August 24 - Africa Update

Hey guys!

I thought I'd send an update from the southern hemisphere. :)

So far, so good! I'm incredibly thankful that this transition is going smoothly. Thank you for your prayers! Here's some info about what's been going on.....

KAI-----He's a happy dude, because the compound, and especially the houses nearest us, are full of little boys. They all put on their helmets and ride their little bikes around the compound.
After two half-days in class, (He starts full days next week.), he seems to love school. His words, "I had a great day today, Mommy!". We found out that pre-K isn't required to wear uniforms, but he's wearing them, and he looks adorable! His teacher is British, which is kinda cool. He has gotten off the bus with a big smile on his face both days. Getting on the bus this morning, however, was not as fun. I had to wake him up, and he was a grouch. He didn't want to go. I rode with him and managed to keep him from throwing a fit until we got to his classroom. When we got there, he made a scene, of course. I was such a proud mom! Nobody called and begged me to come get him, so I'm assuming he recovered quickly.

MAYA---Little Miss Thing LOVES school, of course. She had swimming today and thought it was cool to get to do it during school hours. Her teacher is Canadian and has taught in Korea, as well. Maya's little compound friend, Aira (one of the few little girls here), happens to be in her class, as is another one of the compound boys. Four students in her class started yesterday, so she didn't feel so much like the "new kid".

When she came home from school yesterday, she walked in the door and pulled out a (bottom) tooth (Yes...the severely-jutted-out top tooth is still hangin' in there!). The African tooth fairy left her 500 KZ (Kwanza). That's equivalent to about $5.00, but seeing the number "500" on the bill was pretty durned exciting for her!

She had a couple of accomplishments recently that she's quite proud of:

1.) She figured out how to swallow pills (Yay---no more liquid medicine for her!), and

2.) She figured out how to go all the way across the monkey bars. This is a minor miracle, given that only a few weeks ago, after trying and trying (and whining and whining) , she couldn't even let go with one hand and grab the second bar. When she did it for me yesterday, I stood there in awe, mouth open, speechless for a moment. (I know......that's a minor miracle, too!). I had her do it several times just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. I'm so proud of her!

Both kids are sleeping well, eating well, and enjoying the easy access to their new, "built-in" friends. (insert big smile and sigh of relief here)

RANDY--We enjoyed getting to see him all weekend, and then he went back to work. He was able to get home in time to help put the kids to bed last night. The job should be more like a "normal" Operations Supervisor job after they finish a couple of projects in December. Please pray for him to stay healthy and rested. He gets up at 4:15 every morning and gets home between 8 and 10:00. Poor guy!

ME--I'm actually doing okay! I have my homesick moments, but overall, I'm good. The people on the compound are great, and I certainly don't feel lonely.

I'm looking forward to getting involved at the school. I hope to be tutoring and subbing a lot soon. Bible study starts Tuesday. Beth Moore's Texas accent was always comforting in England, so I can't wait to see how great it is in Africa!l

Well...that was long-winded, but fairly thorough, I think! We miss you all and think about you a lot. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Love and hugs,

Lisa (and Randy and Maya and Kai)