The Doors are Open, the Children are Arriving!!!

Yesterday, Thursday October 4, 2007, our first children arrived.  Three little boys are now part of our family.   Moses and Adam are brothers.  Isaac is about 6.  We were expecting Brighton but his grandmother changed her mind.  The social worker will be speaking with her to assess the situation.  And we are still figuring out about John.  Next week Miriam, and Kamau will be going with the social work deeper into the bush to identify other children who are orphans and not being properly cared for.  I'm hoping that I might be able to go with them as well.  I want to see first hand the situation in the more remote areas.  I may have to wait until they make a second visit since the presence of a musungu (white person) could change the whole situation, especially during a first visit.

The 3 little boys were very shy when they arrived.  Kimberly and Kamau had gotten them a kind of toy that they have here in Zambia.  It is made of heavy duty wire and shaped in the form of car or truck, or – in the case of what we got – a bicycle with a little person whose legs go around.  You push the vehicle with a piece of the wire which sticks up like a handle.  Actually they are very cute toys.  The boys loved them.  Kumani and Malayka (Kimberly and Kamau's children) were there to greet them.  Then a little later Sena and Sharon and Charity (the two little girls we are taking care of) were there.  So there was a nice group of children to play and be with them.

Kamau took them to get haircuts.  According to Miriam, our head housemother, this is necessary in case they have lice.  In the case of 2 of the boys they do have ringworm.  However, today they will go to Dr. Mutali – a wonderful doctor that we go to as well - who attends the church in Liteta.  He will assess their condition and give them any medicines they might need.

Last night Miriam and Rose had planned a special dinner for their first night.  They had chicken – very fresh.  It was pecking around in the morning.  Kimberly observed the demise of the chicken (by Rose) and even said she thought she could do it!  I saw the food cooking and it looked so good, chicken feet and all.

It was a very exciting day.  It makes us pray more fervently for the funds to finish the next 2 cottages so that more children can come.  Please pray with us that we can quickly finish the 2 cottages that are almost done.