This past weekend was time again for "incentive weekend" for the St. Boys. If they had 24 stickers on their chart then they got to be a part of swimming, dinner, and slumber time with the mama na baba Thompson. They get stickers for good behavior, work and attendance. It really works well. They flip out if they think their sticker is in jeopardy and straighten up immediately.
PAMOJA!!!
Making a pitiful attempt at teaching them to swim. I told them to kick their feet then wondered why I had a face full of water and couldn't see.
Thuku thought it would be cool to dive in the baby pool. Then he thought the deep end would be cool to dive in as well. Only... he couldn't swim. I just about had 3 heart attacks while I was there. Maybe my swahili needs to improve significantly so that I can explain what I mean by "the deep end is...DEEP".
This was the face I saw him making the majority of the time. (Choking on water)Poor fellas didn't exactly know how to swim, but they sure did try
David loves some CT!
CT playing a mean trick to these cold boys
They thought it was hilarious to throw CT in the pool.
Collecting cans from our "can pit" to take back to the slum to sell for money to eat. I had no idea it was such a gold mine. 5 years worth of cans! They all made about 60 cents each! They were very excited and tithed 10% at church sunday. I followed this up Monday and one of them was quick to tell me that Julius (Masai) "tithed 10 bob" Which is twice what we had talked about tithing. My heart= BEAMING. I couldn't be more proud of the young men these boys are becoming!
CT and I were talking about how WE are the blessed ones to have them in our lives. We don't know what we'd do without them loving on us the way they do. Especially during our recent adoption struggles. THEY are our amazing blessings and have loved on us immensely.
Just a little something to make ya cry...
We recently sold the van to some friends to buy a cheaper vehicle. Our friends are letting us borrow their vehicle for a bit so we can haul the boys and some guests. They left a CD in their car that I had been listening to. Long in the short, by Saturday on the ride back to Kawangware I had played this particular song so many times that they knew the chorus by heart and were singing it, not really knowing what it was saying in english. I got Brian to translate to them so they knew what they were singing and explained exactly WHAT they were singing. After that, they began singing even louder these words of the chorus:
Open up the sky, fall down like rain
We don't want blessings, we want You
Open up the sky, fall down like fire,
We don't want anything but You
We don't want blessings, we want You
Open up the sky, fall down like fire,
We don't want anything but You
I'm almost in tears and trying to drive.
Now, how many people would actually take God if there were no blessings to go with the package? How many people could truly say "I don't want ANYTHING, except you."
Can I sing these words and mean it so much that my life reflects it constantly? I don't deserve any blessing he chooses to give me.
4 comments:
I love you and those boys. Endlessly.
love the pictures and updates on the boys....
I am not sure if you know just how much those pictures say about your character. I know street children and that most will not have taken a bath in months, nor had a change of clothes in even longer and sleeping on a dirt bed at night does not help in the hygiene department ( think homeless person in San Francisco who has not availed himself of a shelter in years). While most would hold their noses as their handed out pieces of candy and patted their backs for their good charitable deed, you guys get down and dirty. You really demonstrate Christ’s love, loving those we would consider “untouchable”. You are my modern day Mother Theresas (without the press corps and the habit – though I think CT would totally rock it). You really convict me and make me examine how I demonstrate Christ’s love to others. Would the homeless in my town be drawn to my savior based on my interactions with them? Sadly, the answer is a resounding no. Though you guys are having to scale so many mountains on your journey to your legal children, the Saint Boys will always be your oldest kids.
Blessings.
What GREAT "parents" both of you are to the boys!!!! Love the pictures and the song. Can't wait to meet the Saint Boys in person!!!!! Love to all of you.
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