A walk in my shoes: videosss!

So this week has been a long one and I can't express how thankful I am that it is Friday! Hopefully all yall are doing good :] I know summer is coming to an end and school is starting up again.

So this week has been full of adventures. On Tuesday I went on an outreach with Eric. They are behind on stats so we split up (the health counselors and myself) and went to different venues to get more tested. Well I lucked out and got to spend the day with Eric. Now I have yet to be bored when he is around. He is quite the character and he doesn't mean to...it's just language and cultural differences lead to a fun time!

This is Eric::

the one on the right, in the red.

So we went to Hanover Park, which is a township here. I had been there with them once before, we go to a rehab center there. Anyways, they had gone one more time after I did and they went without me and Eric kept going on and on about how everyone there kept asking where I was and what not. So I was super excited to go! Well we get out there and I walk into the door to be greeted by smiling faces, most of which were missing many teeth, and my name being said by a few. It was a nice surprise to say the least. Most of the people in this place are guys so I was asked many times for my number...if I'd take them back to America with me...If I was married...If I had a boyfriend back home...haha everything not related to what we went there to do, which was test for HIV. But it was still all in good fun, they were all hilarious and I'll be back there in a few weeks to do another outreach and to say sayonara!

Now this is where my adventure begins.

We finished here around 10:30ish. So Eric asked what my plans were for the rest of the day and I told him...kids club...like everyday. Tuesday though, I had to be back at 1:30 instead of the normal 3. (important)

Well he told me oh perfect would you mind if I did something real fast. I said sure why not I have a few hours to waste and he's my ride anyways. Well were driving around and he tells me we need to go to his house to get his ID card. Ok cool no problem..We get there and he insists I come in and meet his wife and see his house. It was a humbling moment for me. When we got there I walked into the house and it could easily fit in my living room. But he was proud of it and that is absolutely all that matters. His wife was so sweet, she looked like she had just rolled out of bed haha. But she got up and gave me a hug. precious. Eric showed me a few pictures he had on his wall from church and then we were on our way.

Now this is where it gets interesting. Eric begins telling me that his friend died, and he was in jail and got out and had a court date and since he died they need to be refunded for the court fees since there isn't going to be a trial anymore. Now i'm as confused as you reading this. But Eric and myself have this relationship...where if we don't know what the other is talking about we just say okay. It's actually really funny. We laugh....alot. So after I 'okayed' him we ended up on the other side of town and picked up someone who happened to be the guy who died sister. Well we took her to the court house. After getting searched and patted down I got to go in. well done african security. We get in and go to the teller to tell them what we need. Naturally they don't have what we need. I sit down because I still am unaware of what is happening. 1 HOUR later the lady that was 'helping' walked out of the office and Eric went after her asking what she was doing and she said 'oh, its my lunch break now.' I couldn't believe it! She was just going to leave and probably wouldn't of said anything had Eric not of gone after her. Well another 30 minutes went by still didn't have the refund money. I sat in that small room for 2 HOURS only to be told by a new lady that we needed to go to another building. haha now it was just comical. of course this would happen on the day I had to be back at 1:30. We drove over to the next place and Eric told me I could just wait in the car because it wouldn't take long. HA! I sat in the car for 45 minutes. I was getting SO antsy, then I started thinking about how much im dreading my 18 hour flight home when I can barely handle sitting in his car for less than an hour. Now it's around 2 o'clock. I hadn't eaten breakfast, I'm starving...antsy..starting to get leg cramps...haha just everything going wrong. Then I see eric run out of the building and across to where I am. He opens my door and just apologizes and apologizes. Apparently the system was down there. He drove us to the nearest convenient store and comes to my side and says 'come in I'm buying you some food and don't say no or we will fight'

BUT we pulled back into Capricorn at 3:15. ohh what a long day but now I just laugh about it. Makin all sorts of memories here.

so that happened Tuesday...then Wednesday and Thursday we had this training in the mornings, so it was yet another early morning for me. The training was good. Then we went out to club and after that we had a parent meeting. So Tuesday and Wednesday I had a 8-8 day. what a beating!

BUT it was all worth it. In club after we do the bible story with all the kids, we split up into our smaller groups. Im in charge of the 10-12 year olds. Well I told them they needed to come up with some sort of performance to do at the parent meeting whether it be a dance or a skit or song..whatever. Most of the girls went with the skit and 4 of the guys decided to put together a dance, everyone else was too 'shy' to do anything. Understandable! I would of probably been in that group too :]

Well all week they'd come up and show me little bits they did and asked me what I thought. I gave them some ideas but who am I kidding, I'm absolutely not a dancer. Well Wednesday night got here and they were all excited and were taking it very serious! We made a sign for them, they called themselves 'The School Boys'

Heinrigh, Kevin, Tyrese, Stanley

After they performed their dance I felt so unbelievably proud. I felt like a overly proud mama yall. They did phenom and put it together all by themselves!!! These boys are 11 and this just blew me away. I obviously sat front row and recorded the whole thing!!! So you get to see it :]

I told Jennifer I hope I have talented kids so I can brag about them like I am these boys!

There was a good turnout in Capricorn. We had two other Living Hope staff members who are LSE's in different communities come and talk to the parents about parenting. They seemed to really enjoy it. We had a teen give her testimony and talk about why she chooses to come to teens club. It was a great night. Donuts and coffee were a favorite among the parents.

Stacey && Holden

Then Thursday night we were over in Overcome. Now in Overcome the only thing we have is a container so it got small real fast.

We did basically the same thing in Overcome but the kids sang a song and so did the teens. Both good. The most difficult part about this night was trying to keep the kids away from the container because they were SO loud. I think in they thought it was just kids club at night because they were all there. Overcome gets pretty busy once night comes. We tried our hardest to keep the kids entertained. Played some duck duck goose...jumped around Holden's car...kicked around a ball.

I got the better part of the deal. I got to carry Kylie around on my shoulders for a good majority of the night. Today I regret that decision tremendously but it was worth it. This boy never talks...I actually didn't know if he could. He laughs sometimes when he's with me during club but besides that he's pretty silent. Well half way into the parent meeting I see him running from back in the shacks, hate saying that, but he was running towards me with the biggest smile on saying my name! I couldn't believe it i just bent down and he ran up and gave me a big hug. Night made...I didn't care how loud the kids were after that! Everytime I tried to put him down he wouldn't have it so he stayed on my shoulders all the way up to me leaving. We made some fun out of it...

So yes...that is my week in a few paragraphs! hopefully it didn't bore you...well I guess if it did you aren't reading this.

But I've come to realize that no matter how long the days are here...I never go to bed mad or annoyed about what I did that day. I love these kids and love getting to be with them everyday. I can see that I am starting to make a small imprint in them and hopefully it'll stay with them for a good long while. 2 months left. 68 days to be exact. still blows my mind how fast this has truly flown by. I wouldn't trade any of my experiences, good or bad, because they've slowly shaped me into the person I am supposed to be in this moment. I may not always understand why God brings people into my life only to keep them from me for 9 months...or why God puts people in my life for only 9 months. But I do know that he has a plan and I need to soley trust in his will. I know that he has a plan for me that far exceeds anything I could even dream up! I know there are big things in store for me when I get back home and I really can't wait to see where things go. I have the highest of hopes that everything is going to work out just right!

This is me and my little sidekick Rowen. We took this last night at the parent meeting in Overcome. I was holding him and I looked at him and he started making this face. It was quite possibly the cutest thing ever. Naturally I did it too and it turned into a pretty fantastic picture. haha so this is Rowen && me....sending some African lovin to all yall back home!

so to my familyyy. Eric. my friendsss.

see you guys in 68 days. Love yall!!