These kids are amazing....

These last couple weeks I have really been forced to think about the life of an orphan.  Being surrounded by over 60 kids who 85% of them are total orphans and the others having a parent who is too poor or unstable to raise them themselves.  

These kids were sent away to live virtually on their own, but First Love has taken them in and wrapped them in arms of Love.  The most important love being Christ's love of course.

The kids are responsible for waking up early in the morning, bathe, eat breakfast then walk to school.

When they're in school their classes can be up to 60 kids with one teacher!  Most kids who I have known who have lost both their parents or lived through tragedy have some kind of learning disability...imagine trying to get one on one time with your teacher in a class full of 60 kids! Impossible.

When the kids get home they are responsible for polishing their school shoes, showering (again), washing their own clothes (with a bucket and bar of soap), hanging them to dry, then they all go to devotions where they sing at the top of their lungs with big bright smiles.  After devotions kids eat dinner then study and finish any homework.  

Weekends are their time to relax and watch movies!  They love weekends because they have freedom!

But regardless of all the tough things that these kiddos have had to go through and all the hardships they've encountered they still have an amazing joy.  I know that God has a special place in heaven for these little children.  Loving these kids and praying about what my part is in God's work here.

Here's a special treat from some cute ladies. 

A quick update on Africa

Never thought I would be able to travel to Africa... Honestly I love Southeast Asia so much that I was totally content in staying there.  But God is doing some amazing work here in Africa as well.  I was blessed to be able to go and visit my good friend Wendy for a couple weeks and see the beautiful town of Cape Town.  It was seriously nothing that I had expected Africa to look like. 

Here we are at Noordhoek Beach, just down the street from Wendy's parent home.

On top of Table Mountain.  Beautiful scenery!

 South Africa was fabulous but the point of this whole trip was my mission trip to Nairobi, Kenya.  I am staying and working with my mission agency First Love.  They have an amazing growing ministry in Kenya.  We have been working most of the time in Kibera a local slum. It has been named at one time the largest slum in the world with more that 1.7 million people living in a town covered in red clay and filled with depravity and hopelessness.  When we first came into the slum area it was crawling with people everywhere.  Shops on every corner and people busy going along with their normal day.  It actually reminded me a lot of the Philippines but with a red dust covering every inch.
As we were walking through the slum I kept on thinking about the need that is evident and how it must feel so hopeless.  Kids running around without any supervision, people laying around, and heaps of garbage covering the streets.
In the middle of Kibera there is a set of railroad tracks that run through to Uganda and Tanzania.  Everyday three times a day a train comes barreling through and people have to quickly get out of the way.  One of the our leaders told us that every year tons of people get run over by the tracks (mostly the drunkards).  It seems crazy to me to see people building their homes right off the edge of a train track.  Just down the path is a small creek, they told us that often times when its rainy season the bodies of those who have died are washed down.

In the middle of this sinful, sad town is a beacon of hope.  First Love had started a school back in 2004 and now it has 1000 students from Baby class (pre-school) to Form 4 (12 Grade).  Most of our time is spent at the school where we are leading a VBS program for 6th and 7th graders.  They love taking pictures... here are a few while I currently have internet and can post.  Enjoy :)

They love taking pictures so much it sometimes gets out of hand... not sure what face I'm making

This little cutie is from Baby class, in line for her morning porridge.

These are the cooks of the school.  They have worked for First Love since the beginning, we figured out that they have cooked and served more than 4 million meals!  They have hearts of gold!  Tabitha, Dorcus and Agnete.