The Hope House

Sunset last night, doesn't it just look like Africa

every morning they deliver a lot of bread for us to eat. We are loving the bread

This is Hope House

Yesterday i left off with our kids playing soccer against the Gabonese kids. OUr girls won and our guys lost, but then they did a shoot out with both for fun and that our girls lost and our guys won. One of the Gabonese girls really cut the end of her toe and I had to patch h er up, which is a bit difficult because I couldn't communicate what I was going to do. It all worked out though. Then after dinner we had a bonfire which was fun.

This morning we got up and headed over to Hope House to work. Part of what we were to do was grad the backyard to keep it from flooding as it has been known to do regularly. First we needed to clear out the junk from the area.

So here you have the kids moving stuff over to a cement patio so that the pick axes and shovels could be used.


Here was one of the orphans watching from the balcony what was going on. The last little bit of junk was being taken away.

Steve once again made a plan for how the area should be graded. Seems like his work in the Patrol has made himan expert on such things. After all he does help monitor traffic flow at paving site for the state as off duty details and the man loves to ask questions about things. Sorry to say that because the work area was small and labor intensive the guys did all the grunt work while the girls went to hang out and play with the 16 orphans there.


Kari had just taken a picture of this boy and was showing it to him. Precious don't you think.



Lacey was painting this little girls nails then blowing on them to dry.

Ashley just loving on the kids


Here's Kari and Paulette pushing the kids on a merri-go-round type thing.

Our guys worked very hard at the grading of the backyard. The girls played soccer, duck duck goose and other things with the kids. We only had 3 hours there, which wasn't enough time to love on the kids. Before we left we gave gifts to each of the kids there and that was a bit chaotic because they started fighting with each other to get the others toy. We came back to the compound for lunch and Rougier Teens joined up with us to then go to the beach with them. I had gone upstairs to get something when Jadrien came running in saying " We need you, someone really mangled their hand" . Not what I wanted to here. I got down to the porch and there was a Rougier kid standing there with the palm of his hand all bloody and a gaping wound in his palm. Now mind you I am a butt nurse and it had been a long time since I have seen a gaping wound right before lunch none the less. Got a good look at it under running water and it was a deep one, probably needing 4-6stitches in it but there is no reallt going to the Hospital here. So I cleansed the wound, put antibiotic ointmant on it, butterflied it shut, dressed it and then taped his hand in a position that wound hinder him from spreading open his palm. Pray that he can keep it clean and that my butterflies last for at least 5 days. I think I might see him again in Thursday. After tht we did go to the beach for a few hour and it was cold. Yeah I said cold in Africa near the equator in July.

Tonight we prepared a skit for the village tomorrow about malaria prevention. We will be doing medical stuff for the most part.We get up at 6 AM, leqve at 7 and wont get back from the village till 7 PM if we are lucky. Pray for our time there to be profitable in whatever way God needs it to be. Also there is only so much room we have for water, so that we miraculously stay hydrated and there are no bathrooms so you get the idea there for that one. It's almost 11 here so I most go get that little bit of sleep now. Thanks for your prayers and the kids love reading the comments so keep them coming one and all who read this, if you are a parent or not, leave a note of encouragement as our time is running down.


Just thought you might want to see what is right across the street from our living quarters. Yep, garbage, it is everywhere on the streets. They come by every week or so and pick some of it up. We really don't notice it so much anymore.