18, August 2005

Today we went into Kayamandi again. We went to the elementary school at 9 a.n. to start helping tutor in the classrooms. I worked in Pinkie’s class of first graders. I worked with four ids who were behind the rest of the class because they and never been to school before where most of them had been to day care or kinder. We worked on patterns, colors and counting. Three of them caught on well, but one was really struggling. I heard the children next door singing the ABC song we sing in America. It turns out that Allisoin taight them the song. That was kewl. The children here are starving for love and attention. They run after us with there hands up asking for hugs. You would think they would be asking for candy, money or something, but they want hugs. Even as we walk thru the streets of Kayamandi, the children who do come up, they want hugs or their picture taken. After school, around 11 a.m., we went to Prokuros to go to same women’s group that met on Tuesday. Moses was there with his mother. Allsion and Deb stayed behind while Charlie and I took Moses into town to buy school uniforms. Now, Moses is a kid that comes from a very small town where his job was to tend to the animals they had. I think it was sheep and goat. He never really has been in a city. So, he was still quite, but his eyes were everywhere. We took him to eat at a nice little lunch place. He was really well behaved. Then we went to the store. As soon as we walked in to the area for kids uniforms, his face lit up. I wanted to cry. He pointed straight at some shoes that were like what most of the boys were wearing to school. Awww…man…my heart was squeezing. He sat like a prince on a chair meant for trying on shoes while a girl ran around and got what we needed. She was so helpful and nice to Moses too. We tried everything on. He was smiling the whole time. He was glowing. Moses had 4 shirts on underneath his sweater, two of them were girls shirts. He had no socks on. It is very cold over here, especially in the shacks. Anyway, he got 2 slacks, 2 school shirst, 2 under shirts, 2 socks and his shoes. Or and a sweater. We also gave him a sack of clothes from all the clothes people from our church donated, a grey fleece jacket was perfect! When we left the store, he had a bounce in his walk, he was even dancing a little bit. He looked like somebody loved him!!!! I want to take the time to thank all of our supporters for this trip, it seems like we have that basket of fish Jesus had passed around, it had 7 fish and it fed thoursands. Well, the team money here is going a long way to do little things that make huge differences in people’s hearts over here. God is putting Moses and his family in my heart. He also has a 15 year old brother who looks 12. Let’s see what the Lord has. Please pray for this family and the resources that are going to be needed to support them spirutally, emotionally and financially. Moses got in the elevator with us and jumped in my arms when it started to go up….this boy had never been in an elevator!