The family is growing!

We’re getting new kids!!  As of tomorrow afternoon, Cornerstone Children’s Home will be having 7 new children- woohoo!  These new children will bring the total number of kids to 30- the children we have now are so excited.  Margret, who’s 4 years old, keeps asking me: “Are the new children coming now?  How about now, Teacher Abby?”  I get a little tired of answering the question, but it’s fun to see the joy these new arrivals are bringing.

           Speaking of our children, Moses continues to progress greatly each week.  I have been teaching him sign language along with verbal words, in hopes that he learns to communicate faster.  He has learned to sign these words: shoes, clean-up, please, cold, hot, and again.  He continues to say some definite words, and then babble in-between, but he is learning to communicate what he wants in a way that we can understand.  He is also saying his sister, Natasha’s, name, which sounds like “Ay-yas-ha.”  Yeah, Moses! 

         Moses continues to show us that he wants to walk, too.  So often now, instead of agreeing to be carried by the other children, he pushes them away and walks by himself while holding onto the wall or whatever happens to be nearby.  It just makes me think about when I first came, and how he never wanted to stand up and just wanted to scoot around on his bottom. So cute to watch him scooting.  Now, every day, Aunt Monica (the “mom” at the orphanage) puts his sandals on and he proudly walks around with them.  Yesterday we were having races of boys and girls and I took Moses by the hands and helped him “run,” while he giggled uncontrollably.  What a happy, fulfilled little boy he is- thank you, Lord.

         I am so lucky to be here getting to be with these kids like Moses.  I was talking to a friend from the States this morning, and she asked what I was passionate about in the work at Cornerstone.  So many things came to mind that I couldn’t even name them all, and I realized once again that I am so thankful to be here in Budaka with these children who I love- and those ones who are coming and who will be so loved.  Thank you for the support, friends!

School vacation

These past two weeks have been a wonderful in just spending time loving on the children at Cornerstone (the children are still their vacation between terms).

 

Last week, with 20 (of 24) of the Cornerstone children gone to visit their family clans, there were only four kids at the orphanage for several days.  These four siblings have no family whatsoever to go and stay with, and so I had the opportunity to spend time individually with them all week.  My favorite time was when we walked into town and bought a snack of fried bread (called “chipati," which are similar to tortillas) and then went back to the orphanage.  The children were just so happy to go for a walk with me and to have such a special treat (the total for the four chipati was 1600 shillings, approximately 70 cents).  

The funniest moment of this week was when we were playing “I Spy” and the oldest girl, Natasha, said, “I spy something brown.”  We were all guessing and then someone guessed: “Is it Teacher Abby?”  I burst out laughing and said, “Am I brown?”  They unanimously answered: “Yes, especially your neck.”  Unbeknownst to me, the African sun has been darkening my skin, even though I still hear people shout at me, “Mzungu!” (“White person!”) everywhere I go.

Now that all 24 children are home at Cornerstone, I have been spending my days helping Moses walk (wearing his own sandals now- so cute!); playing games of “I Spy,” Red Rover, Hide-n-Seek, and the new favorite, Limbo; giving piggy-back rides to giggling children; making the walk to a nearby soccer field more exciting by playing Follow-the-Leader instead of just walking the half-mile quietly; complimenting children (especially those who can be more difficult) on good choices they make during activities; the list goes on and on.  Every day is another adventure with the children at Cornerstone, and I so appreciate being able to be here and walk through daily life with them.

As I walked to town today and boarded my taxi to come and be on the internet in Mbale, and as I caught my breath in the humid air, I thought about the juxtaposition of being in Oregon and living in Budaka, Uganda.  I thought about how much I dislike the hot climate, huge spiders, mosquito bites, etc. here, but conversely love being with the children who live here, and how that makes all the difference.   I go to bed exhausted every night but somehow wake up with the energy to go and do it all again the next morning.

Thanks for reading about my process here and supporting me, in whatever way, so I can be in Uganda.  It is so encouraging to receive funding, communicate with people from home, and know that I am in people’s thoughts and prayers.  Love you all,

Abby

Isaac

Moses' older brother, Isaac, being silly with a piece of plastic he found.