10:12 PM
Thursday, June 15, 2006
We are so proud of our 4 HSC students!
Congratulations to Ricu, Sugoto, Genodoe and Gabriel who have reached the level of HSC in their education, a level that millions never reach in this country. We are so proud of them and are expectant of good results from the exam. It will take several month to get the results back. Right now they are very stressed and exhausted from the exams, they extend over a four week period and are extremely complicated and difficult. All of the boys taking the test happen this year to be tribals. Genodoe, told me he is the only tribal (indigenous persons) in his school of about 1000 students. We are proud not only because he is from the "Home of Love" but because he is representing a very small majority in his tribe at the HSC. He told me today many from his tribe are happy if they can finish 4th grade and then go to work in the factories all their lives.
Go boys! We are praying for you and wishing you the best! Only an average of 50% of all students will pass the test. (I have tears in my eyes, I am such a sap!
posted
by Thomas at 6:18 AM
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Meet John our 54th child
John is 2 years old and has only been with us a few weeks. He doesn't talk yet and doesn't have all his teeth showing signs of malnourishment and he has club feet. We knew of John's handicap with his feet before he came and had accepted the idea that God wanted us to start helping such children. John now has brand new leg braces and has to have physical therapy twice a day. His mother has also a club foot that is very bad, she was a beggar for many years but has recently found work sewing in a factory. That is why she decided to give John to us. Although life is difficult for John and he screams a lot because of his braces and therapy, John already loves us. I don't know how, but he does.
posted
by Thomas at 8:34 AM
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Mumps Mania
To date on the 5th of June, we have 17 kids + 2 staff that have just recovered or presently have the mumps. It's like a mini epidemic. We still are keeping the sick ones in quarantine but it doesn't seem to be helping as it has already spread quite rapidly. Once sick the kids have to stay in bed for about 2 weeks. With little boys that are dreaming of snake hunting and crab fishing its quite difficult to convince them to stay put for that long! Our staff feels overwhelmed with giving out medicine 3x a day, cooking extra soft rice for the patients and feeding them. One thing that remains a mystery and just one of those culture things that I will never quite grasp is that sick people over here don't eat while ill but others must feed them, even adults.
Will you pray with us? The mumps kids have fevers, get swollen up in the face and their throats ache, it's uncomfortable. Luckily during the past 2 weeks, everyone has had school holiday so no one really had to miss much school. This week though, the schools open again and with the majority of our kids only doing mediocre in school, we don't like them missing classes.
posted
by Thomas at 9:21 AM
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Welcome Mee Yeon!
We would like to introduce Mee Yeon, (2nd from left) our new collegue who has taken Miss Park's place at the orphanage. She is a former kindergarten teacher from South Korea, with a soft and big heart. We are thankful that she chosen to spend and invest her life into the children of the Home of Love. May she see much fruit and feel at home here.
posted
by Thomas at 8:34 AM
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