Easter Egg Hunt Success!

This year was a much more successful egg hunt. There were no tears and I got to watch kids wolf down candy like I have never seen before! The weather was perfect so Bryan, Laury and Laury's 2 friends set out candy in the yard while the children played in their playhouse (I was actually laying down inside with a horrible stomach ache but I snuck out to take a few pics). Once the Bo'me opened the gate the older kids came flying through and immediately were on the prowl for some candy. We had them all put their candy in some big bowls and then distributed it evenly among the older children and the younger children (who were clueless as to what they were suppose to be doing). We also learned one other important lesson from last year and that was not to put the actual boiled eggs out for the kids to find as they threw them in the baskets last year and destroyed a few eggs :)

Once they were handed their bags, the little kids walked around opening their bags and then dropping the contents in the grass or on the sidewalk, picking them up and repeating the process. But the funniest thing was seeing the kids biting into their hard boiled eggs and then getting a funny look on their face. We had to grab their eggs and peel them so they did not keep eating the shells. Some of these kids are 6 years old and have never seen or eaten a whole hard boiled egg! They loved them and they also devoured their 2 chocolate marshmallow eggs and their lollipop. I think we spoiled a lot of lunches yesterday, but I think we had some VERY HAPPY kids! We also passed out a bag of candy and an egg to all the staff who were working and it was a wonderful time!
Enjoy a few pictures...

Easter Fun

Friday, I went to church and had some time alone to reflect on Jesus' suffering and death for me. It was a very nice service of worship, but also a time to try to image the real suffering and pain Jesus had to go through because of our sin. I am thankful for that reminder so I could keep my focus on Christ despite the "fun" things we like to do around Easter, which can get in the way of remembering the cross.

One of our "fun" things was to spend time as a family, along with our friend's Donna and Allan (who are adopted family), writing special messages or drawing on 60 eggs and then coloring the eggs for the staff and kids here at Beautiful Gate. It was a good time and it is nice to spend time as a family doing something special for others. So here is hoping that our 2nd annual BG Easter Egg Hunt goes better than the 1st :) Last year we had about 7 of the young kids crying because they had no idea what we were doing to them and we just wanted to share candy and an egg with them, oops! They still liked me afterwards but it took a few hugs and a dum dum sucker to convince them!

Anyway, here are some pictures of our fun.

A Growing Family

It is hard to imagine the reality that is the life of some of the kids in Lesotho. There is a set of 3 siblings who have been staying with us for a few months while they wait to meet their parents. They are almost the exact same ages as my 3 kids and my kids have spent a great deal of time with them. Playing tag, rolling in the grass, riding scooters, and climbing on the play equipment. It has been a lot of fun to have them a part of our lives even though their time at Beautiful Gate has been brief.

When I think about the stories my kids tell, the many experiences they have had and the people they have met in their very young lives and compare that to these 3 kids, I can't help but wonder what must have been going through their minds as they have been waiting to be a part of a family. So young and yet orphans. Different placements between family and child care centers with so many memories, so much pain, and yet so many hopes and dreams. I know their biggest dream has been to be part of a family. So last night as I was about to go to bed, this is what I wrote on Facebook...

There are 3 amazing, precious children whom I have come to love dearly, and I am praising God that tonight is their very last night going to bed as orphans. Tomorrow they will meet their parents and it brings tears of joy to my eyes. God, I will NEVER stop thanking you for adoption!

Today, I got to watch these kids meet their mom and dad. It was just beautiful and they are all just so perfect together as a family. What an amazing couple who are willing to take 3 kids into their home, all at once with none of them being little babies. They will need a lot of prayer to help this to be a smooth transition. The kids are remarkable and well behaved kids but going from no kids to 3 is a huge undertaking that I am sure will be the best blessing for all 5 of them!

Unexpected answer to prayers!!

Okay all you prayer warriors out there, this post is because of you!!!!!! Lucky isn't leaving yet, his uncle has decided to have him stay till he is finished with grade 8 which is December!! SO we have about 9 more months to be a part of his life and who knows what could change by December, maybe Lucky won't have to leave at all! SO let me tell you a little about how this came to be.

Friday was horrible weather, rain flooded the roads, the yards, and ponds all over this area, so Lucky's sister did not take him into town to catch the taxi. Saturday was starting the same way (which is also why Bryan's plane never landed here, it flew all the way here but there was no visibility so they flew back to Jo-burg). His sister must have contacted her uncle because Lucky came again to say a final good-bye and asked me to take him to town to the taxi, but I couldn't as we were waiting to hear about Bryan's flight. Then later he stopped by with a few relatives and told me that he will not be going till the end of the school years. He was so HAPPY that he was getting to stay and I pray for his family that God will provide work for his sister and brother-in-law and then maybe he will be allowed to continue living in his little shack next door to them. Thank you for your encouraging and loving words to our family as we thought we were losing a close friend and thank you for praying for Lucky because God answered your prayers so unexpectedly! Yeah God

Also, thank you for praying for Bryan's safety over the past month, he has finally arrived here safely. He had to rent a car from Jo-burg yesterday as they cancelled all flights from Maseru due to the bad weather. I thought my kids were going to lose their minds while they had to wait for him to arrive. They paced, they complained, they stood by the gate to keep watch, etc for hours!!! Then I had to force them to come inside because it was dark, and they fretted that he would not be home before bedtime, but he finally made it here. Such happiness I cannot even begin to describe as my kids tackled him as he walked in the door. We are all so happy to be together again!

So on a dreary rainy weekend that started off very sad, God has turned our sorrow into rejoicing and we will praise His name! We were upset that the weather made Bryan's plane not be able to land, but it was this same weather that allowed our friend to stay. God answers our prayers so unexpectedly!

Good-bye Lucky

Oh, what a sad day for the kids and I. Our orphan friend, Lucky, just came over and told us that his sister is sending him away. When I asked why, he said he does not know, but she told him that he is leaving today to go live with his uncle. I asked if it might be better for him at his uncle’s home, but he said that his uncle is even poorer than his sister. He seemed scared and sad. He asked if he could work for me one last time so he could take some food with him and I told him to just play soccer with my kids and I’d pack him a bag with some food, toiletries, toys, school supplies and a little money so he would be prepared for his journey. He and Elijah played soccer for an hour and had a nice time and then they hugged to say good-bye.



One really sweet thing Elijah did was he found an old piece of metal and some wire and he hooked it together with a few sticks inside and told Lucky to use it to make a fire and keep warm. Elijah said he was sad that his friend was moving and he did not say it, but his gift also shows that he is worried about Lucky being able to stay warm and have enough to eat (he also told Lucky he could cook his food on it).
We are going to miss Lucky’s smile and good attitude. He has been such a good friend to my kids and I have enjoyed many good conversations with him. He is kind, friendly, helpful and has an honesty about him that makes him so easy to love.




The heavens have opened up and it is just pouring rain. It feels so appropriate on this day when a child who has already lost both parents, has a sister who is sending him away too. How hurt he must be because he has told me before that he does not want to go. I am crying for him and I feel like God is crying for him too. Crying for his loses, his fears, his uncertainty of having a meal each day, his loss of many friends in this neighborhood, and loses that I don’t even know about. God is going with him and He will take care of him. We are just going to miss Lucky, Elijah’s first African friend, so much!I know God put him on our path for a reason as so I pass on my blessing to him as we part ways;



Lucky
May the Lord bless you and keep you,
may the Lord turn His face toward you and smile on you,
may He fill you with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness and self control all the days
of your life.
May you grow up to be a Godly man with a heart after
God's own heart and
may you live a contagious Christian Life,
Amen

New Experience

Today, I wasn't just a mom or a teacher and an "aunt" playing with the Beautiful Gate kids. Instead, I got to put on my co-director's hat and head to a meeting at the American Ambassador's house. The topic of discussion was international adoption, so there were representatives from 2 orphanages, the 4 reps for adoption (US, Canada, Netherlands, and Sweden), the police, lawyers, UNICEF rep,the Chief Legal Officer (DSW), the Senior Child Welfare Officer, a High Court Judge, and the American Ambassador. There was many other groups represented as well of which I did not catch the organizations, but it was unlike any meeting I have ever attended before.

There were about 30 of us and we had several speakers discussing the roles of each group that is involved in adoptions. We discussed the things that are going well, the things that are not going well, and a recent Child Protection and Welfare Act which is now in effect in Lesotho. The discussions were open and honest and helpful which is a good thing if there is to be unity among these departments. I did find it very difficult to jump in to discussions as there were many people who were raising points and by the time I got to ask my question, we were on a whole different subject :) I know that change does not come easily, painlessly, or quickly, but I do feel like Lesotho is going to sort this adoption process out and God will be glorified.

Days like this are when my life feels a bit surreal. I am just an ordinary person. I have no gifts or talents that make me great and I have absolutely no skills or abilities to speak with people of political power or create change. Yet, through my "normalness" God is still able to use me. I think that is the theme that keeps coming back to me over and over in Lesotho. Without God, I am nothing or no one special, but with God, all things really are possible. I am but a lump of clay in His mighty hand.

Elijah's Play, Work & Daddy

This post is from Elijah:
"I have been playing with them and they have kind of made up their own wrestling games. I love playing soccer and tag with them, mostly soccer. My legs are more used to soccer than running all the time like tag. There is one little boy who loves hugging me and I have given him about a million hugs now! It makes me smile and then it makes him smile and then he goes off and plays with the other kids.



I have kind of gotten close to the maintenance guys because I go there many days and learn things and I have made my own collection of things that look like nails but are not nails and can not be used again. I don't know what I am going to with them myself, but I am going to figure something out. I have the maintenance guys with many things. I have made a wooden fish, and I have helped with a new house that is being built. I am learning many things from them such as how to measure tubes, how to put up gutters, and how to use a hammer.




I am definitely ready to have dad home because he has been gone for a month and I miss him so so so much. I miss him because he plays tickle monster, tag and hide-n-seek and he reads to me a lot. Daddy is gone because he is on a fundraiser right now. He went to our home town, California, and Vancouver where a lot of our Beautiful Gate kids have gone. I know the fundraiser is for good for the kids and staff at Beautiful Gate, but at the same time, I think it is kind of bad because he has been away from our family for so long and we love him. He is coming back Saturday, this week, and I can't wait.
Elijah