Monday, January 16, 2012

Hello Friends!
 
I just finished reading your delightful replies to my last group email. Thank you!
YES! I am appropriately thankful to not be in the Ohio weather you all described :)
Nevin is our oldest son who was able to come for his 2nd trip to see Caleb! Yes it's wonderful to be here with both of my sons. It's a unique opportunity!
 
The weekend was packed and wonderful! To make it even better, I have started to wake up somewhat rested!!!
 
Sat. AM Caleb and I joined the Lighthouse boys and some of their staff on Lumley beach (the one that is most accessible to the locals on this side of town) for their regular Sat AM ultimate frisbee game which Caleb helps lead. As you can imagine, with the players all former street kids, it is not a low key game. I stay under a tree with the spectators to enjoy visiting with the staff and subs!  It was great to see so many old Lighthouse friends!
The best was seeing Joseph, who I have been close to since my first days here. Caleb tutored him 2x a week for over 2 years and between my visits Joseph and I emailed through Caleb for most of Caleb's time here! He calls me Mommy Jenny and has a permanent spot in my heart! He also has had some difficult periods of regression to old street ways and I have appreciated the prayers of many of you for his welfare and future. At this point, he has been doing well for quite awhile. Current prayers can be that he show up regularly for the last few months of his carpentry internship and graduate from that program!  It was a joyful reunion with him!!!
 
We picked up Nevin and joined a group of ex-pats for a hike to Baptist Falls. SL has some stunning natural beauty!  The hike was a challenge in the sun at mid-day (we are 6 degrees N of the equator) and some the terrain was quite tough with gravel hillsides and stepping from one small boulder  to another in the stream, but the sight of the falls made it all more than worth the work!!! Picnic lunch and swimming in the pools below the falls were delightful!   (For those of you aware of my rehab on an ankle injury, it could not have had a tougher workout and it fared quite well! What a relief!)
 
Sunday I spent the day following someone's advice.... getting the sand beneath my feet!  We spent the whole day at River Number 2 Beach with a group of ex-pats.  One of Caleb's friends owns a spot on this beautiful beach and has a gather every Sunday! We will probably be there often during my trip. The plan for next Friday-Saturday is a camp-out on the sand there!    One of the many joys of this beach is that we can walk down the beach to the river when the tide is going out and ride the river on our backs on a natural 'lazy river!!!"  ( There are even sand bars that safely stop you from going out into the ocean on the current!)  An added plus to Sundays at River No. 2 is that the gracious family that owns the spot where we go, brings the best 'buffet' of international food that I've ever had!!!
 
The MLK program for AISF is in an hour or so. The kids have had their last practice and everyone is anticipating the show!
 
After school, Nevin and I will be picked up by the Heifer International driver to go to the office to see Rashid, the HI SL director. It will be a good meeting hearing how the water projects are progressing and finalizing some plans! Rashid has already asked me to relay his greetings to all his friends at WCUCC!
 
Tomorrow we will travel Konta Malkabeng, where 2 bore hole wells that we funded will be started simultaneously in 2 different parts of that 3 village community!!!  We raised funds for 1 well in Konta, but since the bore hole method of digging is faster and less expensive that the hand digging method, John (the water engineer who does the bore hole wells) suggested 2 wells to service this wide spread community!  We will be working with John (Willamette Medical Team- WMT) as often as possible. Part of the joy of that is that as we raise money for 1 project, it will sometimes fund 2 new wells or a new well and replacements or repairs of broken wells!!!  So many more people will have access to safe water this way!
 
I will write again on Wed. or Friday.
 
Peace!
Jenny