Living at an orphanage that now has 132 children, it’s quite something. There are so many things happening, quite fascinating watching what is going on. Then needing to bring some correction and helping them understand that they can’t hit their brother or sister. Cultural differences, tribal issues….so much to learn.
Some people have wondered about how long the children can stay at the orphanage! This is their home, and they are always welcome. The day they descide to move after they are 18, then they can. It's their home.
It hit me the other day that the kids here are orphans, the tears flooded. They don’t have parents, this is true – but I’ve never thought of how they lost their parents. Reading their stories made me cry even more. Most of their parents died in HIV/AIDS. Many of the kids from the north lost their parents when the rebels came into their village and set the huts on fire, or beheaded them, killed them on the spot, in crossfire….it hit me hard. I started thinking about my family….what a blessing it is to have one.
Two nights ago, we got a visitor coming with a child. The child, an 8 years old boy – don’t speak any other language than what his tribe does. At the orphanage, we don’t have anyone that comes from his tribe. He is all by himself, lost his mother in AIDS 3 weeks ago, his father died 7 years ago, coming into a home where nobody speaks his language…….imagine. He cried lots, which is understandable. The next day, we found out that there are similarities with another tribe’s language….which makes life easier for him. He is now playing with the smallest children, and seems to get along with life at the orphanage.
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