Week one at the orphanage

Hi All,

Week one at the orphanage is complete.

The orphanage is run by Sisters from the Catholic Church. There is approximately 50 children 5 and under. I think there is about 22 that are between 2 and 3. It is a very busy time almost all day long. The place that I am staying is about 1 hour walk/bus (dala dala)/walk from the orphanage. I get there about 9 am and stay until about 4pm. The 3-5 yr olds are in school for the morning, so my morning is spent with the 2 yr olds.

When I arrive they are usually outside playing. There is swings, slides, monkey bars and a little manual merry-go-round.

There are usually no toys outside for the kids to play with, only the playground equipment.

At 10am the kids go inside, get there hands washed and go and have a cup of warm milk. After the milk they all go potty. Then it is outside to play again until 11am when they come in, get there hands and face washed and go have some lunch. Then it is back to the bathroom, legs and feet are washed, undies are changed to more absorbent ones and then it is nap time. They usually sleep until 2 or 2:30pm.

They older kids come from school at 12:30. They change their clothes, wash their hands and face and then have lunch. After lunch they too go for a nap.

When everyone wakes up it is time to have a drink of warm milk and then outside to the playground until about 4 or 4:30 when they come in and get a bath and into their jammies. They have supper about 5 and I think they go to bed about 7.

There is a lot of hitting by the children to other children when their feelings have been hurt or their treasures stolen. There is a lot of crying as the children have long days and they are tired most of the time, and feelings get hurt easily.

My day is spent mostly playing with the children, cuddling them and soothing hurt feelings. They are a lot of fun, but boy, they are high maintenance as well. About 1/2 of the children have runny noses on any given day and sometimes they have an accident and need to be changed. There are little potties brought outside when the children are on the playground for easy access. I am really impressed with all the children - for the most part all the 2 yr olds are toilet trained.

Sometimes I help the ladies wash some clothes. They was all the clothes by hand. First in a tub with soap, then a rinse tub and then another rinse tub. Then the clothes are put out on the clothesline to dry.

They butchered a cow within the last couple of days, and today I helped to cut it up. They cut it all up into chunks, like stew meat and then saved all the bones for soup. Not much gets wasted here in Africa. Even the stomach lining or pouch was cut up for use.

One day some people brought a bunch of balloons for the children to play with. That was fun! The kids had a great time, except when someone stole their balloon or it popped. Fortunately there was more than enough to go around a couple of times.

The kids are well cared for and for the most part very happy. It is a pleasure being able to love the little ones. I even have a favorite or two, but I try not to show it.

Prayer requests: For all those at the orphanage - the children and the workers, that the love of God is demonstrated by both. Also for all the children who are sick, either with a cold or worse - may they know and feel the healing power of our Lord and Saviour.

For the other volunteers - that they make a difference in the lives of those that they touch and also come to know a difference in their lives as well.

For my host family - Fredrick and Hannah, that they be reunited with their children in Kenya and that work enables them to all live under one roof.

Please feel free to leave comments and thanks to those that have already. They mean a lot to me.