Let The Children Come

In the past 6 weeks we have been:
Snotted on
Peed on
Thrown up on
Spit up on
Bled on
Diarrheaed on
Spit on
Smacked
Slapped
Punched
Targets for flying objects
Pinched
Stabbed
Hair pulled
Climbed on
Kicked
Tripped
and still, we bravely say, 'Let the Children Come.'

When these kids do all this stuff it can be frustrating and unstanitary and well, read the list above and come up with your own emotions, but all that stuff cancels out when you can take a child that feels sick and make them stop screaming by just simply holding them, and when another one gets slapped and they run to you for comfort and when they just see you and a great smile spreads across their face and they run to you with open arms to be held and hugged. Doesn't the good in the world always cancel out the bad! Doesn't the good make all the bad so worth it! I think so, so,
Let the children come!!!
-Amanda

Falling In Love with the People of Africa

We have been living in Africa for sixty five days now.
We feel pretty at home here now.

All kids black or white, love to be tickled, laughed with, and held.

The laundry womans name is Lorainne
and if you bring her a shirt later that you forgot to put in your load,
she'll do it for free.

If you push too hard on water fountain at the gym
it will squirt all the way across, hit the wall, and puddle up on the floor.

After dinner one night I was asked if I had any money, and I didnt,
but I did have half a chocolate milkshake.
It was accepted of course. Then two minutes later and 50 steps behind me I heard. "NICE!"
I smiled back, we laughed.

If you walk 25 minutes to the gym on your day off,
you might see a woman that is about 75, who pulls up on the sidewalk to park,
and doesnt give a crap if people dont like that idea.
If you help her get into her car,
put the groceries in the back with her cane,
then pile up the three pillows on the drivers seat so she can see the road.

You might meet one of our Taxi drivers like Lyndon, or Simon, and they might need you to push start their taxi and hope it runs for one more day.

If you take the turn to sharp around the corner of Sussex street
watch out because you will run into the cactus plant.

You might learn how to use a blanket to tie a baby to your back so it wont slip.
All the four year old girls know as well.

When I ordered midnight cookies and cream ice cream,
the girl behind the counter told me that we are soul sisters because that is her favorite too.

The man that works in the ancient african masks store downtown,
well thats HIS painting on the wall to the right
and he is working on a few more. He's sold two already.

Want life open to open up to you?

Smile,
Dont be in a rush... no one else is.
Ask people how they are.
Make them laugh.
Then watch what happens.

Now that is the simple answer to an amazing life.
-amy

Trip to the Top of the World

Ever since I was a kid, I remember looking at maps of the World
and being innately intrigued by the Southernmost tip of Africa.
Yesterday, I went there.
There is something dream-like and fantastic in seeing a dream out.
As we drove down one of the most extremely beautiful roads in the world with the Atlantic Ocean on my right and the Indian Ocean on my left I felt like I was on top of the world.
We drove past white memorials way off in the distance but loomed over the landscape for the famous explores of Diaz, and Vasco De Gama. Everyone remembers these names from learning explorers in fourth grade.
I got chills knowing I was here where their dreams were fulfilled as well.
Here is an aerial view of us crossing the peninsula. Down below is the prison where Mandela served his other 10 years. The landscape is breathtaking in all directions.
It was a wild trip with South African Penguins, Ostriches and Baboons as our mascots today.
But something storylike and magical about the whole scene.
Probably the most beautiful ocean backdrop Ill ever see, followed us all day.
Heres our proof.
Here is the group of us all working at orphanages.
3 americans, 4 canadians, 1 norwiegian.
All trying to give what they can to put a little more good back into the world.
-amy

It's A Hard Knock Life.

But we are doing the best we can!

Wanted to share some special little people with everyone!

This is Sivuyile (ceevoooyeeleeh) and came to us on our second shift with his older sister... he is ALWAYS wearing a sweater and has great cheeks..... i affectionately call him "sweater cheeks" not sure if he cares for the name though!

This is Leyabona on the left. He is just learning to walk! We have all been working with him, he can do it, but he doesnt want to because he know he will get less attention and picked up less once he can walk. He is the class cuddler. Thumb in the mouth cuddle 24/7. Wins the hearts of many a girl volunteer. To his right is the gorgeous Nokithula and I call her "knock-it-to-ya."



Here is Uncle Bill again on the left Ibanathi (ee bon ahh tee.) He is always trying to get closer to me so I can help him stand up and work on walking. When you set him down, he bawls of course. To his right is Onikwa who is a pretty little thing. I think im attracted to big foreheads honestly.

This is Gift. Easiest name to learn and the best dancer in the house. You should see him get down to "If your happy and you know it." I think hip-hop mixed children songs would be a HUGE hit here. He's a doll.
Siyuvoya. (see-you-voy-yah) has got the biggest belly and the highest pitch voice in the joint. A little riot honestly. His famous saying is a high pitch "AND ME!!!!" Try to imagine.
This chick has the sweetest name in the house. Sinazo. (sin-ahh-zo) I wish that was my name!
We call her snahz. Cant tell if she's into it yet! Cutie.
Heres a grouping from our smaller crowd. Nikita is a boy on the left and the Ahsamahle (ahh-sah-mall-le) means "I am Beautiful" in Xhosa. Our babies are gorgeous and good looking and unfortunately probably only get held about 2 hours a day. It is SO HARD, we just need more hands you know.



This is Asamahle but we call her CRAZY. She is adorable... walks around on her two feet and her two hands.... no knees involved... like spider woman. She has a habit of cracking up, clapping a lot, and then throwing her head backwards like your making a flip off a diving board. Got have quick reflexes to catch this one. Oh yeah, and ask Amanda about the bruise near her knee about the size of a little mouth. We think she looks like a mouse with fab eyebrows.To the left here we have the Queen Thima (tim-na) who for some reason is loved and adored by all. Kids from all ages come in and carry her around and feed her and bow down to her, she just points all the time like she is giving orders... since she is the queen, she could walk, but just absolutely refuses. A Queen should be escorted. To the right is snahz again looking perfect!
-amy

I Love Africa

Every day I fall more in love with this place. I am completely smitten with the bush and the animals and how amazing they are. The city is another story. I am not a city girl and living in the heart of it for the past 6 weeks is getting old! HA, but to live here is to experience the people and the culture and the way of life. Amy and I did the Robben Island Tour yesterday. For those who don't know it is where Nelson Mandela spent about 18 years in prison, in a tiny cell, crushing limestone everyday damaging his eyes, for wanting nothing more than his people to be free. For everyone to be equally free.

I am completely amazed at how this country has forgiven those who so cruelly and evily oppressed them so. The face of this country was completely changed and now people, as a result, are living in tin shacks and living with an extremely high crime rate, living with the pain of such a traumatic past that was just so recent. The tour guides we have had are people who have personally suffered. Have been in political prisoners for wanting freedom, were torn from there homes as they watched them demolished, they were chased and beaten by police for no reason other than evil decended upon South Africa.

But the evil was defeated and a new unity and hope conquered. The people here now forgive and are educated and are looking forward to a new future, a future of a beautiful country, a future of a World Cup. They see there is no future in hate. The singing can be heard through the city and up to the heavens as they sing for joy of a new day.

I love the people here and the culture. The kids at Bap LOVE to sing and dance. It's such a blessing to get the opportunity to live here for any amount of time and witness the power of forgiveness on such a grand scale and take that and hopefully tell others about it and maybe, we can all learn a great lesson.

What a beautiful country. The ocean is magical, the mountains are humbling as they stand guard over thier city. The elephants protect, the leapord eludes, the rhino grazes and the giraffe browses. The lions play, the birds sing, the snake basks, and the spider weaves. The children dance and laugh and the wind blows. It's all a miracle of God and I, a simple girl, have gotten the great, great honor to witness this, to take it into my heart, and do all I can to spread it as far as my small being can possible go.

This trip on so many levels has changed me and no words could ever describe the wonders I have seen. I am in awe of this amazing world. Thanks be to God because when you see the horrors of the world and all the pain and suffering, and how deeply horrible it all is, God is bigger. If humans have the ability to fall so deeply into evil acts, just IMAGINE the capacity for good that we all have! Good really does win, in the end, as we all know. We just need to open our eyes a bit wider past the evil we see everyday and realize and SEARCH for the good that we sometimes miss. There really is more good than bad! :) Happy searching my friends!
-Amanda

Just Give.

I began thinking about transitioning home from poverty stricken Khayelitsha to posh stricken Jackson Hole long before I even left for this trip. Here I am no one special, who is just trying to help, and make the world two hands better. I don't want the lifestyle of giving to slip from the forefront of my current life to the background when I return home because honestly we are here to give. To be more. It is not about ourselves. There is a much bigger picture to paint.

Well tonight I had a perfect example of this.

We got home late tonight and I was hungry. So, on my way to the internet cafe where I touch base with all of you I went to good old McDonalds. I bought a fish sandwich and a sprite. Then I bought a cheeseburger because I had this feeling I would be giving it away to someone who needed dinner tonight on my way.

Yep, you guessed it, 10o meters out of McDonalds a man stopped me. I said "Are you hungry?" and he said "Yes. very much" and I said "I know." I gave him his cheeseburger all nice and warm with a napkin, like I had picked it out for him and he thanked me.

A minute later I was halfway down the street and he asked for my cold drink for his kids.

I enjoyed my sandwich.

Life is very interesting isnt it?
Its almost like I'm not in charge...
-amy

Sweet South Africa.

I want to try to describe life living in the wilderness with barely any people, but surrounded by thousands of animals, snakes, spiders and millions of mosquitoes. There is a peacefulness to the night, but not a quiet. It is overwhelming with the high pitched frog calls, the smell of campfire and oil lanterns and the sand and the cool beneath your feet. The great hare, Kalulu, lives on the moon and watches over our African nights. Second spring has come to the bush and the baboon tail, the poison apple and the kudu lily are in bloom. The ngala roars and we are sung to sleep at night by the wind through the marula and jackalberry trees. A firefly flashes his love to the glowworm below. Bubbling Kassinas chirp and the final "gooowaway's" are sung. A jackal cackals and finally the haunting lullaby of the hyena comes from the Karongwe river bed. The intense heat of the day lingers in the koppies but is loosing position to the night air and the high pitch of the mozzies reign. Orion tipped upside down, looks down from afar. Slow motion giraffe necks turn from camp and disappear. A white faced owl calls, a baboon howls, a bat sinks low. Deep breath. Sleep.
-amy

Humble me

I first want to thank everyone for all the support I've been given. I have gotten some of the most amazing e mails and notes from people and I am so grateful for them. The people in my life are just too awesome and I am so grateful everyday for them. I don't know and I can't understand why I have been so blessed. I'm so blessed to have a wonderful family who has been nothing but supportive in all my crazy adventures. No one once has ever doubted or been negative, especially my parents. Always backing me up and I wouldn't be who I am without them. I have my 'Florida family' who are also amazingly supportive and I can't thank them enough!

I have my amazing boyfriend who although I know he is dying b/c he wants to be here, and if the roles were reversed I don't know how I would deal with my jealousy! HA, but he teaches me everyday with his support and love and constant excitement for what I'm doing. He is the most selfless person I know! And I guess he's holding me to all my promises that we'll come back here together! ;) (which we will!)

I have my wonderful cousin who is doing all this with me and who without, my life would be so unbelievably different in so many ways!!! That's an understatement. Someone who has taught me so much about giving and learning and absorbing everything life has to offer. She has been a soul sister to me talking about life all hours of the night!

I have had an amazing life thus far, travelling and seeing God's amazing world, witnessing His amazing creation and seeing who He is with every tiny detail that He has artistically crafted! Meeting fantastic people and living in several different cities.

I just am so deeply grateful for this life He has blessed me with. I don't deserve it. I feel so humbled when I close my eyes and see my life. This trip has expanded my vision and solidified what I want to do with my life. Giving back is the only way I can answer this gift of life God has given me. He has brought me here to show me that I can do something this tough and that I enjoy it, love it and want to do it for the rest of my life. I am happy to give my life and what I can to those who need it. I may not be able to give money, but I can hold a crying child, I can give food to a homeless person on the street.

My prayer everyday as I walk into the baby house is that God will love these children through me. I can look past the snotty noses, the illnesses, the smells, the dirt, the pain, the diarrhea down my side (sorry to be crass but it really happened!) and just love on them.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone in my life. I am humbled.

-Amanda

Wednesday January 14th day 54

Today was so nice because it went so quickly! We were off to Bap, but on the way we stopped to buy 100 new baby bottles. That alone is not an easy feat in Africa, one store might have 12, or 7, but we got a hook up to a bulk store and lucked out. Then, the six of us labeled, organized, sorted, figured out, and integrated them into a new system. We can start it up in a few days. It will really speed up our work, which will be great. It takes us over an hour now to make 90 bottles every morning. (A side note here to my friends back home. For all of you that slipped 20s into my pockets to take with me, you did it! You made a difference in these kids lives, I hope to also buy them all new pajamas if the right opportunity arises. It feels SO GOOD to just take our hard earned money, fly across the ocean with it, walk into an orphanage that desperately needs it in the slums of Africa, GIVE, and make a difference. Good on you.)

Today I also crossed over a hump with the orphanage and I stopped disliking being there, and started to enjoy the kids. You must keep your guard up when you reach this point and keep your hands washed, your face still away from them, and try not to catch anything. You are more comfortable together, so it is harder to remember. Speaking of, I am coming down with a cold. Cough. I just sneezed actually.

Lastly, we went to a Braai tonight (african barbque) with everyone from Aviva... including Rholene, Kim, Ed and Keenan. I am going to treat them all to a dinner Sunday night at the exclusive "Blowfish" restaurant in Table view that looks over the bay towards Table mountain. They have all done SO MUCH for Amanda and I and I am sure they dont get thanked properly very often.

The big news of the day is that Amanda and I are going BACK TO THE BUSH! We booked a little five day tour of Kruger! We will get a chance to see the animals in herds, and stay in a real lodge with good food, more drives, more walks and we sort of feel like we are going home.

It is funny how living with the animals has left such an impression on the both of us. We miss it desperately and realize it much more now that we are gone even more than when we are there.
It will be a lovely way to finish up Amanda's trip. I have more to see and do.

P.S.

On the left is Ibanati pronounced.. eee bone atee
and even though we are not supposed to have favorites, he is mine.
We nicked named him Bill Cosby, now I call him "uncle bill."
Now you know everything.

-Amy

Mealtime!

First we prepare the yummy rice and whatever goes on top mixture . . .

Then we sit w/the kids and feed th younger ones . . .

And all are happy!!!

The baby house outside

This is our main outside play area. It is lunchtime here, this is the lunch and dinner table too. To the right is the outside wall of the orphanage and there is a street on the other side. A lot of litter and trash seems to make its way into our play area! Broken glass, broken CD's, bits of plastic, you name it, it's in one of the kids' mouths!

A picture of the 'sand' they play in

The one jungle gym, not too toddler friendly! But they make-do!


A good place for toddlers to get into! Yuck.

Some Pics

Some of the boys getting ready for "La La" time!

Making lunch! Yummy!

Holding one little one . . .

and another . . .

We're Cousins.

I just wanted to take a moment

and tell you all how much I love my cousin,
how proud I am of her and her life,
and how there is no way I could do what you see in this picture
without her support, love and companionship.
-Amy

View from our flat at Bap
I have to admit, I'm suffering from a huge writers block! It's frustrating, I want to have something brilliant to write to inspire and make you feel moved, but at this point I have nothing. I have some pictures of some sweet kids that wake up everyday sleeping 3 to a bed. Kids that share a room with about 10 other kids, a normal sized room. Kids that play in broken glass and sand and still smile and laugh deep wonderful laughs. Kids that bathe with about 20 other kids at the same time. Kids that don't understand the world and how it can be so unfair. They don't realize that other kids, when they are sick, can go lay in their clean bed and be nurtured and doted on by mom and dad. They don't realize that other kids have thier own rooms with toys overflowing through out their own house. They don't realize that other kids can go to parks with green grass and jungle gyms that aren't broken and dangerous. They don't realize that their smiles will be forever in my heart and the lessons they teach me will change me forever. They will grow up and become who knows what. Our prayers can linger with them, but again, this world is not fair and their destinys are unknown. But for now, I can make them laugh, hold them when they fall down, and rock them when they are tired. It is the least I can do for what they have done for me. Will be more inspiring next time!
-Amanda

Friday, January 9, 2009 day 49

amanda and gift

When I went to bed tonight in my toddler bunk bed on my toddler mattress... I looked at the five other sweet people in my room. Five people from different countries and languages and walks of life who have given up their time, and their money, not to just travel with and spend on themselves, but to volunteer.

To give, to be patient, to be uncomfortable, to grow, to learn, to experience, and to enrich their lives. They are writing their own legacies to share with others. There isnt one luxury to this part of volunteering and here we are, serving others.

It made me feel warm inside and I smiled knowing that we were in this together on toddler bunks, united in a purpose to try to do good in the world, asking nothing in return.

The day was long again and 30 out of 40 kids have diarrhea. This is hard, and character building, and absolutely exhausting. We all sleep whenever we have time off just to give our bodies rest so that they can fight off all this sickness while we are awake.

If this orphanage was absent of volunteers, the children would still be fed and bathed, but that is about it. We spoon feed them, we hold the babies and move their stiff arms and legs, we make them smile, we hold up the toddlers and help them build up muscle in their little legs, we hold their little hands and try to teach them to walk, we hug them when they cry, we comfort them when they are tired of being sick, we tickle them to make them laugh and for one second forget about how hard their little lives are.

Thank God for volunteers.
-amy

Thursday, January 8th, 2009 day 48

I am feeling very introspective tonight. I want to write down a list to read every morning the rest of my life about what Africa has taught be to be grateful for.

I found this quote today in one of my books... "Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul." -john muir So, I want to take the children on a field trip to a playground. They need grass, laughter, to run around, some freedom and space, and a break. If this feels like prison to me, imagine what it must feel like to be them.

After a pretty long day of tears, tired kids, some pinching, and a lot of diarrhea, we finally gave the Sisi's some chocolate and some new tea towels which they loved, and were dismissed at 7pm.

Well... tonight...

The most extravagantly beautiful sunset graced the skies over poverty ridden, dirty and sick Khayelitsha. How can you say there is no God? As the African clouds danced in circles and ways I have never seen before a group of girls began to sing their sundowner anthem outside our window. There is grace and peace that reigns over this misery, there is hope, there is forgiveness, and maybe because He is needed so much, His presence is felt more here.

This vision has been locked into my heart and memory.
- amy

Friday, January 2, 2009 day 42

Finally our long awaited day at "baps" (the orphanage.) We have been in limbo for the past ten days. yuck. We were ready to work! Ok, lets see six shifts at bap. 6 x 3 is eighteen days, one down. I dont really know where to start. How about the three best things about the orphange and then the three worst. OK, reverse that.

the three worst
1. the smell. the horrible smell of shit + vomit + pee + sausage + rice + snot + drool + piss + formula + skank. everywhere. (I have later identified this smell... it is of sickness)
2. the idea of contracting something horrible. like aids, or bed bugs, or skin disease, ring worm, montezumas revenge (again,) wait, herpes, cholera, or aids.
3. i guess there may be a gang in khayelitsha, great. we are the only white girls in the township.

ok the three best things!
1. I will never complain about anything again in my life.
2. I will never be ungrateful for anything... including clean air, a nice bed, safe water.
3. Im doing Gods work, hands on, but only for seventeen more days.

-Amy

p.s. I got vomited on on my first day. Lovely.

Happy Birthday to me!! (the accidental tickle story)

So I got to spend my 29th birthday with little orphans in the middle of a township in south africa! Wow. It's tough not being with family and friends on special days like your birthday but if this trip has taught me anything it is that life isn't about me! HA, did you all know that! No, but really, being able to give my time and energy on my birthday was a neat gift. I still will need a LaRoses fix, hint hint, to anyone who wants to chip in for my b-day present when I get home! ;) No but I did have a nice bowl of yogurt and some meusli, so it's all good. Amy gave me her Pepsi light and a beautiful card and I couldn't ask for more! Got lot's of Happy Birthday's on facebook and some very sweet e-mails (Chad) and I did get a birthday day tickle. OK I'll explain. . . so basically the main move with these kiddos is the tickle. They laugh - it's great. So for three days straight you are constantly tickling little kids to make them laugh and yada yada yada. So Amy and I are the others are sitting at our table in our tiny kitchen at the orphanage and Amy is talking to me and then all the sudden she moves in with a pointed finger right to my side. I dodge the side and then she goes for under the arm. This all happened w/in seconds and I was kind of like, why is she tickling me? This isn't something we normally do. Then Amy catches herself and starts to laugh and we all start to laugh, realizing that all you do all day is tickle and the tickle reaction spilled over into non-tickle time adult world! HA. We had a good laugh over it. The accidental tickle. We are even closer now than we were before thanks to the kids. If you don't think that's funny, well I don't know what is! Thanks for all the Birthday wishes! Much love . . . Amanda