Siapa nama mu?

12/21/13

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

I don't know when this post will be posted. Hopefully before we leave for the bush. Just bare with me. 

Well, we're finally here! 

I'm writing to you from my room. Cause I'm sick today. And it's really boring. My body aches and my head aches and my eyeballs ache and I just ache all over. So today I'm drinking a bunch of water and staying horizontal. My friends are taking good care of me though. 

They advised me to hang back while they go out today. I don't want to! I'm bored. But we all know I really should. Soooo, here I am. 

My team and I have been enjoying our first few days here though! We've been celebrating birthdays and Christmas and "white people are here!" and stuff. The other day we went to the YWAM orphanage. It's a cute little place in the city with maybe 26 children living in there. Not all the children who love there are orphans. Some are PKs or YWAMKs who go to school or have parents who work there. So I'm going to call it a home. Instead of an orphanage. 

Anyway, The first few moments were so awkward trying to communicate with these little ones without using words. But eventually, after a few hours of smiles, laughing, poking, hand clapping games and mumbling new words, we learned names and were very welcomed. They danced for us, we did a drama, and we ran and chased the time away. A lot of that time was also just sitting (maybe with a kiddo on your lap), observing, and praying. Anyone could tell that this could easily feel like a recess that never ends. There were kids who got picked on who would get angry and pick on someone else who gets angry and goes after the one in the corner and gets pushed away and etc. But there's an opportunity to be compassionate and smart and love on those babes. 

We've also been celebrating lots of Christmas this week. And we have more to celebrate later on. Last night we were invited to watch a handful of students from the school here on the base perform for a fancy Christmas service for a local church. This church went all out. It was absolutely extravagant! All the kids from the home were there too. 

Two little girls, Beronica and Yani have become my buddies and uugh, they've absolutely stolen my heart away. 

Anyway, that's enough for now. I'm falling asleep again. 

Happy Christmas to all!

-G