Labor day, Mercy and oh yeah, a worm 5/1/09

Happy Kenyan labor day! Today is a holiday here in Kenya. You'd think after four years I'd start getting these things. Seems like there's always a holiday here. No complaints! We're hangin around the house with all our children that are staying with us... Lucy, Caleb, Ian, Eric, Georgie, and of course Eli. Yesterday was a scheduled power outage but thankfully it's back today! You just never know. They posted it in the paper but it was in the same days paper as the power was out. We're still waiting on a money transfer to come through so we can get Georgie a bed to move him out, finish house two, and have food for next week! Also we need to pay our insurance on one of the vehicle so we're scootin around in the green machine for now. No biggy though, not like I can go out with this many kids.

Ok so for my exciting and absolutely disgusting story of this morning. Thankfully Elisha and Georgie wake up about an hour before Lucy does. It gives me time to clean around the house, feed them breakfast and get them dressed for the day. Lucy wakes up while I'm in the middle of eating my breakfast. (yogurt and wheat n fruit cereal in case you cared to know) I figured I'd better get her, not knowing I would not have the appetite to finish my breakfast. I notice a bit of an explosion from her diaper. I go to change it and well, I'll spare you those details. But I will share that there was a worm, yes a WORM, hanging out of her! I freaked out, screamed for Bud and he yelled back for me to pull it out. (not bothering to come help, understandable) Caleb came in and glanced and ran out with his hand over his mouth. I on the other hand am gagging and Lucy is just staring at me. I buck up and pull it out and continue to make gagging noises. I throw her in her little bath tub with tons of soap and proceed to take half a container of disinfectant and attack the bathroom. In the midst of cleaning up, Bud comes in and hands me the camera and a butter knife to take the picture. Yes, that's right, the picture of the worm. So before you continue scrolling down I am warning you that there is a picture of what was in our sweet princess Lucy's tummy. So needless to say, I did not finish my breakfast but instead decided to spend my time in the shower scrubbing my feet and hands. After all was done Lucy looked at me and had her sweet smile glued on her face. She gobbled down bread with peanut butter and drank some porridge with milk. Now we can get on to putting some weight on her and building strength. Today I have pants on her that Elisha wore his first week of being born. And they're a little big on her! I just can NOT imagine someone letting a little girl get like this. Ticks me off.

Some exciting news. Yesterday Bud got news that Mercy, Jenifer's twin sister, was sent back from the desert up north!!!! Thank you for the prayers for this little girl. I'll remind you that they are the sisters that had two younger siblings pass away this past year. Mercy had been sent up to live with her very old grandmother because of the lack of food here. When we first sent for them they only sent Jenifer and said the grandmother would not release her until she dies. Meaning she this 8 yr old was caring for her grandmother. Probably cleaning the house, making the meals, all that. Praise the Lord she released her though!

God continues to renew our strength daily. I am just amazed to see the children he directs our path to. A year ago I don't remember ever running into children like this. Ones like Lucy and Eric. Now that we have the facilities and families to put them in, God is bringing them in. He never gives us more than we can handle! As of right now we wont be taking Daisy and Michelle yet. They are in school and being fed everyday. Comparing them to our other cases they are in a better situation. Our mission is to take the most desperate. But we know we're never to turn any away so hopefully we can get in home sponsorship for them until possibly putting them in house three. Wow, the thought of house three being built and finished! I can't wait! Ok gotta go feed my little army of kiddos.

Elisha and Lucy on our front porch this morning. And Lucy still in lots of pink!

The first day we brought her home we were trying to get her to sleep and she just cried and cried. Since she is malnourished this is what happened as a result...

Jenifer and Mercy

The worm!!! Hopefully next time you go to use a butter knife you wont get this image

Last night Eric was being so cute. He and Caleb were playing a game and every time Eric won we taught him to do this and say "winner, winner, winner!"

To make up for showing you the worm, I'll leave you with this image....

Much love!
Momma to MANY