Here are some random photos from my week. We drew mustaches on some of the older boys when they were moody and tired to try to make them smile. They were THRILLED (sarcasm). That was hilarious.


This past weekend I was able to go to a rugby game in Durban! We took about 13 older kids and they had a blast. Rugby is not the main sport they like to watch, but they had a great time. This girl with me is one of the girls who I have connected with so much. She has a great heart and is so eager and open. I look forward to see what God does in her life.

A highlight of my week: Sunday night my good friend from church, Dan, came! He is here for 6 weeks to do some professional photography workshops with the kids as well as computer graphics lessons. It is GREAT to have him here and the kids are so excited! He is getting his bearings and starting some of the workshops today with the older kids.

This past week, the kids were on vacation from school and so we ran some organized team activities that were really fun for the kids and juvenile grown ups like myself! We worked in teams all week and had to come up with songs, dance routines, do a variety of things like obstacle courses, paintball battles, and pool races. I was the leader of the older girls team and really bonded with them through it! I continue to build relationships with them, which can be hard at times. But everyday it reminds me of God's love for me--there were so many times he tried to come near to me and I just didn't let him in. I am so thankful for a God who doesn't give up.

Here is one of the older girls who I have been getting to know. One things she absolutely loves, is taking care of the toddlers. I can totally see her running a day care someday. And they just adore her.
The big challenge for me nowadays is connecting with the oldest boys, so you can pray for me!

Just want to show you the view from my front door. I am blessed with a small one bedroom apartment that a New Yorker would pay BIG bucks to have as a vacation spot! Over looking a game reserve, I can wake up and look over the "veranda" to the hills to find giraffe and perhaps a wilder beast herd running through the field. It is an amazingly beautiful and peaceful view from by front door. Sometimes the kids walk down (5 minutes) from their houses to come to my apartment and so I get a nice mix of quiet and company (I also have 3 neighbors).

This weekend we helped the teenagers plan a big dance party, with decorations, a dress theme, and great DJ-ing! It was a blast! they had so much fun! And WOW no one can dance like a Zulu!!!!!

And for all those who know how much I love to bake, amongst all the things I am doing, one project that I am doing is helping some of the teenagers to start selling small cakes at school. They are getting so into it, from scoping the market (there are other kids who sell cakes) to pricing, to the actual baking, it is so fun to see them get excited about this!

Week 2 done! Wow, the weeks are flying by here and every day makes me more and more excited about what I am doing! God is so good because as we struggle with Him, He then brings great blessings. He brings us, in His time, into things He wants us to do that we ALSO LOVE. He is so kind in that way.
This week I really dug into the planning and also did a lot more with the older kids. There are about 30 of them, so it takes time to connect with everyone and it is a bit challenging to know who to focus on. All the little kids want to bake cakes with me, but it is hard to say no.
Amongst some of the activities this week, was a great fellowship group last night with the teenagers. We talked about God's faithfulness to us and ours to Him. Awesome discussion and I was amazed at how the kids are maturing in their faith!
Then, this morning we decided to go on a 14km (9 mile!!!!!) run! I have been running on the road on the property, so a group of staff and older kids, who play soccer and are in pretty good shape, ran out onto the public road through the farmland! At our halfway marker, there were huge fields of sugarcane and the kids broke off a stalk to chew on and get some refreshment. Man, the way back was hard and long and I probably would have passed out if I didn't have the sugarcane stalk!! But I just barely beat all the boys back, except one!!

So today was quite a day! We had a brush fire break out and sweep across the huge fields we have. And there is no such thing as a fire department in these parts so everyone sort of knows how to fight fires on their own. All the staff and children knew what to do, and so the American learned a lot! Take a branch and hit the fire! Who knew that would be the way to do it! It rushed up to the back window of my house, and I had my important things in my hands ready to get out! After about 3 hours of running water buckets here and there, swinging branches, and lots of help and strategy the fire burned itself out. But our nice field is a bit black now. But nothing burned and no one was hurt. Never a dull moment.

I finished my first week here! It involved quite a bit of everything! My time now is mostly focusing on major planning for the teenagers, so I spend the mornings working on that. Then in the afternoons when the kids come home from school, I focus on reconnecting with them, just hanging out. It has been so great to be back in their lives again! I baked a cake with some, watched movies with others, sat in on some hip hop dance practices (the boys are preparing for a competition), and did a few bonfires for the older kids.

This week the orphanage was short drivers, so I drove some of the little girls to a special day camp for kids with serious diseases and they were able to get their faces painted, dress up, get their nails done, play fun games, eat lots of cakes, and meet Miss South Africa 2006!

But now I see why God has brought me back here. For the past few months, I felt His urgency for me to come and the importance of it, but I wondered if it was just my own feelings or impulses. But now I see how clearly God did speak! It is so great to see that and know that as the challenges start to come, He has made it very clear that I am the one for this job, even if I don't feel like I am up for it at times.

Sorry I haven't written for so long!! SO much has happened. It has been a week of intense and very sad goodbyes, then sightseeing, then a lot of joyful hellos!
My last day in New York I spent with my very special friend on the beach, having some final quality time together on a perfect sunny summer day. That was then followed by frantic final packing and then a rush off to the airport in the evening for the first of 2 overnight flights (and I don't sleep on airplanes!).
But actually I managed to get a few hours of interrupted sleep, however I got a terrible migraine and ALMOST threw up in front of everyone during landing!
Recovered quickly to rush into my 10 hour lay-over in London! Met a friend for lunch and then walked and "Tubed" around the city! It was such a peaceful and beautiful city. I had never been there and was able to see a lot of the main attractions. Then back to the airport for my second overnight flight. And THAT one was pretty hard.
Then I had a 5 hour lay-over in Johannesburg where I had to continually walk around or move, as I would instantly doze off if I didn't.

BUT I MADE IT! And I was bombarded with hugs and screams! And that moment made it all worth it!! Now I am starting to unpack my job and find my barings with my daily routine. One day at a time!

I can't believe I'm here again!!!