Ability Camp update!

Ability camp has been going really well!

Jasmine has been pretty stubborn this week, we think she is coming down with something. It was hard to get her to walk, she was coughing and whining a lot. We pushed through and she finally gave in and did well! But after, she was just exhausted! I think I caught my head cold from her!  

Dinah has a rough week, she seems to have come down with something as well, and was very sluggish and whiny (which isn't like her). She did walk really well for Andrew, but needed a lot of time to rest in between (and plenty of cuddles!) 

We are seeing so much improvment in Cedar already! He is sitting up straight for longer, he is bearing weight (although he doesnt like too) and not whining as much! He is not a fan of the walker, but we will keep using it, I think its a great tool for him! 

In this picture, Andrews face says "See! I told you that you could do it!"

Sidenote:

 I love this little girl, Heidi. She just cracks me up! I thought I would add these pictures, for your enjoyment (and mine too!) 

Angel and Heidi are like 2 old women, chattering away, sitting on the porch and watching life go by. They had both just woken up, hence the crazy hair! I love them! 

Our 4 kids got dropped of really late one day, so I coloured with the other kids.

And they LOVE when I let them watch Dora with Lily:

This girl constantly amazes me with her energy, joy and determination! She loves to learn (we taught her some sign language this week and she uses it!) and is so proud of herself. We are SO proud of her too!

 On another note: I spend an hour yesterday combing out lice in her hair. 

You guys. 

It was crazy. I have NEVER seen so many live in. my. life. 

How does she not go crazy!? I had combed her hair last week (got a bunch out) and then lost the comb. Yesterday I combed out hundred of lice. Hundreds. And she so sweetly sat there, not complaining as I squealed and shuddered! 

Oh Cedar, what a little handsome man. 

And Jasmines choices for sleeping continually amaze me! 

Lily, Andrew and I were playing "runaway", which involved Lily "running" away and me chasing her. She loves those kind of games. She fell over so many times, just from laughing so hard! What a cutie! 

And look at this little guy! When you sit him on the stairs, he sits up so tall and doesnt slump down! What an amazing discovery! He happily sat there, listening to us chase Lily for 20 minutes! 

We are really pleased with how well things are going so far. We are feeling more confident in our abilities to help them. Its funny how we think we are here to teach them, but they teach us SO much.

Another day in our life!

I thought I would share some pictures of our day! 

We had Ability Camp, which went really well! The kids are so much fun and know us know, allowing us to push them harder!

 Cedar is standing up for longer now (when we first started, he wouldn't hold his weight at all!) and can stand up tall so well! He is sitting for longer as well! We finally got the walker this evening, so we will start with the walker on weds! 

Lily is so eager to walk, dance and even run! Today we ran around, chasing one of the nurses! Lily was laughing so hard that she kept falling down! We went all around the house (twice) and up and down the stairs 4 times! Lily needs support but bears most of her weight! I couldn't believe it when she started walking up those stairs!!

Jasmine is so steady walking! Occasionally she will walk with just one hand holding her, but as soon as I try to let go, she falls to the ground. I know she is capable of walking alone, but she is very afraid. Shes a happy girl though, she loves her cuddles!  

Jasmine has the amazing ability to fall asleep in the oddest places! 

What a funny girl! 

We spent some of our day entertaining this little one too. She had the day off school and was insistent of spending time with us! Lily and her get along great, chasing each other around the room (adorable!) 

She is fake crying in this photo. Shes a bit of a drama queen. She goes from tear to laugher in 0.2 seconds! 

A pretty accurate picture of our day! Andrew working with Cedar, Dinah rolling around on the floor (waiting for her turn to walk) and Lily in the back, getting into the cupboards! Oh and the other random kids coming in and out of our "office", no matter how many times we shut the door! 

We found out that Cedar likes bananas! He has been refusing to eat ANYTHING while with us, which is not cool! But he wolfed down 2 bananas today! Such a relief to find something! 

The girls, patiently waiting for Andrew to feed them bananas! Its a good thing we bought a bunch! 

She is a fascinating girl! 

A typical lunch. Except this time I found a spoon to feed the kids with! Yay! 

She is such a sweet little girl! 

I love this little one. Her wild hair, how hard you have to work for that smile, her serious faces when shes "talking" to you. Precious. 

It was a great day! We are learning about how to best push our 4 to achieve more daily! They are such a joy (as are the others at this home!) and we are blessed to spend so much time with them! 

Learning how to say yes..

Im reading "Say Yes to God" by Kay Warren. 

I found the book on our apartment shelf and promptly ignored it. I went against the old "don't judge a book by its cover" rule. Bad, bad girl. 

Anyway, days without power means lots of reading in the evenings and soon I was done reading all the other books on the shelf (its a small shelf) 

So I picked it up, albeit reluctantly. 

I was only a page or two in when I had to take a step back and say to myself "Self, if you read this, your mindset and passions are going to change. Do you want that to happen?"

I thought about it for a day and decided "Yes. Everything in my world right now is challenging, why not throw this book into it as well!"

Basically this book is a call to courageous surrender. Its about ruining your safe and happy worldview and opening your eyes to the evil in this world. Its about allowing God to show you the pain and suffering in this world so that you can do something about it! 

Its about saying yes to allowing God to break your heart for the hurting, the abandoned and neglected. Its refusing to change the channel because there is more bad news on. Its refusing to be ok with racism, with AIDS, with sin and death.

"If through a broken heart God can bring His purposes to pass in the world, then thank Him for breaking your heart" -Oswald Chambers

Sound scary? Well, it kind of is! A part of me doesn't want to read this book. Theres a part of me that wants to ignore the poverty in India, to turn a blind eye to the corrupt system, to turn a deaf ear to the impending war in Israel, to forget those faces that I have met, where rape, violence and malnutrition have scared and ravaged their bodies and spirit. 

But then theres the part of me that loves God and knows that I am not here for a long time.

 I sure want my years to count for something eternal, not something temporary! 

This suffering world is in desperate need of people who are willing to allow God to work in and through their lives. I am no hero, and I am certainly no saint! But I do know the power of Christ and the grace and peace that comes from a relationship with Yeshua. 

"Then Jesus called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the gospel will save it" Mark 8:34

So yes. 

Yes, I will cuddle with kids covered in lice that visibly jump onto me, I will push through the 43 degree, 85% humidity weather and dole out sweaty hugs and kisses. 

Yes, I will spend my birthday in a dark, hot room, walking with children, building up their confidence, changing diapers and occasionally getting peed on. 

Yes, I will make eye contact with that deformed homeless man, I will show him that even he has worth in the eyes of His maker, and therefore, in my eyes. 

Yes, I will allow God to dictate where I go, when I return, where I spend my money or my life and even when we will have kids. Sometimes my "yes" is whispered, with a shaky voice. 

Sometimes I am scared to death, but I will still say yes. 

"To want to serve God in some conditions, but not others, is to serve Him in your own way. But to put no limits on your submission to God is truly dying to yourself. This is how to worship God. Open yourself to God without measure. Let His life flow through you like a torrent. Fear nothing on the road you are walking. God will lead you by the hand. Let your love for Him cast out the fear you feel for yourself." -Francois Fenelon. 

Happy day of my birth!

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, 

Happy birthday happy birthday

happy biiiiiiirrrrthday toooo mmeeeeeeee!!!

Yes it is that grand and special day. 

The day my mother worked hard to get me into this crazy world (Thanks mom!) 

I always thought it was weird that we celebrate the kid and not the mom...

Anyway, back to celebrating me! :)

We did Ability Camp today and the kids were extra happy and sweet (probably because its my birthday) and worked extra hard (probably because its my birthday) and it was a great day! (probably because it was my birthday!!) 

We are celebrating with friends for dinner tomorrow night. So tonight I decided I wanted street food! 

Specifically, from this guy:

We can see him from our kitchen window. Looks legit! So Andrew went and got me noodles, chicken curry and roti! Perfect food and perfect company. 

Oh and alllllllll of that (plus a bag of noodles and 5 more roti) cost us $1.60!

 2 meals for $1.60 you say? Thats right! One of the great things about living in India! 

It was delicous. I am a happy birthday girl! (See what I did there?!)

Im sure 27 will be an amazing adventure! 

Ability Camp update!

Ability Camp update!

Day 1:

We were so excited to start! We got to the baby home early and eagerly waited for the 4 little ones. We played with other littles while we waited and that helped pass the time! 

They arrived just before 10am. We took them straight upstairs to get to know each other. Lily coloured, Dinah played with paper (she loves ripping it!), Jasmine danced with Andrew and Cedar practised sitting up straight with me. Time passed quickly as Andrew and I stumbled through the day. We did laps, doled out lots of cuddles, laughed a lot and learned even more. 

Jasmine:

We discovered that Jasmine will walk and dance when she hears music. Its a big motivation for her, so we will use that a lot! 

Cedar:

We found out that Cedar is not motivated to sit or walk at all, except through water, cuddles and tickles. He is also an adorable little guy, so easy to love. 

Dinah:

Dinah is a sweet little girl. She giggles at really random times and Edolbina is a pro at getting her to laugh already. Dinah also had a good laugh when Jasmine was whining! 

Lily:

Lily is just the cutest little girl. She is liberal with her smiles and loves to make people laugh. She beams when she is walking, or when she uses the toilet. She is so proud of herself! We ended the day (after a nap for 3 of them) with water time! Oh boy, that was a hit! Lily would watch me pour water on someones head, then she would slowly copy me. It was adorable! The car came to get them at 5. We went home exhausted, but so thrilled at our day! 

Nap time:

Day 2: It had been raining for 24 hours. The outdoor space that we were using is completely flooded, the school girls are home (so we can't use their apartment) and the landlord has allowed some random women to move into the other space we rent (on the 4th floor!) so we almost called off Ability Camp. We quickly brainstormed and realized there is a back room that is mostly not used. We decided to do it. We light a couple of tiny candles and ability camp is back on! We didn't have power for most of the day (humid!!!!) so we were sweating buckets. And sometimes you couldn't tell if it was a cockroach in the corner or a hairball, but it was a calm and successful day! The kids are getting used to us, resisting less than they did on day 1, which is great! We are learning the best ways to challenge and encourage them. Jasmine is whiny today, not wanting to do her walking. We remember the music, turn that on and she is a changed girl! We bought Lily a Dora movie, she is thrilled! She watches that while Andrew and I trade off with the other 3. We are interrupted by the other children(that live in the baby house)  almost constantly (and one persistent ayah) but we don't mind so much, Lily especially loves the babies. We are pros at cuddling now, and making the 4 littles laugh between exercise. This also seems important. Work hard, but cuddle lots! Lily is a pro at using the toilet, beaming after each time. She laughs hard when we do a puzzle together, teasing me along the way. Cedar is tired today, getting him to stand is challenging, but Andrew is getting used to that, he is patient and persistent and Cedar does some standing (yay!) The kids get picked up at 5:30 (a bit late!) and we are exhausted. It has been a long, good, hard day. 

Look at Dinah's rockstar posture! 

Lily loves being mischevious! Like closing the door on my face! 

Day 3: Lily is so excited when she arrives today. She is really starting to blossom (I thought she already was, she is such an amazing girl!) and her personality is amazing! Although its not raining, we decide to spend the morning in the back room, as we have stored most of our stuff back there. We spend the first 3 hours rotating between the 4 of them. By lunch, we are all exhausted. It seems that the most work gets done in the morning! The kids have all walked a lot and deserve a break. Lily and I do puzzles, until I put on some music, then she insists on dancing! It is the cutest thing, her bopping along, a huge smile on her face. Sometimes she is laughing so hard, she can't stand! Jasmine is immediately at peace when we turn on the music, laughing and smiling. Cedar is not motivated today. Andrew spends over an hour with him, sitting and attempting to stand. He whines sometimes, but eventually allows us to help him. Dinah is so happy today. She is standing for longer and not whining about it. She looks so proud when she takes steps, we can tell that she really wants to walk!!! 

Smiley Lily! 

Yes, Jasmine is sitting on poor Dinah. I have no idea why she does this, but she often sits on the nearest person! 

I love cuddles! 

We eat lunch, then, after a quick nap, head upstairs for water time! Cedar isn't too thrilled at first (we had to wake him up from his nap) but then decided he loves it! After 30 mins, we dry them off and all 4 of them fall asleep on the bed! The car comes a bit early today (at 4) so we give cuddles, kisses and "I love you"s and they are off. Every day flies by and we are loving this!! 

Phinally some Photos! (see what I did there?!)

My super amazing, oh so handsome husband fixed the blog! (or whatever was wrong with it!) and I can post pictures again!!! I was so happy, I sang my own version of Jingle Bells but the words were more "zippy do da, pictures on the blog, hey!"

Any-who, try to keep up, as I will be posting many pictures (and some words too) in the immediate future! We have much to discuss! 

Today we were at Victory Home, helping with a photo shoot. We, of course, took the time to cuddle with out 4 kiddos, but got plenty of time in with the other kids too! 

There are plenty of hugs to be given! 

This little dude is so happy and sweet! Here he is doing "Wandinaloo" which is how we greet each other here! 

The photo shoot!

She snatched Andrews candy. Right then. It was so funny and sad for him! 

Seriously, happiest kid ever. He was stoked over this grocery bag! 

The local barber shop (I wish I was kidding!) 

This sign is funny for a number of reasons. 1: Its a fried chicken place, called CNC. The theme? "What ever". 

2: They have signatures of famous people everywhere. As if these people would eat here! 

3: The people that they have signatures of? RANDOM! 

Yeah. Adolf Hitler. Just the guy you want to be eating chicken with! 

The spelling of Mother Theresa cracks. me. up.

It was POURING buckets while we were eating chicken! 

During the Ganesh festival (the elephant god, you can see him on that statue) the streets were even louder and more crowded than normal! 

This girl is solidly in our hearts. 

Street food! Enough food for us for dinner is about 80 cents. 

Precious boy!

A rare smile from this little one! 

She is so sweet. Whenever we arrive at her house, she runs to us with arms wide open! 

We had a good laugh at these! 

Spot the baby cow? They eat (and sleep on!) garbage in the streets. 

Let every breath. 

When Andrew is walking with more than one woman, people here look at him like "Wow, 3 beautiful wives? Lucky man!"

A street view. Daily life here! 

I cant wait to update you all about Ability Camp! Tomorrow is the 3rd official day and we are so excited for each day to start! But that will have to keep until tomorrow night. Its late and this lass is heading to bed! 

He is always enough.

I wrote this the other day, I actually ended up sharing it with Casting Crowns because, lets be honest, God always deserves glory and everyone likes to be complimented! Also, I think Casting Crowns is a genuine, believing group that needs to be encouraged and appreciated! So here, I thought I would share what I wrote with you! 

Thank you for this song. 

My husband and I are currently working in India, in a small town called Ongole. We work with orphans that have special needs. These children have been abused, abandoned, thrown aside and have little value to most in India. Daily we minister to them. We feed, groom, love, teach, and cuddle with the least of these. God brought us here to break down our "Kingdom of Me", take us completely out of our comfort zone and be radically changed. India is not an easy place to be. The noises, smells and mass amounts of people is enough to break even the most seasoned traveller. Add to that the hopelessness, poverty, worship of false gods and abuse, you have a perfect place for the Lord to challenge and change you! 

When I listen to this song, I am so encouraged, even after(or in the middle!) of a long day. This song reminds us why we are doing what we do! 

We were in the middle of a tough day today and my wise husband put on some worship music. "Always Enough" came on and I was moved to tears. It was all so real in that moment. The rain poured outside, resulting in no power inside. We were in a dark room, 2 tiny candles lighting our space and 4 precious children. We are teaching them to walk, building muscles and courage. Teaching them that someone loves them, that they are worth our time. In the most helpless moments, where you feel discouraged that you will even be able to make a difference in their lives, God is there. He is always enough to keep us going. When this place overwhelms us with its sea of shattered ones, He reminds us of His goodness and faithfulness. 

In a dry and weary land

Lord, You are the rain

In a sea of shattered ones

Your love comes rushing in

You hold the world within Your hands

And see each tear that falls

Through every fire and every storm

You're always enough, always enough

Your love is peace to the broken

Faith for the widow, hope for the orphan, strength for the weak

Your love is the anthem of nations, rings out through the ages

And You're always enough for me

You keep my heart in perfect peace

My life is in Your hands

When confusion hides my way

You're always enough, always enough

-Casting Crowns