Special Gift Thank You #3!

My very cool friends and supporters, Heidi and Justin Fox, sent my boys a really fun gift: a CD player!!! Justin is a full-time musician with several CDs to his credit so they included three of his CDs and his band stickers! What a fun and unusual presnt! In case you're wondering how they got it here, they sent it with a team visiting from Vanguard University. The boys not only enjoy listening to music but they love practicing dances for church so they are often borrowing my CD player. Now they are proud owners of their own!
Thanks a ton Fox Family for your special gift as well as your love and prayers throughout the years!
I have a link on my margin but you can check out Justin's website at http://justinfox.com/

Special Thank You #2!

My friend Gail used to work with me here at Iris. She was a nurse working with our HIV+ children in particular, as well as in the Baby House and helping with general medical as well. She was my neighbor across the hall, living with one of the toddlers, Nelson, when I lived in the long-term building before moving here to the dorm three years ago.

She moved back to the US and now works in the Emergency Room of Good Samaritan Hospital in Kentucky. They took a collection of long-sleeve shirts for the boys, some of which we gave out at Children's Day in June, but we didn't receive all of them on time.

So we got to have a special presentation last night! They were delighted with the unexpected presents! In addition to the shirts, we gave out new underwear and socks, so it was a very special night! We gave them just before church so they all went proudly off to show the rest of the center their new shirts.

Thank you so much Gail for organizign this and to the GS staff for participating! You have blessed my boys tremendously, and me through them. You gave such high-quality shirts as well, there wasn't a disappointed boy in the bunch. May God bless you so much in return for your generosity!

Antonino loves his hood especially!

Adilson and Silavio think it's so cool to match!

Little ones of Room 3 looking very sharp and happy!


The whole kit and caboodle very happy and blessed!

Special Gift Thank You #1!

A big thank you to Jane in New Jersey who sent the boys five Spiderman t-shirts, which they love! Jane works in my mom's oncologist office and we've never met but my mom talks about me wherever she goes! So Jane got to reading my blog and wanted to bless my boys - isn't that so sweet! This shirt went to Paito who was very happy to get it! It was a special blessing from God as well because we wanted to do a special clothes handout (next blog entry!) and were short just a couple shirts so it was perfect to use these. Thanks so much for your kindness and generosity Jane!

Doesn't He Look Smart?

Feliciano got new glasses this week! He's only worn them a little bit because we're starting him just in my house, with blocks of time, so he can get used to them, not fool with them and then get the other boys not to fool with them either! The boys keep calling him Pastor and Professor! He can't read, by the way, but he LOVES looking at books, it's always been one of his favorite pastimes. he has one "lazy" eye and also needs vision correction so we're hopeful these will help. If he'll only keep them on! They have an elastic band so that should help. (Mom and OCPL staff - this is the South African counting book you guys gave me - it's his favorite!)

Afonso loves the new towels!

Thanks Dean and Claire for the new towels for the boys! It sure doesn't look like much in the photo, but there are 40 towels there! Afonso helped me take the stickers off of them, can't you tell? My boys get so excited about every new thing they get - they whooped and hollared about these towels. I love their enthusiasm.

He smiled and he laughed!

Today held two exciting events for me - in the morning, Domingos smiled and tonight he laughed! He has definitely seemed in his own world and I haven't yet figured out what certain sounds mean (if they mean anything). But this morning in church, when Papa Steve hugged him, I could see his face and he really smiled! Then tonight, I was kissing his neck and he shrugged his shoulder and laughed! He did it three or four times! I am so exicted and encouraged to get an interactive response from him. Poor little guy, who knows how much neglect has gone on to help create the situation he's in.

He is also keeping a lot more food in his tummy because I feed him v e r y s l o w l y ! Literally, about an hour for about a cup of food! So he's not having so much food come back up. Yay!

The other kids are so cute with him. This morning, little Joao, who's about 6, said to me "I really like Domingos! This morning I prayed God would help him to talk so I can talk with him!" I am praying that God answers this little boy's heartfelt prayer!

Welcome Domingos!

I'd like to introduce you to Domingos! He arrived this evening from another center, where several of our kids have come from over the last year. He's nine years old and blind. He is currently having a problem with eating. He vomits nearly everything he eats, it's more like regurgitating because he does it so quickly. We've brought him to our center to be seen by our clinic and the doctor who comes here. They will be putting in for a gastro intestinal consult as soon as possible to see what is wrong. We were feeding him (soya pepina, kind of like maltomeal but chock full of vitamins and minerals, it's for undernourished kids) when I took this photo and every bite was a struggle for him not to vomit. He will be needing lots of care, he is in diapers, doesn't speak and appears to be developmentally delayed. But we will love on him and pray for him and believe God's best for him! Please keep him in your prayers.

Oh, I should have already posted, Thabo is back in the hospital, for a week now. He is anemic and needs blood transfusions. He's taken a turn for the worse since being there, he has new signs of infection and has vomiting and diarrhea regularly. Please continue to pray for Thabo as well! He was doing so well after living with us a month, even had started walking with a chair to push, talking lots and doing crafts and singing in church. It's heartbreaking that he is so fragile now. But we continue to pray for him as well.

I am humbled to be able to be here for these precious little boys whom so many don't want and don't consider valuable enough to help. I'm grateful I'm part of a ministry that wants to minister to "the least of these." I'm grateful I have a staff of ladies wiling to do the hard work who love on and minister to these boys as well. Thanks to all of you who are helping me to be here, through your support, love and prayers and encouragement!

Feliciano loves Albano!

Little Feliciano just loves Albano! I thought it was so cute when Feliciano left his seat from halfway around the room to go sit as close as he could to Albano! He tried sitting on the chair with him but it was too small for that! Albano is having lots of challenges making good decisions right now, after several months of doing well. So I am praying and thinking of ways to get through to him. One of the things he does really well is care for Feliciano so I am encouraging that as much as possible!

Wanna Be's!

What a group of wanna be tough guys! Note Ivo's scowl in his headband - he thinks he's the Karate Kid! These are almost all the boys of Room 3, missing Feliciano and Thabo. They are such darlings, full of hugs and love and sometimes mischief! And they love the trampoline and have recently been known to do flips! They're learning lots from their older brothers! This is our back garden which I am very grateful for, it's such a blessing for the dorm to have a nice, separate place to play. Sometimes I even hop on the trampoline which gets no end of laughs from the boys!