Great news

Some thoughts from Holly and some wonderful updates from Save the Children Orphanage in DR Congo...
You can read about it here.

Sponsorship

Last year I was able to go to Save the Children orphanage in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  The kids, the orphanage, the country, they are all close to my heart.  A sponsorship program has been established to support the little ones at the orphanage, and we have the opportunity to take part in making a huge difference in the lives of these children!  Just 5 more babies are in need of sponsors.  You can read more about it in this post.

Today, my family and I hosted a garage sale to raise some extra money for the orphanage.  I so appreciate the donations we received to add to our pile of things to sell.  Thank you friends!  We were able to raise enough money to feed 2 babies for one month.  I always wish I could do more than I am able to, but that won't stop me from doing what I can do.  Would you be able to sponsor a child?  Or help us spread the word?

My holey sheets

A year or two ago, my husband and I were working together to make our bed.  We looked closely at our sheets, sheets that used to be green flannel.  We noticed that after 3 or so years of using only that one set of sheets, they were becoming extremely thin and discolored.  We mentioned that maybe we should purchase some new sheets.  When I consider buying something, I tend to think in terms of what that amount of money could accomplish at Save the Children Orphanage.  I could have new flannel sheets or I could help provide almost a month's worth of formula for a baby.  New sheets?  Or provide a month's salary for an extra "mama" to care for the kids?

We're still using those sheets.  Every time my husband and I make the bed we look at our sheets and laugh.  They are full of small holes, the elastic on the bottom sheet is gone, and this week Joel asked me what color they used to be.  Those holey sheets remind me to be thankful for what I have, and thankful for what I don't have.  I love my old sheets and the laughter they bring.

What she said.

Because a piece of my heart is there.  Because my thoughts are often there.  But sometimes I just don't know how to put it all into words.  I read the thoughts of another and think, "That's it.  What she said!"  This is one of those times.  I encourage you to read this.

The way things are

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, there is hope...  amazing courage, amazing beauty.  And there is a lot of hard stuff.  Well really, not just hard, that is putting it too mildly.

Take a look at this blog post.

"After nearly 20 years of state failure and conflict, the Democratic Republic of Congo has become a difficult place in which to be healthy. Life expectancy is only in the early 40s for both men and women; 1 in 13 women dies in childbirth; and 1 in 5 children does not survive to its fifth birthday."


As a citizen of the United States, it is hard to fathom living with these realities.  I have to put my imagination to work; attempt to picture myself walking in very different shoes.  My two kids are 4 and 6.  They are both alive and healthy.  I am always extremely thankful for their health and vitality, but I don't think of it as a matter of defying the odds.  If I was Congolese, chances are strong that I would be mourning the loss of one or more children.  I would certainly have many friends and family members whose young children had died.


When I was pregnant, I didn't worry about whether or not I would live through childbirth.  I am so excited for my loved ones when they are expecting babies.  I don't stop and wonder if they will die in the process.  A baby; a miracle!  Could I have the same joy if I was faced with these odds?  So many women dying in childbirth.  So many children never making it to their fifth birthday.


I'm in my early thirties.  I'm likely to live for many more decades.  Chances are strong that I'll get to see my kids grow up, I'll get to spend time with my grandchildren, and even meet my great- grandchildren.  If I was Congolese, I would be expecting to die at some point in the next decade.  I'd be wondering how my children would manage without my husband and I.


Can you imagine?  This is the way things are.  But there is hope!  What a blessing that we can be a small part of that hope.  Please remember daily to pray for DR Congo.  You can also sponsor a child from the Save the Children Orphanage in Congo.  To do so (or to learn more about it) please follow this link: http://www.tumainidrc.org/

Not much to say...

Some days I just don't have much of importance to say.  Thankfully other people do!  Here is a great blog post to read.

What if?

Please pray for the sweet kids at Save the Children Orphanage.

News from the Orphanage

As many of you are aware, last summer I was able to travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo to visit family and also spend a couple days in an orphanage. 

About a year and a half ago, my sister-in-law "discovered" this orphanage and since then she has visited often and has been working hard to help provide much needed funding to cover things like increased staffing, powdered milk for the children, and formula for the babies.

So much has been accomplished to benefit the babies and children who live at Save the Children Orphanage!  A non-profit has been established so we can all partner together and provide support for the precious little ones living at the orphanage.  Would you like to be a sponsor for one of these children?

To sponsor a child and/or learn more about this opportunity, go to:
www.tumainidrc.org
and http://kitumaini.blogspot.com/2011/06/sponsor-progress-update_27.html

Whether you are able to sponsor a child at this time or not, please pray for these children and for the staff who care for them!

Kaziba Orphanage 9 months later

It feels like just yesterday, and it feels like a life time ago, that I was blessed by a trip around the world to the Democratic Republic of Congo.  In real time, it has been 9 months since I returned from my time in Congo.  While I was gone, I missed my 2 children so very much.  Now, of course, a piece of my heart has also been left behind with the many precious children of Kaziba Orphanage.  How I wish it didn't require days of travel and very expensive airfare to go and hold them and see their beautiful smiles.

Because of the prayers and generous donations of many who supported my trip to Congo, some very neat things have been able to take place at Kaziba Orphanage.  I thought you might be interested in knowing more about it!

The primary project that was accomplished through donations was the building of a wall around the orphanage grounds.  Here is what my sister-in-law, Holly, wrote to me about it, "The wall has been HUGE.  You wouldn't believe how much they planted and harvested immediately after putting it up.  It's amazing!  They use it for much needed food."

This was so exciting to me for more than one reason.  First and foremost, the orphanage now has a means to grow a large portion of the food for the kids.  They can have a fresh and healthy food source that is not dependent on donations.  Also, do you remember the passage God spoke to me while I was preparing for my time in Congo?  He placed in my heart the story of Jesus feeding over 5,000 people with a small basket of fish and bread.  I trusted God to make it happen, but I really didn't understand how the little bit I could do would get anywhere near providing thousands of meals.  About 30 kids eating 3 meals a day, that could add up to 5,000 pretty quick!  And who knows what else He has planned for this garden or the children being nourished by it?  See what God can do with the little bits we have to offer!?  Here are some pictures of the garden and the beans that have been grown in it.

"These are beans harvested because the wall was built.  The hand is the 70 year old cook, Abel. 
This is what the kids eat."  (All quotes are from Holly who visits the orphanage regularly.)

Some of the crops growing.

"This is one of the women that was hired last year.  Because there are more staff, the mamas now can be seen sitting with kids in their laps.  The little boy standing is Moise.  He was so weak and malnourished a year ago, I thought for sure he would die.  Now he is crawling & pulling himself up. "

 "I see the Bumbo seats in use whenever I am there, and the babies are stronger for it."

"This is little Chantal who turned one the day this photo was taken.  She can pull her self up.  She was one of the babies that was often put in the bumbo chairs." 

When I was at the orphanage last July, the babies had diapers that resembled thin little kitchen towels and were tied on by bits of thin plastic.  The diapers would leak constantly and the kids would scoot around on the floor leaving trails and puddles to be mopped up by a young man who worked there.  Many generous friends helped provide new cloth diapers and covers.  Holly reported, "The diapers and covers help a ton.  Not only are they leaking less, but they are being changed more often so less diaper rashes."

"I think the training meant a lot.  But even more than that was you guys coming and us staying up there overnight.  The encouragement the women received helps them love the children more and you can see it in the happiness in the children's faces and laughter.  It's a different place compared to one year ago."

"Here is sweet Ziruka from a month ago.  Happy girl."

What little miracles these children are!  Good things are happening and I feel so blessed to have been a tiny part of it and by so many others who took part in showing Christ's love to the children and staff at Kaziba Orphanage.  I encourage you to continue to pray for the children and staff of Kaziba and for the country of Congo.

Journal entries from my time in Congo

I wrote this while traveling to Congo, July 9:

My prayer is that I can be a source of encouragement to (my family in Congo), and all the staff at Kaziba Orphanage.  That I can help the children know that they are loved.  That I can be inspired, and inspire others to truly love and make a difference in the lives of those in need.  That I can listen and hear from God what His next step for me is.  That I can serve others without crying constantly!  That we can be safe and healthy.  That my family will be fine in my absence.  And so much more.


I wrote the following on July 14, while I was in Congo:

Yesterday we drove up to Kaziba.  It was a very long and bumpy ride.  We arrived at the orphanage in the late morning.  The older children (ages 3 to 5) sang to us.  It was very sweet and many of them are great singers.  We stayed for a short while and then went to see the mwamikazi(the acting "king" of the Kaziba area).  She invited us to stay for a wedding celebration for her daughter.  The Congolese food was very good.  I don't remember the names of the things we ate... rice, beans, sweet potato, cole slaw, chicken, etc.

After that we returned to the orphanage and of course spent more time holding the babies and playing with the kids.  We also did four small trainings: oral health, nutrition and medical information, play and stimulation for babies and toddlers, and play/interaction with the older children.  We gave the workers lotion, toothbrushes, and donuts.  For the babies and children we brought crib toys and other toys, bananas and cookies, toothpaste and toothbrushes, formula, cloth diapers, diaper covers, a baby sling, and a bumbo baby seat.  We spent quite a while there just interacting with all the kids.  Can you imagine getting about 30 kids ages 5 and under ready for bed?  It was pretty crazy!  We "helped" tuck the oldest children into bed.  We sang with them and they all laid down.  As we left, they were all standing on the bed and peeking out the window at us.

We spent the night at a nearby guest house and returned to the orphanage in the morning for a few more hours with the kids.  The biggest challenge for me at the orphanage was trying to give lots of attention to as many kids as possible.

Kaziba Orphanage in Pictures

Kaziba Orphanage in the Democratic Republic of Congo

July 2010

 

Lots of laundry, all washed by hand.

Trying to figure out just how many kids I can fit on my lap at once.  The time felt so limited and each child needed to soak up so much love and attention.

We did some basic trainings on oral hygiene, medical and health, and ways to interact and play with the infants and toddlers and with the preschool age children.

Sweet faces: Some of the babies and children at the orphanage.

Dinner time for the "big" kids.

Dinner time for the smaller kids.

Bottles for a few of the babies.

Views on the drive back toward Bukavu.

Looking out the back window.  It is dry season in Congo right now and everything is very dusty.

I keep thinking I will develop a better ability to put into words my experience and thoughts from my time spent in Congo.  So far that really hasn't happened.  I still don't have the words to describe the needs, the reality, any of it really.  Kaziba Orphanage is "home" to about 30 small children.  Many, many more have spent years there since it opened in the 1950's.  Much has improved at the orphanage since my sister-in-law Holly first "discovered" the orphanage and started helping them out earlier this year.  They have more workers, better nutrition, formula for the babies, some training for the workers, etc.  Much more is still needed.  And this is just one orphanage of thousands around the world.  Most of all, these children are in need of love and family.

What to say?

It is hard to believe I've been back in the United States for a little over a week now. It seems that a blog post is long overdue! That first week back was a crazy one: I was really sick the first two days I was home, followed by a few hectic days of packing and moving. I was SO blessed by friends who helped us move, let us borrow trucks and hand trucks, took care of our kids one day, and made us dinners! Thank you! Now we are starting to settle back into life and have had a couple days of just being a family again. The kids and I have been spending lots of time with Legos, Playdough, and books.

Now, I imagine that anyone who might be reading this is interested in hearing about my trip to DR Congo. What to say? What do I write about such an experience? I haven't quite figured that out yet. The total length of my trip was 14 days. It took 2 days to get there, and 2 days to get back. One day was spent in an exhausted, travel-weary stupor. That leaves 9 days worth of events that I should have lots to write about.

We spent 2 days at Kaziba orphanage with all the sweet little ones. They currently have about 30 kids there, all under 6 years old. We were able to spend lots of time holding the babies and playing with the little kids. We provided some basic training for the "mamas" at the orphanage: dental care, health and nutrition, and ways to interact with all the children to help their development. We were also able to donate cloth diapers and plastic diaper covers, formula, toothbrushes, toys, crib toys, and a Bumbo seat. We also gave a contribution to help build a wall around the orphanage that will help to keep the kids much safer.

It was hard to be there face to face with the reality of the kids' lives, and even harder to leave. The staff at the orphanage work so hard and truly care about the kids, but their tasks are enormous and make it very challenging to provide the kids with all the love and attention they need. I was torn between giving a few kids lots of time and attention, or treating them assembly line style and allotting each child a ten minute slot before moving on to the next child. To be honest, I did some of both. And I found that I could fit 3 kids at a time on my lap!

We spent one day visiting Panzi Hospital in Bukavu. This is a well known hospital for treating women who are the victims of sexual violence. Dr. Denis Mukwege, a recent Nobel Peace Prize nominee, spent half an hour talking to us about his work at the hospital, what he has witnessed in Congo, and his opinions about what needs to happen in Congo. That conversation warrants its own post (a topic for another day). We then toured the hospital wards of women recovering from surgery and those awaiting surgery. With tears in my eyes, I smiled and shook hands with many beautiful, strong, and heartbroken women.

Another day we were able to go to a small church and meet dozens of orphaned children who are in an unofficial foster care program organized by Mama Dorcas (the pastor's wife). Hundreds of Congolese people donate what they can, most often the equivalent of 50 cents per month, to help provide some food (2 or 3 meals a week) and school fees if possible for the kids in the program. The children and volunteers sang some songs for us, Mama Dorcas told us a little more about the program, and then they fed the children from a large pot of maize porridge. Many of the kids walk for miles to receive this simple meal.

This is a brief overview of a few of my days in the Congo. I'll try to add more as I have time to process. And eventually I'll take the time to figure out how to add pictures = )

Mostly I am reflecting on the amazing blessings in my life that are often so easy to take for granted, and wondering exactly how I am to best use these blessings to impact our hurting world. I am so thankful for my husband, my kids, our health, safe drinking water, electricity, great roads, education, my home, my country, safety, etc, etc, etc.

Cheers for charts!

The kids and I have done most of our chores, most of the days, for the past 2 weeks!  Considering that I was pretty sick about half of that time, I think we did pretty good!  Tabby and Oliver are getting much better about doing their jobs without as much complaining.  Plus they really enjoy putting the little star magnets on their chore chart and getting rewarded for completing tasks.  They get a reward of some kind every 2 or 3 days, which seems to work pretty well for their ages.

I'm feeling much more confident in my ability to keep up with housework as a result of my own chore chart.  Funny, though, I think I'll need to be careful not to become too obsessive.  The more time I spend doing things like scrubbing all the walls, the more aware I am of the dirt and grime that I haven't yet cleaned.  Not all of my chores were accomplished on the exact day scheduled.  There were some I did a day or two late, and a couple I did a day early.  But the important part is that almost everything got done.  The one thing I skipped was cleaning one of the bathrooms.  The best part has been having a meal plan, knowing what I'm going to cook each day, and planning my grocery shopping accordingly.  Unfortunately I don't get rewarded this time around like the kids do.  At my age the expectations are much higher.  Or maybe I just have a mean task master!  At any rate, I think I'll wait to reward myself until I manage a two week stretch without skipping any of my jobs.

As I mentioned, I was sick quite a bit the last couple weeks... which brings us to a whole new topic.  I am going to the Democratic Republic of Congo in July!  It was getting the immunizations for this trip that made me so sick.  Hopefully it will all be worth it and I'll be healthy now while traveling.  While in the Congo, I will get to spend time with my sister-in-law and her family who have been living and working in the Congo for the past 3 years.  I will get to spend time with my nieces - 2 of whom have grown a bunch since I last saw them, and 2 I'll be meeting for the first time!  Plus we will be taking supplies to, and spending time doing what we can to help out at an orphanage.

I will miss my little Tabby and Oliver terribly while I am gone.  Two whole weeks.  But I am also excited to see what God has in store for this trip.  I pray that the supplies we take, the projects we do, and the love and attention we are able to give the babies and children will truly have a lasting impact on their lives.  I imagine my life will be forever changed by this experience.