Orphanage update

Lily's teacher, Trudi, had tears in her eyes as she informed us yesterday that Lily came up to her and asked if she (Lily) could pray for the class that day! We were both shocked!  Not only that Lily would initiate it, but also that she would pray in front of the entire class.  What a huge step of faith!  Someone prays at the beginning of class each day.  Lily told us later that she'd been wanting to make sure she has a turn before she leaves.  I asked what she prayed and she said "All I can remember is 'God, thank you that we all get to be here today.  I pray that we can all have a good day and that there won't be kissing'"!  What?  Kissing?  Lol!  She said "Because we aren't allowed to kiss at school, Mom." Oh!  Well that's a good rule:).  Her teacher said it was a beautiful prayer (and didn't mention the kissing part:))  She also told us that Lily has really come out of her shell this semester.  We're so proud of her!

Lily and Lindo

After we picked Lily up from school, we all headed over to the orphanage.  A couple of weeks ago Lily's friend, Lindo, wrote Lily a note saying she missed her and asking about her since we hadn't been in awhile.  The kids are always asking to go, and they LOVE it!  They feel so comfortable there.  We had a great time playing with the kids and fed them biltong and orange slices.  But in the process of talking to Pastor J and his wife, we learned that they are completely out of food and money for the month. In South Africa, everyone gets paid once a month at the end of the month.  So, the last part of the month is always tight for people, and then the stores explode with people after pay day.  But to hear that the kids couldn't have lunch at school yesterday, and that they were crying and confused about why, broke our hearts.  It obviously breaks their heart as well to not be able to feed their 22 children.  I asked Mama I what supplies we could bring tomorrow (today), and she said red meat and chicken.  Our team pulled together resources and is going to bring them groceries today.  The problem is, that it's raining.  When it's raining, the dirt roads in the township that lead us to the orphanage get washed out and it's difficult to get to them.  Please pray that we can get the food in to them today.  Pray also for God's DAILY provision for their every need.  They are so full of faith, and rarely share their need, but they are really struggling.  Thank you!

Lily's Golden Birthday

Lily was born on September 6th, 2006...six years ago!  It's hard to believe our beautiful Lily is six years old!  Happy Birthday to our artistic, creative, beautiful, kind, smart, fun, sensitive, athletic, graceful and sweet Lily!
Her birthday was a beautiful spring day!  We took a couple of cakes to school on her birthday and she enjoyed the special privileges of ringing the bell at recess, picking who could sit by her, and cutting her cake.:)

Lily and Therese, her best friend at school

We picked Lily up from school and headed straight over to Build a Bear at the mall to fulfill her birthday wish!  We got to the mall and rounded the corner to Build a Bear and it wasn't there anymore!  Slight panic.  We asked a woman at the kiosk across from it and she said it had moved to a different mall, but told us there was one at the Canal Walk mall. Whew!  We found the next Build a Bear and Lily chose a pink bear with hearts, which she named "Pinkalicious", and Anya picked a polka dot bear with sprinkles that she named "Cupcake Day".  The guy that was helping them choose and stuff the bears was very nice...but when they were getting ready to put the heart in the bear he was having them blow love on it, rub it on their head to make it smart, etc and he said "Now rub the heart on it's bum so it won't fart at night".  What? Lol!  Lily immediately came over to me and in a worried voice whispered "Mom, is it really going to fart at night?" I assured her it was just a joke!  She enjoyed the experience and they love their cuddly, soft bears!

At the end of the day, Lily said "This was the best birthday ever!"  Her prayer that night was so sweet: "God, thank you for a good and wonderful birthday.  But most of all, I love the way you made me. Amen" We love the way God made her too!
Lily's birthday party was Saturday at an art studio for kids called Doodle Creative.   Lily and her friends (Lacy, Therese, Amelia, Ariella, Nala, and Anya) painted and decorated little wooden boxes and enjoyed Hello Kitty cupcakes.  It was the perfect party for our blooming artist!

Hello Kitty cupcakes (made by friend of a friend)

Nala, Lily and Amelia

Fun with the dress up bin!

Nala, Lily, Therese, Lacy and Anya

Lily and her best friend, Lacy

Lacy, Therese, Lily, Amelia, Nala, Anya and Ariella

Therese (6), Anya (3), Lily (6), Amelia (6),  Nala (6), Lacy (4) and Ariella (4)

Relaxing after a great celebration!

West Coast Wild Flowers

We went to Langebaan and the West Coast National Park last weekend with our friends Lauren, Jono, Amelia (6 yrs) and Jo (almost 2 yrs) McGill.  Lily and Amelia are in Soetlief together, and Lauren and I get to hang out every week while they are in class.  Her friendship has been such a gift!  Through an online search, Lauren found a house on the beach to share, and it was SUCH a good and affordable find!  I'm so used to our small apartment, that when we walked in to the house I was almost in shock!  I said "we get to use this whole house?"  It had 4 bedrooms, full kitchen with a dishwasher (I've never been so excited about loading a dishwasher), a downstairs living room with comfy couches and an indoor braai (fire place), an upstairs living room with a table and chairs, more couches, and a deck with a grill and a view of the beach!  Plus, there was a fully enclosed and secured yard so the kids could just go outside and play in the grass!  It was a perfect fit for our two families to relax, play, get to know each other, and enjoy the beautiful weekend.  It felt like home.

On Sunday, we wend to a restaurant on the beach called the Strandloper, which means "beach walker".  The stone benches and tables were all set up around a middle gathering point where the food was continually replenished as the afternoon went on.  Throughout the afternoon braai they served fresh homemade bread with butter and jam, grilled snoek, grilled angel fish, "potbrood" (pot bread rolls), sweet potatoes, garlic mussels, paella, and lobster!  Yum!  It was a beautiful sunny day, and the kids enjoyed playing in the sand while we visited, listened to the man strumming his guitar and singing traditional Afrikaans songs, and feasted as the food came off the grill.  Very fun!

Us with the McGills (Lauren, Jono, Amelia-6yrs, and JoJo-22mos) at the Strandloper

The next day we went to the West Coast National Park outside of Langebaan to see the wild flowers. Even though it was a windy and cooler day, the sun still came out and that means the flowers were in their fullest splendor.   Let me just tell you...it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!  I'm convinced we saw a corner of heaven.  Breathtaking!  We were told they are the best they've been in 20 years.  When we first arrived in Cape Town, I saw a postcard of the wild flowers, and I've been anxiously awaiting August/September so we could see them.  Well, I'll let the pictures do the talking!

We saw some wild zebras, spring bok, elands, ostriches, and other animals in the field of flowers.  So cool!

It makes me sad to think I might never see the wild flowers again!  When we were leaving the park Lily said "I took lots of pictures in my mind, Mom!".  I did too.  But we still might go back again next weekend for one last mental picture.  It's only a little over an hour away.  Cape Town is beautiful too.  There are wild calla lilies blooming all along the ditches and in the vineyards.  Loving it!  What a beautiful country this is!