Disneyland Photos

Ready for Captain EO

At California Adventure

Beautiful Group with Minnie

Love These Kids

These kids are BRAVE!

Mr. Incredible!  I love the Incredibles!

The Ugandan Kids LOVE High School Musical

Disneyland Blessing

Our little girlie was on a soccer team last fall. One dad of a teammate works for Disney and offered us his five complimentary employee passes to take the kids to Disneyland. We are once again grateful for the generosity of a new-found friend.

We accepted this gift and I took the kids to Disneyland along with another host-mom and two of her choir girls.

We spent most of our day at California Adventure. The kids are CRAZY about High School Musical so we wanted to see the HSM 3 performance. The kids ended up wanting to see it a second time. Two of the kids with us were selected to dance with the the HSM performers. Woo Hoo!

We also went to the stage performance of Aladdin. One boy liked it so much I took him for a second show.

The rest of our day we hit the rides...Most of the kids did California Screamin', Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, and the re-opened Captain EO 3-D movie.

We had a GREAT day and made the most of our time there.

Blessings



Kalim



Sitting in the waiting room next to Kalim. He's very nervous to be back in the dentist office. The cavity he had filled is still causing him quite a bit of pain and he now needs a root canal. He sits with his head in his hands, drumming his forehead with his fingertips. I wish I could do something, but it's in his best interest to get his tooth repaired.

These were the events of our Monday morning. The rest of the kids were at our house doing schoolwork with the Ugandan Aunties.

He had his appointment and had his tooth further repaired. We then went home and went about our day.

That evening as I was preparing to pray with the kids, I asked Kalim what was the best part of his day. I wasn't expecting he'd mention the dentist, but he said the best part of his day that he was most thankful for was his trip to the dentist. He told me, "Mum, I am thankful. He take my pain away."

What a HUGE blessing! I'm so thankful for a caring, generous dentist who provided amazing dental care to children who don't have the luxury of preventative dentistry.

Photos from Chuck Cheese

Chuck E. Cheese Entertainment

Edward

Recap Yesterday Then Off To Disneyland

I was going to post last night, but just couldn't find any energy to barely keep my eyes open, let alone focus on the computer.

Wednesdays are our mom's group at church days. I'm a Mentor Mom at a table of younger moms. I've been completely blessed with this mentorship opportunity and I may be a bit biased, but I think I have AMAZING women at our table. They are strong, energetic, godly women. I will post a photo of them soon.

Anyway, at this group, I was asked to be on a discussion panel. We were asked questions about parenting, being a wife, and caring for ourselves. I really had a great time and pray that God will use this time for His glory.

Afterward we went to another host home for lunch. The other two boys from the boys are there and I think they were all happy to see each other. They had some quality Wii, trampoline, and basketball time. I wish I had more time to get to know the other kids better too.

I was so tired yesterday afternoon, but needed to dig deep to prepare for the momentous night out at Chuck E. Cheese. For whatever reason this hotspot was top of the boys list of want-to-dos. They enjoyed the arcade, and accumulated tickets for prizes.

Funny thing though...we ordered two large pizzas thinking 2 adults, 6 kids...turns out two of the boys don't eat pizza. Oh well, lunch for another day.

Right now I'm listening to a cd I made for the boys. I went onto iTunes and let them pick their favorite songs. Disney music is a big hit with them. So we have Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and lots of High School Musical music filling the house. It cracks me up how much they love the High School Musical thing. Just like the girls we hosted from a previous choir.

Well, I'm off...need to be out of the house in 20 minutes.

New Game for Our New Friends

We've shared our love of the "Slug Bug" game with our Ugandan friends. It was a learning process today as they didn't even know what a bug was. Now they have their eyes peeled on all streets and it's getting to be quite the competitive game with six people each scanning for slug bugs. They're identifying regular modern slug bugs, slug bug olds, slug bug old vans, and slug bug convertibles. And along with that shouting out the color of the car. It's all quite fun until a bug is called at the same time. Next lesson...ties.
Oh, how I love my job!!

Relaxing Day...But I'll Pay For It

The [Ugandan] boys are settling in very well. Today we saw many more smiles, out-loud laughter and a lot more conversation. Their teeth are feeling much better after yesterday's visit to the dentist. I'm so grateful.

This morning the kids just relaxed playing the Wii and playing outside, while I caught up on laundry and cleaning around the house. After lunch we headed out to Newport/Balboa Peninsula. I was told there were some fun arcade type spots there. It was a Beautiful day! Since it's basically the off-season, there was no problem finding parking so we picked a spot close to our destination. There was a sign in front of the van that read, "NO PARKING BETWEEN 6AM-8AM." Cool. It was the afternoon. We unloaded. I counted all 6 kids and we were off. We walked along a boardwalk. We heard and saw seals barking out in the water. Most of the attractions were closed, but we did find one arcade open. I got the kids $10 worth of tokens and they scouted out more under machines, in coin drops, etc. This arcade awarded tickets after the kids played. After a little while of playing, they turned in their tickets, bought their prizes and we headed out.

We then went to the pier. We walked down the pier a bit, but the kiddos got a little chilly with the wind.

Next stop, play time. Swings. Climbing structure. Much fun!

Then we decided time to head home for a late lunch. On our way back to the car a car pulled up behind us and who was in it??? Surprise! God orchestrated a meeting! It was the Ugandan chaperons! It was so good to see them. The kids were excited. I was excited! Perfect!

Back to the car.

We loaded in and as I put the keys in the ignition and noticed something on the windshield. I wondered out loud, "Did I get a ticket?" I glanced back up at the sign. Hmm... I grabbed the ticket and it read that I didn't pay the meter. I glanced behind the car...Oops!

In the busyness of 6 kids, unfamiliar location, and parking, I overlooked the meter. HUGE Bummer!!! I received a $53 ticket!! So sad.

The kids were bummed too. The Ugandan kids saw the look on my face. Their response, "Sorry Mum."

If I hadn't had such a wonderful day, I would have probably cried. But it's been too good!

Sometimes life just happens.

Dental Visit

Edward is not very excited about this adventure

At the Park

Photos from First Night Dinner

Saffina and Edward


Kalim (on left), Dennis (on right), Edward (back right)

Our Visitors Have Arrived

We are now hosting our 4th group of kids from the Ugandan Children's Choir. What a blessing!!
I picked them up on Sunday and the group of 10 kids were split up between four families to spend their vacation break week. The two chaperones are with a separate family so they can enjoy rest and relaxation for a whole week.
We have three boys with us, Kalim, Edward, and Dennis. They are a little older than the boys from previous choirs, but so much fun for our kids. They love basketball, soccer and of course...the Wii. They've had quite a competitive Wii FIFA Soccer Tournament going on.
This group of boys has specific dietary requests that we haven't had before. One boy doesn't eat meat, only fish and another loves potatoes and would prefer rice or potatoes with every meal. Previous choirs have been voracious eaters, but its taken me a bit more time (actually just one day) to figure out what these boys might like to eat.
Fortunately, I've discovered some wonderful Asian markets here and yesterday I took them to find something they might like. After wandering the produce section and the beginning of the meat section, they said, "Mum, this store is like Uganda!" We found jack fruit, which apparently they love, mangoes, pineapple, cassava, fresh tilapia, rock cod, and more. The tilapia was fresh and packed on ice. The boys picked out a fish then we had it cleaned and fried on the spot. After the frying they'd walk behind the cart enjoying the aroma. It was a BIG hit and we'll be going back for more fried tilapia this week.
After the good eats it was time to head to the dentist. I've met a friend here whose husband is a dentist. He offered his services to the kids free of charge. Because the kids have a lot of dental needs, he took care of the most pressing issue. Two of the boys had cavities that made it to the root of their teeth and one boy just had little cavities and received fillings like sealants.
The whole experience was a bit traumatizing for the boys. I think after the tilapia, they were pretty excited about this vacation week, but then came the dentist. Edward was the most concerned of all. I prayed with him prior to his dental work. I wish I had an interpreter with us to explain how important it was to take care of these issues. His most serious cavities were between his two front teeth. On one tooth the cavity had spread to the root. I know they may have some pain today.
I have major dentist anxiety and when I saw the sweetheart sitting on his clenched hands I knew how he felt. Because we went to the dentist's office after hours, we got home at about 8:00pm.
I quickly fried up the beef liver with onions and tomatoes for the boys. They love liver...not so much a favorite among anyone in our family. We also had fried cabbage with onions and rice. The two older boys were still a bit numb and didn't eat much dinner.
Let's hope for more enjoyable days for the boys while they're on vacation:)

The Big Day Has Arrived!!

After many months of waiting and planning, today's the day I pick up a few Ugandan kids who will be staying with us for the next week. They are members of the Ugandan Children's Choir and most, if not all, are orphans. This has been our way of responding to the Biblical command to serve and care for the (widows &) orphans. And to be completely honest, I think we've been more blessed through this opportunity than any of the kids we've met.
This will be the fourth group of kids we've hosted and it's been an amazing adventure getting to know them. We cannot even comprehend what kind of life experiences they've already endured in their 10 (or so) years, but yet they are filled with joy and compassion for others. The smiles on their faces and the joy they exude shout to the world that Jesus is alive, He saves, He restores, and He has a plan for each of our lives. It's just absolutely AWESOME!!
We will have three boys staying with us. Here is how they are described to us through an email...
-Kalimu is our oldest boy, does not eat breakfast unless potatoes are involved, is a hilarious and respectful young man.
-Edward does not eat meat, except for fish, or anything that meat has touched. He is shy at first, but so warm and so loving.
-Denis is our youngest boy (by a few years), and as a result sometimes acts out to get attention, but you will also see how loving and grateful he is to you.
Good thing Momma here likes to cook a variety of meals. Looks like I'll be buying lots of potatoes and fish. My mom would love the menu!! Fried potatoes for breakfast and fish for the rest of the meals.
Time to get the room ready for them. I'll post photos as we take them.
Pray for safe travel as I head out about an hour drive to pick up six of the kids and deliver them to their host families, and prayer for a smooth, fun-filled week!

Living Life In Perspective

Recently we had a chance to get to know 5 amazing young men. They have all lost their parents to AIDS. They are orphans. They have unimaginable joy, kindness, and a zest for life that I rarely see. They awaken in the mornings eager for another day. Their smiles are contagious. They are blessed with gentleness and fill rooms with laughter.

They unknowingly gave me perspective. They showed me what is truly important in life. They showed me contentment. I haven't seen contentment in a LONG time! It looks wonderful!

We (as a culture) have been blessed materially. We have SO much stinkin' stuff! I felt ashamed as I was trying to find a place to put it all before they came. All the stuff just seems to complicate life. We have the stuff, but we don't seem to be filled with the joy. We're consumed with consuming. We don't have contentment although we say we want it. We have the stuff, but no time to enjoy it together. I could go on and on.









The kids we met have Jesus. They have each other. They have their love of music and dance. The use their gifts and they give them away to bless others. Seems so simple.

The lives of these children has been changed thanks to Childcare Worldwide, www.childcareworldwide.org, and the generous people who chose to sponsor them. There are millions of kids around the world waiting for a sponsor.

A friend shared that she recently received a letter from her sponsored child. The young girl wrote that she prays for her sponsor family every day. She is blessed by their giving, but her gift in return is much greater. Prayer.

So for some perspective... A few weeks ago I was thinking about scheduling a facial. There was a day when I got facials occaisionally, but they're very rare now. Well, as of now I haven't gotten around to it. The reason being... one facial, 2 hours of time, can support a child for 2 MONTHS. Hmmmm.... Now where would that money be better spent??