In my Shoes

I have written a couple of posts about things that the Lord has been showing me and those will continue to come.. but I think that this post should be to share what my days look like here.. and what exactly I am doing in South Africa. I have already introduced you to our "little sinners" and their pictures are all over my Facebook page. These kids have literally stolen my heart. I love them with everything I have in my heart and my soul. These precious babies that were abandoned at birth. Our establishment is called a place of safety here in South Africa until we get registered. so even now, we hold no orphans in our place, we only carry children that have either been removed from their homes or they were abandoned. Either way, these kids are all so precious in their own special way. So here is a week in Kathryn's life.

Sunday: the best day of the week!! its our day to go to church and to fellowship with fellow believers! We are able to gather and worship our Lord and Savior. Our church shares a church building with another church so our service starts at 13:30 (1:30pm). My morning consists of relaxing in my flat or helping out with the babies. Getting them ready for church.. they are always dressed in their Sunday best!! Transporting us all to the church is always a challenge. Sometimes I will take a baby and will walk the 6 miles or so to church and other times we will take two trips in the car. Either way, I will always have a baby in a carrier to take care of all day long at church. So I am never far away from a child =) Our church service is simple but always convicting. It is harder for me to concentrate, since we have no nursery ALL babies stay in the service until they make noise. So I am getting used to paying attention to the service while also keeping our babies quiet and safe. My favorite time is when they sleep through the whole service, then I am really able to pay attention. =)  We have two services, our second is more like a larger bible study. Then we head on home and relax with the kids get them bathed and in their jammies.. and Sunday is over =)

Mondays:
start early in the AM. I am up at the baby home by 7 am. The Kids are just awaking and getting ready for the day. We have a schedule for each age of babies.. and it consists of play time, eating, and sleeping. Along with my general duties of feeding and playing and comforting and bathing and changing nappies (diapers) I also have cleaning duties as well. So when the kids go down to sleep we are able to tidy up the house and keep it clean for the babies.. that is a normal day in the baby home. Lots of kids laughs smiles, and even tears.. Monday nights are free, I will either have some one over for dinner or go somewhere or I will just relax in my flat (or in the main home where the wifi is ;)).

Tuesdays:
is our shopping day!!!! Heather Drew (the Baby  Home manager) and I will journey to our nearest Checkers and Fruit stop. We shop for the Baby Home groceries as well as for our own individual groceries. She and I also have our meetings on those days. We are going through a book together and are both able to catch up on the week, and share a sweet time of fellowship and getting to know each other better. We return from shopping around noon and then I am on shift at the baby home. Where we repeat Mondays cycle. During the night shifts I bathe the babies and give them their evening feedings and put them to bed.. =) along side our ever faithful Caregivers who rotate during the week. They are the ones who sleep with the babies and are here in the home 24/7. Bedtime is one of my favorite times of days. It is so peaceful when all the babies are sleeping. But the best part of the day is when I rock them to sleep and they are sleeping in my arms.

Wednesdays:
are my Laundry day.. =) This has been something that I have had to get used to here. We have no dryer as most home don't in South Africa. So Everything must be line dried. Old SCHOOL!! =) But at the same time I love it.. its fun. I will spend most of my morning doing Laundry, and maybe have time to take a walk in the neighborhood while my load is washing.. And then once again, I am on shift at 12:30 and I repeat Tuesday cycles... My Wednesdays will change, once the AWANA program starts here that the Clark Family (another family from the states that just moved here for the next year) will be heading up. My evenings will then be spent working there.

Thursdays:
Up in the am again and doing Mondays schedule. Normally by this time we will need the babies clothes cleaned and ironed. Which is a little time consuming since their clothes are sooooo small. But its nice because I get to practice doing all things joyfully =) Every other Thursdays we will have Care group here at the home. Which is a small home bible study. We normally discuss what was taught on Sunday and we get that refresher and are able to share with each other and grow. I enjoy Care group especially since I am not always able to hear everything Josh Mack preaches on Sundays. We also have volunteers come on Thursday nights which has been helpful and also enjoyable as The girls that come are friends of mine.

Fridays:
are my day off =). It is normally spent doing another 1Hope ministry. Which is anything from watching Eliya, so that Heather is able to focus on getting work done, or helping some one move, or hopefully one day being able to actually go and visit the ministry network with other churches. The same volunteers from Thursdays will come again on Fridays.

Saturdays:
I go to our Young Adults group which is our Care group for the college and up age group. It also is normally very small but those who come are truly amazing and I am hopefully starting to form some great friendships.  We are even able to go camping this next weekend with some other churches. It should be an awesome time of fellowship. =) After Young Adults I come back to the baby home and work just the evening times with some more volunteers.

And that is a week in my life. Everything is changing all the time and being flexible is a must!!! Our babies aren't always smiley and joyful so patience is something I learn every day.. =) Our two girls have birthdays soon!! My precious baby turns 7 months tomorrow and our other sweet girl turns 6 months tomorrow as well. our days are filled to the Max and the Lord has given me a joy inexpressible in words. It can only be explained by coming from him.

Ways you can be Praying for our babies and our Home:
1. Praise the Lord for our newest addition to the home. He is settling in nicely. Please pray for his salvation and for him to start sleeping so that our Caregivers can get some rest during the night.
2. Also Praise the Lord for our newest board member. She is a Lawyer, and will truly help work with getting these wonderful children adopted into loving homes
3. Pray that we will find godly loving families for all our babies!!!
4. Pray for our 7 month old.. She has been particularly fussy.. and we are having a Doctor come to check her out. Please pray that we will be able to find out what is wrong with her and help her. also for the Lords healing.
5. Pray for all the kids salvation as we strive to plant seeds and train them in the way they should go.
6. Lastly continue to pray for the Lords provision for the home, in food, baby clothes,, nappies, and also money for the overall running of the home..