Our Boys...

I wanted to expand on this blog more about our time with the boys on Saturday and Sunday b/c you have asked me for it! So if you haven't read the ministry blog, you may want to do so now so that you'll be "in the know."

Friday- getting excited about Saturday

Several of the boys would come up to us and just say "kesho" which means "tomorrow". They know our swahili isn't top knotch so they try and keep it simple for us. As we were pulling away Dan and James (the youngest boys) ran up to the van and said "Lin-DEE!" (emphysis on the DEE) I stopped the car and said "yes?" Dan said "Kesho?" I replied "Yes, tomorrow, Dan" and began pulling off again. Then here comes James running up to my moving vehicle "Lin-DEE!" I stopped the van again "Yes James..." thinking he was going to say the same thing they'd all been saying ALL day. "Nitakula kuku na chips kesho sawa?". Translation: "Lindy! I will eat chicken and french fries tomorrow, okay?" "Yes James, you will eat chicken and fries tomorrow...all you want."

Saturday- the main event

When Saturday rolled around we were so excited about having our 10 boys over for a huge meal and play time. Thomas and Noah built a volleyball court in the backyard a few days prior. I was out in the garden by about 7:30 picking sakuma so Lauren and Grace could cook it and start on the fries while I was at a churchy meeting and picking up the boys. CT and I went to pick them up in 2 vans at noon. When we pulled up they ran to the vans and jumped in. Excited doesn't even begin to describe them. I don't think Dennis and Dan sat down the whole 25 min ride back to the house- dispite my protests to sit down and put on their belts. I could see nothing out of my rear view mirror except a goofy grin on Dennis' face.

Dennis

We got to the house and the boys played anything and everything they could get their hands on. Dennis can tend to be a loner at times. He's about 13, but the size of a 6 or 7 year old. He has been in the streets a long time and is therefore a bit rougher around the edges than the other boys. He has been sniffing glue since he went to the street at about age 6. It has taken a toll on his brain. Dennis is one of the original boys back from when we first started feeding them in Kawangware. You may remember me posting a picture of these shorts-

These were Dennis'. I think I fell hard for him about a year ago b/c my heart seems to be more tender for those who are the sickest, skinniest, hungriest, neediest, and maybe even naughtiest. (It's just the way God made me.) So I have wanted so much for him for so long. He's been a favorite since the beginning.

But I realized something Saturday that I never REALLY realized before. He is just a little boy! He was wearing a mighty mouse shirt and a pair of 4T jeans that were way too short, but falling off of him. We was going through the cabinets in the dining room since we had moved all the tables outside. He found the famous Wal-mart mac truck and immediately began making truck noises and pushing it all over the dining room and kitchen floor- butt shining! He is JUST a little boy. Oh how I just love him so much.

They ate ALL of the food... ALL of it. We just laughed at them b/c they almost made themselves sick. Their little bellies were protruding with soda, brownies, chicken, sakuma, fries, slaw, and bread. I think Dennis and James went to the bathroom about 20 times each after we ate. David went and laid down ON the corn hole game board and went to sleep. Which is par for him. David is my narcoleptic twin! The older ones and us adults played about 3 hours of volleyball while the smaller ones James, Dan, and Dennis took this little red/yellow car down our small embankment at the SAME time. Yes, one was on the inside while it was 2 men tall. There was a "car accident" every other time down the hill. They laughed so hard they almost lost their lunches.

The original plan was to eat, play, then watch world cup game at 3. But then we found out the game was actually at 5. We try not to drive past 6:30 b/c it is so difficult to see. Chris and I ended up in the kitchen alone and kept looking at each other smiling. He said "You love this don't you?" I nodded. He said "Me too, can they stay the night?" I nodded. There were a few things we had to consider:

1- if the boys stayed we would need to come home right after church so that we could all turn the house over for a team coming in a few hours

2- we had to figure out what we were going to feed them all for dinner.

But the biggest consideration was #3-How do we put them in the palace for the night and the streets the next?

Some of you may disagree and think it's so wrong of us, but we asked them to stay. We figured even if they had to go back to the streets the next night at least we didn't have to worry about their safety, warmth, and hunger for one night. At least they didn't have to worry about hiding from police to sleep. At least for one night they would sleep... sound... and safe.

Chris brought them all into the livingroom and told them we woudl be honored to have them as our guests. They started flipping out doing back flips, dances, high 5's, and yelling. I sat in the corner as the tears began to well up. After they took showers and borrowed clothes so theirs could be washed- CT took them upstairs to see their rooms. They wanted to know how many per bed to which Chris proudly replied "only one."

We had PB&J's, popcorn, and banana's for dinner. They ate and were satisfied. Games were played and smiles were massive. I remembered a book I bought for our kids who will not be needing it anymore. It's called "For you are a Kenyan Child." Hmm, I wonder why I have that book, but am adopting from Rwanda. Could it be for this very night? It has swahili all throughout it. James and Dan loved it. Then I read to them "I love you so much". By the end of the book, James who knows NO english said to me "I love you so much, BABY!" I'm not sure where he got the "baby" from, but Dan and I sure did get a good laugh. I got my mommy fix for sure. :)

Sunday

Everyone was up and moving by 7:30. They helped us take the sheets off the beds and headed downstairs for Banana pancakes. YUM! They ate them all. Are you surprised? I don't think any of the Wazungu go any! They were champs at giving up theirs for the boys!

We left for Hope church in Kawangware. Fantastic service and message. Only... it was in English. I just felt bad b/c I know the boys didn't understand it. During the worship part I was overcome with the emotions of the weekend along with the boys going back to the street to sleep.

I sat down and begin trying to put into words what my heart was feeling:

"I sit here in "Hope Church" with little boys all around me. They are reading some english words on a screen as loud as they can. I can't help but wonder if any of them even know what the words they are attempting to sing and pronounce mean: "I surrender all". Oh how I long for that day when they understand those words and truly surrender all to our Savior. As I sit here attempting to put my hearts' feelings into words and listening to boys singing... I sob. I can't even see if I'm writing on the lines. David is turned around in his chair with his chin rested on the back of it starring at me as I attempt to hide my eyes from him. He looks concerned as he watches me write the following:

Tonight I imagine little boys not eating b/c they didn't get to work yesterday. I imagine them going back to their gunny sacks and hard, cold ground. Going back to their pillows made of plastic sacks. I envision them huddled together trying to stay warm with no one to read to them or tell them a bible story.

And here I sit... empty house and barren as can it be with a seemingly stagnate adoption.

But I have to believe and trust that our God is STILL sovereign. His word is SO abundantly clear what will come of those who do the oppressing and how compassionate he is for those oppressed. I have to trust there is a HUGE plan that my little peon human brain is not privy to b/c it cannot understand.

God is this it? Is this what you have planned for our lives? Children... little boys coming to us not in any way we have tried and thought they would come to us.

Lord, I love my life. I love these boys and want them to be adopted by you as much as I want the same for my own children.