Added Ministry

It seems forever since my last update, and in fact it was February 8. Since getting my computer up and running that very day, I have had scetchy internet and little time to access it. But, I am hoping you will forgive the long interval. It is difficult sometimes to do this, and in fact this very update has taken me two days to complete. The internet, power and signal has gone down three times while writing this. I have had to start over each and every time.

I have had an additional responsibility added to my ministry duties. In addition to being the Medical/Health Coordinator, I am now also the Volunteer/Communications Coordinator. That means after the volunteers have been approved stateside and sent in their applications, Pastoral reference and parent permission forms and been given the green light for the time frame, I take over. I oversee their housing, scheduling, assignments and any issues or problems that arise during their stay with us. Problems are rare, and I love the interaction with these great people, who come to us and work hard, doing whatever is asked of them, wherever the need.

It is wonderful to have these individuals come and work with us from anywhere from two weeks to 10 weeks. One of the things I have them do is a work project and an official outing with the toddlers on Saturdays.

On one of those Saturdays, we scrubbed the toys, to sanitize and clean them up and sort through the junk, throwing out those that were broken up and of no use. The picture below shows how hard they were working sitting out on the back lawn. They scrubbed, sorted and cleaned for 3 hours and then were given a break for 4 hours and then went on an outing which was a boat ride.

I hope you can see the Malachite Kingfisher in the second photo. You may have to magnify. It is a beautiful small bird (but larger than a hummingbird). They do not usually stand still long enough to get a good photo, but this one did.

As you can see in the third photo, we were pretty crowded in the van taking the children down to the launch site. Several people are not visible in the picture but were indeed in the vehicle.

The children and the volunteers had a wonderful time. I enjoyed it too because we finally found a decent boat man to take us on this smooth part of the Nile River and slow down or stop when there are amazing things to view. No one was able to get a picture of this but we all saw a Monitor Lizard the size of a full grown Crocodile. The most enormous of the indigenous lizards here I have seen.

I am amazed that God is using me in such a way that I am priveledge to wittness some amazing things of Nature like this.
Bless you all this day and through out this next week.

Siouxanne