Tom & Jerry

We got a call from Mt. Meru Hospital on Friday asking if we could come pick-up a baby whose mother had died. So, Claire, Derek (her father who's visiting), Mama Musa, and I traveled to the hospital to pick-up this new baby. Upon arrival, we learned that another baby had just been abandoned and so we would be bringing home two new babies. While the nurses washed and dressed them, I wandered around the NICU ward looking at the many other new babies. Some of them were fat and healthy while others were not much larger than the palm of my hand. Some had jaundice, others had sad skin conditions. The room was full of cribs with multiple babies lying side by side, each wrapped in a colorful piece of khanga or kitenge from their mother who was recovering in the room next door.
I would describe the experience of being in this baby ward as beautiful and sad at the same time. Each baby was beautiful in his or her own little way, wrapped in beautiful material and breathing the first breaths of life-each one a child of God. At the same time, though, the experience was heart-breaking because some babies were so small, they did not look like they would make it with out proper medical equipment and attention. Some babies are abandoned at the hospital, others have HIV, still others might loose their mother...which is a case that happens all to often. Though I wish our two new ones had a family to go home too, I'm glad that we can provide them a safe place with food and love until they can be adopted or go back to extended family members.

Here are some of the precious new ones in the NICU ward of Mt. Meru Hospital...

Claire decided to temporarily call the baby who's mother died, Tom, until his father comes to visit Cradle of Love and hopefully name him. The ideal situation here, is that when the baby is strong and healthy after being weaned off of formula, porridge and onto solid food, the father will be able to afford to raise him with the help of extended family and little Tom can go home.

The other baby, called Jerry, was abandoned at the hospital. He was two-days old when we picked him up and he is very tiny. When he was changed and wrapped up, a nurse plopped him into my arms and from that moment on, he completely stole my heart. I love every single baby here at Cradle of Love, so I'm not sure what makes Jerry slightly different. I don't know if it was the process of carrying him home from the hospital, or changing him when we got back, or giving him his first bottle, or if it's just because he's so incredibly cute, but I have become really attached to little Jerry. He has the cutest cheeks, with a little button nose in between, a head full of curly hair, the cutest little bottom lip that sticks out ever so slightly, and the most adorable expressions as he sleeps and stirs. I'll post more pictures of him eventually, but here's a snapshot of both Tom & Jerry after we brought them back.

 

Tom

 

my little Jerry

Happy Birthday, Dad!

This is my dad.

I love him very much.

He turns 51 today.

This is the first time that I am not home for his birthday to celebrate with the family.

So today, my blog is a tribute to my Dad.

Daddy, I just wanted to let you know that I love you 10,000 times more than the number of diapers I’ve changed during these last few months and I miss you.

Some of my babies and I tried to make a video for you last night and it kind of worked…so be looking for that on facebook when I can get access to strong enough internet to upload it.

Thanks for being such a great dad! I thank God every day that He is my heavenly Father and that He gave me you to be my father here on earth.

 

I'll share with you some random facts about my dad:

-he loves nature and wildlife

-he’s a hockey super star

-he loves potlucks at the Korean church and the Filipino church

-he loves to play his trumpet…even in our VW Jetta as he drives

-he has beautiful light blue eyes that twinkle when he really smiles or laughs

-in my younger years, he used to sing me lullabies and give me puppet shows every night without fail before I went to sleep

 

-He loves to dress up...even if it's for his little girls' birthday parties

 -He loves the christmas tree and never wants to throw it out when Christmas is over

-he likes to make people laugh

-he’s pretty good at imitating accents

-he has a thing for corny jokes, which are sometimes not so funny

                                                            -he's a great skier and loves snow

-his facial hair grows super fast so he’s always growing a beard and then shaving it down in some new, weird and creative way until he is clean-shaven again

-he was a fisherman for years and will always have it in him at heart

-he always dresses for the occasion. On Remembrance day, he faithfully has his poppy. During the Christmas season, he tries to wear red and green and rein deer antlers as much as possible. For the breast-cancer “run for the cure” he wore a pink bathrobe. When he is doing something involved with children for church, he’s sure to wear his tie with pictures of children on it….etc

 -When we travel, he packs everything into and onto our little car and it looks somewhat like this. (not quite as bad, though)

-he loves doing random acts of kindness or simply helping people in any way, shape, or form. He has a giving and compassionate heart.

-he has a soft spot for the elderly and could quite happily spend much more time (than he already does)  in nursing homes visiting old folks and listening to their stories

 

 -his hair is turning gray and his eyes crinkle more when he smiles, but he only gets more handsome with the years.

 

-he has been married to his beautiful wife, Bonnie for 25 years

 With those last couple of thoughts, I will leave you with a verse, Dad. It’s Proverbs 16:31: “The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness.” 
At first you might chuckle to yourself at the fact that I found a verse for you about gray hair, but if you read it carefully, it's really a cool verse. I like it.

This silver-haired crown has started to create itself on your head as a result of 51 years of growing, education, working, marriage, life experiences, learning from mistakes, observing others, parenting, waiting, and countless other things God has brought into your path. Since you have loved and honored God throughout it all, he sees your gray hair as a crown of glory.

When I read this verse in Proverbs, it put a smile on my face and made me proud to have a dad with a silver crown of glory on his head. Let this verse only inspire you to honor God more every day, spending more time with Him and learning from Him. Though you’re one year older today, you’re still a child in His eyes and He’s got a lot more to teach you, as He does for all of us. Let this crown continue to be found in the way of righteousness, Dad.

I’m proud to be able to look up to you.

I love you lots!

Happy Birthday

Love, Sis

Top of the Line Transportation

Sometimes I cannot decide if ideas I have are adventurous or foolish. Certain things seem like they need to be experienced in order to get the full taste of this country and culture, so I simply do them. Yesterday was one of those times when I stood in the midst of the bustling locals at a dala dala stop and wondered if this was going to be an adventure or if I was being a fool and putting my life on the line.
I have taken normal car taxis many times in the past here. I remember the first time I took a motorcycle taxi, though...it terrified me since we were going fast with out helmets in Arusha and I was in the hands of some random driver, but in the end it was fun and I lived. (I haven't done it again, though)
Since I didn't have much money or time to spare, I was planning on speed-walking from the bus stop to my destination this time. When I hopped off the dala dala, though, I realized I didn't quite know how exactly to get to my destination and there happened to be 20 options of bicycle taxi's right in front of me! There are very many bicycle riders and bicycle taxis in Usa as well as Arusha. I had never considered using one until this moment, though and now I was having a hard time making a decision whether to go for it or not. This might not seem like such a big deal to you if you have never driven in Arusha, so let me try to explain what Arusha is like. It's a big city with  many round-a-bouts, many pedestrians, many chickens, goats, cows, buildings, beggars, mosques, markets, DIRT, dust, tons of cars--thick traffic, unclear lanes, and no rules. Intersections are jokes. Cars go every which way and often seem to end up "parking" in the intersection as they honk and try to make their way through. Motorcycles and bicyclists zig-zag through and around it all as dala dala's speed down the sides of road, honking, and try to pass everyone because they think they own the roads.
I don't know if that gives you enough of a feel for the city, but I'll tell you one thing...it's scary and frustrating enough driving in a car in Arusha let alone on a motorcycle...or a bike. So coming back to the situation at hand, I just had this bad picture in my head of getting hit by a car or a cow or a giant wooden cart of pineapples...you name it! The bicycle taxis are super cheap, though, and I was running low on time so I asked the man if he would keep me safe. He did not understand me. The other bicycle taxi drivers were all moving in to try to convince me that their driving would be better, so I had to shout over their voices to ask again if this was truly a safe idea. Again, he did not understand English...so, I had to drag out the Swahili. Here's what I managed: "Gari njoo mimi na wewe aanguka?!?" as I made a crashing/colliding motion with my hands. These words literally translated say: "Car come me and you fall?!?"...pitiful I know...but it's all I could come up with and he seemed to get the point. He quickly replied in exclamation, "Hapana! Hapana! Polepole!" (No! no, we'll go slow). He sounded reassuring, so I hopped on the little seat over the back wheel, gripped his shirt, balanced myself as he got going, and closed my eyes. The wheels wobbled feeling as if they might pop off at anytime, but they never did. Other bikes sped by, their riders laughing saying "Mzungu polepole!" I felt kind of bad for my driver since everyone seemed to be laughing at him for having to go so slow with a worried white girl on the back. When we went through the first round-a-bout, weaving between cars, I really started to feel vulnerable on this scrawny bike. During maybe 70% of the ride my eyes were squeezed shut and I was praying. I'll admit, riding in town was super scary, but as time went by, I felt a little more comfortable. These guys have been riding bikes and dodging cars their whole lives and they're pros. I got to and from my destination safely and my driver and I became friends. As a result, I've decided it's a great way to get around town for a very low cost and in conclusion, I'd like to confidently say that this was not a foolish decision and instead it was definitely an adventurous experience worth having. Some, like mom, may disagree with me and I can understand why, but at the same time I'm learning that there are certain things in foreign countries that need to be done - experiences that need to be had - in order to fully soak up the culture and make memories. So there you have it...my most recently made memory!

Fenesi Kubwa Sana

 When I came through the Cradle of Love gate for the first time on August 11, my eyes immediately beheld this tree with terribly ugly fruits on it. I soon found out that they were called fenesi (jack fruits) and that they are a special favorite here. I asked the guard whether they were going to cut it down soon and eat it because it was looking pretty big. He told me it was not big enough yet so they must wait. Every once in awhile, I would ask the guard or the nannies if they were going to cut that enormous fruit down yet, but they would always say "we have to wait just a little bit longer."
I have heard many different opinions about jack fruit regarding the strong smell, taste, and texture, but I was simply eager to see what it was like straight off of the tree for myself. Finally, after four months of watching this thing grow, it was time to cut it down. Mama Musa, the supervisor of all the nannies, took charge of chopping the massive fruit. All of the nannies and the guards were so excited to eat this beloved fruit, while Sarah, Lilli and I were a bit more hesitant. Claire was downright repulsed by it all...she has previously decided she did not like jack fruit. I snapped the picture on the left on one of my first days here. That's our jack fruit tree!

 I don't know when the other jack fruits on that tree will be ready to eat, but if we have to wait until they get as big as this one was, I don't know if I will still be here when they decide to chop another one down.

 It was a long, sticky, and slimy process! There was enough fruit in there to feast on for days afterward!

The taste is sweet, and the texture is kind of slimy and thick and interesting. I found if I took very small bites, it was an enjoyable fruit to eat. My tummy could not handle more than one or two pieces, though. I just started to feel kind of sick if I ate more than that. It's just a weird fruit...

 

Mama Musa gave this dish to us girls to take up to the apartment and save for the next day. After being in our fridge for maybe 10 minutes, it stunk up the whole thing! When we opened the fridge, it wafted through the whole apartment. Even after all the fruit was gone, we had to label the dish "jack fruit" and save it for the next time there is more jack fruit because we could not clean it properly. It is still sticky no matter how many times we wash it.  Fenesi is quite a potent, powerful, and different fruit, but it was fun to try!

Fenesi Kubwa Sana - Very Big Jack Fruit

Ellinipa

I took the braids out of Ellinipa's hair a couple of weeks ago to check out her afro. It's a pretty nice one, isn't it? After the long process of taking out the braids and attempting to comb it, I took her down the road to the little duka (shop) where I bought her some mandazi to nibble on while I braided her hair into a fresh style. African hair is great! It is so much more fun to do than mzungu hair because you can move it in any direction and it will stay put just like that! By the way, those white little dots you see in her hair...that's dried ugi (porridge). Somehow at meal time, the kids manage to get porridge everywhere, including their hair. When I combed it out, the leftover porridge just spread throughout her lovely fro.                               

Ellinipa has the highest voice EVER. It's so high, in fact, that it almost doesn't sound real. The nannies love to imitate it and I love to hear it...unless she is screaming. The decibel level of Ellinipa's cry is simply WAY too high for any eardrums to handle. She calls me something along the lines of "depadee" which always makes me smile. She has bright eyes that always look as if she's asking a question and cute little eye-lashes to frame them. She is a blast!
Ellinipa turns two this month and will go back to her extended family probably sometime in January.

"belly-button, Depadee!!!"

Baby Rehema

Baby Rehema with her new mother

I introduced a “meet the children” series here on my blog a month or so ago and have been doing terrible at updating it. I believe you have only met chubby George and twins, Kurwa and Dotto so far. I also introduced you to twins, Hope and Lazaro before they left Cradle of Love as well as the triplets, Nina, Anya, and Tessa. We have some more children due to leave this month and it’s going to be really hard for me to see some of them go. I will do my best to let you catch a glimpse of them before they leave.

Last month, one of our beautiful babies named Rehema, about 8-months-old, was adopted and taken home with her new family. She was one of those perfect babies who never cried and simply sat on the ground happily like a little doll while all the other babies screamed and cried around her. She had big brown eyes and one of the cutest smiles.

Rehema was found abandoned as a newborn in a pit latrine with maggots in her ears and nose. Her transformation was amazing. She is a miracle baby and I think God clearly has a plan for this beautiful girl’s life.  He sent someone with compassion to find her and draw her up out of the deep filth.  God did the same for us by sending his Son to die on the cross. He is willing to pull us out of the deep, filthy pit of sin and and offer us a new life by His grace and love. Though I was never literally stuck and left to die in a pit latrine like baby Rehema, I have still experienced a life transformation very similar and I praise God everyday for His grace and overwhelming, life-changing power.

Black & White

 The other day, I had this great idea to do a photo shoot! Haha...I soon learned that it really wasn't such a great idea, because it's really hard to take pictures of babies...especially in large numbers. But since we thought it might be fun, we randomly selected eight babies and got out some fresh white clothes for them. During the whole process, we had two massive diaper soak-throughs (gross) and also Kurwa peed her pants (she's potty-training). Amity was not happy to participate in this photo-taking activity so she switched between pouting and screaming the whole time. None of the clothes stayed white for very long and the morning ended up being quite entertaining.  (Below from left to right, we have Amani who is crying because Patrick beside him has the stick that he wants. Patrick is upset that Rahman is pulling on his shirt to help turn himself around. Whitness doesn't really care why everyone else is unhappy. She just observes them as she claps her hands contentedly. Princess on the end is perhaps wishing she was somewhere else)

 

  

Big man, Mark with Whitness

 

Rahman's sweet smile

 

 

Patrick reaching to be picked up