Our Family Circus

That past 2 weeks we have entertained children from the other sites.   There is no better way to speed up the motivation in the classroom then to know friends will be around to play.   It also means sleep overs and late nights that lead to crashing when everyone has gone back home.   We have prayed for the kids to be more comfortable with the people of this culture.   With the help of our neighbor, we have taken Miss B. to the playground a few times to let her play along side the children who visit it.   I asked her to join me on Sunday to take some mail to drop off at the office.   As we walked past the playground, she asked if she could go play because she saw 2 little girls there.   She did not interact or play with them but played near the children.  God let me see that it was not my suggestion but her's....progress! A team left last week, so I went clean up with my Creole book in hand to help with communication with the lady I would be working with.   I practiced the words

The primary responsibility of the kiddos and myself, for this season of our lives, is schooling.   But because the children do not have a schedule of activities in the evening , we can still help out as needed at the mission.   Dolly feeds the fish in the pond 2 times a day and also checks in on the zoo animals.   She "dog sat" for a family who went on furlough and whatever else comes up.   I know she has given impromptu tours of the zoo and have played with younger children on the playground who have invited her to play with them.   When the zoo keeper sees her coming, his hand flies up to wave.   He speaks to her in Creole and some days she comes home saying, "What does (this word) mean?"   There is a guard on campus that tries a different Creole phrase with her each time he sees her.   She asks him what it means and he tells her in English.   She said, "He always ask me that."   I let her know he was asking because she still did not know the phrase.   S

Last week, I struggled through the virus Chikungunya.   It is carried by mosquitoes and it hit HARD! This, I know about me, when one aspect of me is down, the rest of me suffers.   Physically, I felt horrible and even rest would not cease that feeling because insomnia is part of it.   I could easily write of all of my misery, but I will spare you those details and just put them in my tear stained journal.   Let's just say, the last time I felt that bad someone handed me a baby all bundled up and told me congratulations.............where is my congratulations gift??? During this time, I realized how much I missed the old.   I missed the hardwood under my feet, my dishwasher (okay, I miss that everyday!), the yard, neighbors, phone calls, our van, dance classes, church activities, and our ability to go places.   I missed familiar, I have the same bed but it is in the wrong room.  I can lay on the sofa but the antiques from the Boaz/ Blake families are not here for me to look