The Four Corners of the Earth

Rainforest Cafe... a place full of mechanical, life likes reptiles, mammals, etc... Adventurous is the word I would use to explain the decor of the restraint. New and exciting are also adjectives one could use to describe there first time at Rainforest Cafe. Twenty-six children from Africa strolled into the Rainforest Cafe souvenir area and the place will never be the same. Picture 26 kids who have only ever heard about or seen real crocodiles stumbling onto a life like mechanical crocodile. Mr. Crocodile made a little move, opened his mouth and roared and the kids took off to the four corners of the earth. After gathering they back together again, some with tears falling down their face, that the crocodile was a giant puppet. I had to touch his nose to show he was okay. Praying that the time I am touching his nose would not be the time he would decide to make his little move and send me flying. Finally we calmed them down and here comes Mr. Sharky. Round 2 begins: some person dressed up in a friendly shark outfit strolling down the aisle (promoting underwater world) sent the kids scattering once again. Again we gathered them back together and explained how there is someone inside the shark outfit. Once they understood they loved Mr. Sharky and inundated him with hugs!!! The kids love to hug!!!


A few days later I am watching these kids who scattered from the crocodile and Mr. Sharky perform on stage and a thought occurred to me... "When did I grow up?" (Cassie I did not say "When did I get old" :)) I just thought to myself... "Was it not just a few years ago I was that age and people who were the age I am now were old and cool. The people I looked up to." Now I am that person. I am the person the kids look up to. They watch my every move and remember everything I say. For the next year the Lord has blessed me and 6 other people with the privledge of raising these children in the way they should go. What have I done to recieve such a blessing? The answer is quite simple... Nothing!!! The Lord has blessed and I am grateful!
We are just a few days shy of one month and already thejourney has been exciting and full of stories.

Grace

Imagine if you can... a child who grows up in the west. Able to go to school from 8am to 3pm. Maybe that child is also involved in a sports activity after school. After the days events the child is picked up in a nice warm car and drove home. Upon reaching home there are countless things to entertain himself with. Maybe basketball, playstation, computer, etc... A nice warm dinner that someone, more than likely mom, has cooked. Then after dinner a nice warm bed to sleep in and to wake up in the next day and start the days activities all over again.
Now picture a child who is not privledged with such luxeries. This child wakes up at 4am to be at school by 5am. Class does not end until 10pm and he does not get home until 11pm. When this child is on the way home he sees where warring tribes have ravaged his home/village. They have set fire to stores, homes, and huts. Yet this child still goes home to wake up the next morning to start his day all over again as well.
Is it not the Grace of God to allow both of these children to live where they live? This is the question I have been pondering the last week. Maybe you can ponder it as well and let me know your answer. The Lord allows us to live when truly our rebellious, mocking tendensies most the time spit in His face; that is grace. He allows us to come to the relization of who he is this is also His mercy and grace. Both children have advantages and disadvantages but both are under the mercy and grace of the Lord.

That is my little tid bit of thought for the past week. Now on to an exciting piece of information. The kids where asked to sing for Bono as he recieved the Liberty Medal for his work in Africa. President Bush Sr. was awarding the medal. The children were the closing act and they stole the show. Mr. Bush even did a little jig in his chair while the kids performed. Bono sang along in his chair and then we all crossed paths backstage. It was a neat experience.
Well I am about to go teach my first social studies class so I must wrap this blog up. While there is so much more I could write this will have to suffice for now.

Touring Iowa

"I thank Him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to His service." 1 Timothy 1:12
Where to begin...truly my strength is not my own. It feels like we put a months worth of travel into one week. I shall give a brief itenary of what we do...rather how the last five or so days have gone.
We left camp on Wednesday morning and arrived at our first church in Davenport Iowa, that afternoon. We had our first concert that night; I feel it went very well. We packed a 600 seat auditorim with about 700. After the concert we met our host families went home and went to bed. That would be at about 10 or 11 at night. We were at the church the next morning at 8:45 to begin our day. Packing it with, chicken pox shots, school, lunch and a bit of play time. Then we went back home with our host families for the night. The next morning we arrived at the church at the same time and left the church around noon to head to our next destination, Iowa City, Iowa. We had a performance that night. A four hundred seat auditorium with about 500. After the concert we went home with our new host families. Again it was straight to bed. Luckily the next morning we could sleep in. I slept till 8:30 (I must be getting old :) ) All the host families from that church wanted to meet at a park; so all of us met at a park, played and had lunch. After lunch we all headed for the church and then out for our next church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. That was only a 40 min drive. After arriving it was nap time. Not for me however. Once we arrive at a church that's when I start all my paper work. Assigning chaperones to children and then assigning host families. Finishing up the offering, product and sponsorship count, etc... We arrive on Saturday night to spend the night with the host family of the church where we will be singing at Sunday morning. That is where we are now. We have 2 concerts in the morning. After those concerts we have a few minutes drive to our other church where we will do one more concert and stay the night with a new host family from there. Normally that is a three night stay but this time it will be a two night stay. Since we head to Philly early Wed. morning. (More on that later) So that has been the last four days plus our day tomorrow.
It is neat to see so many firsts. We were looking out over a lake the other day and a man was standing in his boat. Jacob said "Auntie look that man is standing on water." I couldn't help but laugh and then explain it was a boat. Another first: After meeting our host family on Wed. night they told us they would like to take us out on the Mississippi River for a boat ride. The girls were very excited about that. There were three of them: Sara, Bridget and Faulanta. Then the husband of the host family told me I could try to water ski and of course the children wanted to see that. Since it is all for the children I went ahead and water skied. I would just like to say water skiing is much harder than it looks. I did not make it up till my very last time to try...but I did make it up. The girls had a blast!
I probably could think of much more to write but it is getting late and I need to be up at six tomorrow. So I shall call it quits for tonight.

It's the Little things

"Auntie, Auntie look at my pajamas!" "Auntie, Auntie look at what the Lord has given us!" "Auntie, Auntie don't I look smart!" (Smart = Beautiful) These are the phrases the children would say with excitment as they found there new bags with there very own items in them.
My job began Tuesday evening. We arrived at the camp in Indianna a day early. Our job was to prepare the rooms and bags for the children. We packed bags, equivalent to athletic bags, with items such as underwear, tank tops, socks and a tolietry bag as well. Five pair each. We layed the bag along with a nap blacket on the Children's beds, in preperation for when they arrived wednesday.
Wednesday the adventure began. The chilren along with the African chaperone's arrived. We picked them up at Chicago's O'Hare International airport. We loaded the bus and drove through Chicago to arrive at our camp in Indianna. The Children's eyes were wide as we passed tall buildings, billboards, other cars...especially hummers. (By the way Chicago is pronounced Chee-cago; at least by the children) We arrived at our camp and the surprises began.
There first surprise was the bag I mentioned previously. And what a surprise it was. It would be an injustice to compare it to our Christmas gifts because we are thankful for things but most the time we are not truly grateful. There is quite a difference and these kids were truly grateful! They had no idea the next day they would be recieving new outfits as well. Bear in mind the only thing they came over with was the clothes on there back. Thursday we were all assigned three or four children and we fitted them with clothes that had been donated. Nice clothes. The children were so excited. "Auntie, Auntie these are my best clothes. I am going to wear them again tomorrow!" They were so grateful! And there was still more to come. Friday we took them shopping for new shoes. Shoes are a big deal to Africans. They take care of their shoes like we take care of our vehicles... like some of us who care about our vehicles take care of our vehicles. To top it all off after our outting to Wal-Mart we bought ice-cream/popcicles from the store next door and oh how the children enjoyed those.
Soft grass, hot showers, warm beds, beds we don't have to share, toothpaste, lotion we do not have to share, toilets that flush, food and plenty of it at our finger tips, etc... all things we take for granted. One boy said, "Auntie the grass is so soft I could roll in it!" One girl, said "Auntie look at what the Lord has given me." That quote has resonated in my head. All these things we take for granted as Americans and truly the ONLY reason we have them is because the Lord blesses us with them. He does not have to. He is the Lord and he will show mercy to whom He shows mercy. I am gratefull and becoming more grateful for the little things...especially as the Lord reveals Himself in the little things. I had asked the Lord to make me grateful for the small things and he sent me the African
Children's Choir.

Truly is blogging this simple

This is my test blog... this is only a test... Is it working? Is it working? How do I put pictures up on this thing? hm...