Tired

Apologies to anyone who has a hang up on grammer, cuz I don't there will be no proof reading here.

Oh, today did not start the way I wanted. I did not sleep at all last night due to several things, but mostly because my mind would not slow down. I was asked to move from upstairs with the air conditioning and the curtains, to the downstairs bedroom which is the only bedroom in the house with no curtains, no overhead fan, and no AC. Needless to say, my sheets are always wet from the humidity and the security guards like to scare the crap out of me by speaking to me when making the rounds in the middle of the night. Most of these things do not bother me and won’t during the course of the trip, but last night they did.
All complaining aside, I headed over for worship with the kiddos this morning. Asatu and Betty lead worship. Cari gave the message on the feeding of the five thousand. The kids were very attentive today, which is great of those of us who are trying to keep them quiet. We ended with a time of prayer. Cari invited any of the kids who wanted to ask questions or learn more about the story to stay. Asatu, Safi, Aminata, Rugiatu, Fatmata, Albert, Sam, Fallah, Joseph, Betty, and two other boys I can’t remember right now stayed so we could talk with them. We discussed how Jesus did this, how God wants to use them to do great things just like the disciples, and how can we make our own gifts multiply. We also talked about the parable of the lost sheep and how God want s to change us on the inside more than the outside. As you can tell we had some serious discussion. After that I sang for them and then they returned the favor by teaching us a song. *Side note – I absolutely love walking around the center during the day and hearing the kids sing songs of praise all day. Sometimes they do it in groups and other times they are just singing by themselves*
Then it was time for some outdoor fun. I worked with Abdul on his soccer juggling. The guys listen to me due to my soccer skills and not just about sports. It’s an advantage I have to wow them. I got a chance to sit down with Ibrahim today. My youth sponsor him. He likes to stay in the back and not stir up trouble. We sat and worked on math problems. Peter became my extra limb today. Always hanging on me or sitting in my lap if I sat. Then we went upstairs to help get lunch ready. Mabinty and Katiatu washed dishes while Joseph and I got the water ready. Another fun thing for the kids to try today was my lemonade. Don’t think anyone wanted a second drink, but their faces sure were funny.
After lunch, I went back to the guesthouse to take a nap. Sweet sleep. I hopped back over to the center for some more time later. *Side Note – today may have been the prettiest and hottest day since I arrived. It rained all last night and today has not really had any clouds* I made my rounds, stopping by to smile at Lucy and Moses as I do every time I arrive. If you are having a bad day the going to see Lucy is the thing to do. Many of you know her story, but for those who don’t, TRS has been fighting to get this precious special needs child in our care for a long time. We just gained custody last week. She is always smiling. As I was making my way around I saw one of the caregivers, Ischa, was sitting alone in the corner looking very sad for her. So, I went over to check on her. I asked if she was ok and she did the usual American thing and said yes, so I did my typical youth minister stuff when I know something is wrong and I asked if she was really ok. She said no, but I could tell she didn’t want to talk so I let her know she could come get me if she needed. I then went to speak to the cooks and Aminata. After yesterday, Aminata was very quick to talk to me all day. While we were talking, one of the boys came and got me and told me Auntie needed me. My assumption was Cari, but it was Ischa who was waiting to talk to me. She is the oldest sibling. Her Father is very sick and dying and they have come to get money to pay for his death. I let her tell me the story and then I prayed with her. She started sobbing. In that moment it was very sad and very pleasing to know that the staff could now turn to me for things of this sort. I sat with her for a while and then came back to the guesthouse. It’s Sunday night which means me and Cari have to come up with food for ourselves. Tonight we are having some of Abdul’s leftovers. Hope they are as good as they were the first time!