Meeting Day and Lee McGraw

Wednesday was our scheduled meeting day.  All of our orphanage and feeding station workers came in for a day of conversations about current issues.  We had a good meeting, covering topics such as the VTC, the role of managers in the orphanages, secondary education, etc.  Susie sat beside me the entire time taking notes on her laptop for me.  It was such a blessing since I have such a hard time remembering details after we get home. 

Susie has been amazing on this trip.  Usually she is working on her laptop a lot of the time, telecommuting for Basic Energy, but since they moved to Ft. Worth and her job ended, she has been taking care of me!  Yeah!  It’s been a giant help to have her worrying about details, cleaning around the guest house, and being the best wife a part-time missionary could have.

Wednesday night we joined the Dirubi Orphanage kids for their evening devotional.  It was a very cool time, listening to their singing and giving them a word of encouragement.  It’s hard for Americans to realize how much these orphans love just getting visits from us.  When we come here, we want to work and do “something” for them.  Most of the time all they want from us is to be there.  Very cool.

Thursday we visited Lee McGraw Orphanage.  It was a good visit, the place looks okay, but is due for some improvements.  I am a bit concerned with the water situation there.  The water we saw at the orphanage is still quite dirty even after it comes through the sand filters and it has to be carried from the Sondu River by hand, or part way with a pump.  I asked the manager how far it was to the river and he said 100 meters.  I couldn’t quite believe it was that close so I just said, “Let’s see it.”  So we walked down to the river.  Not surprisingly it was 400 meters or so away.

When we returned to the orphanage, the local Assistant Chief, a man named Augustus, was there.  He has been helping us with a minor dispute with the children of the man who donated the land for the orphanage.  That situation is resolved, but he wanted to come and meet Susie and I and give us a report.  It was a situation where having the government involved worked out well.  The local chiefs that we have encountered have always been helpful, it’s the national politicians you have to worry about.  Just like at home, I guess.

When we returned to Dirubi, the best news of the trip was waiting for us.  There was a large truck outside the orphanage, delivering massive spools of electrical wire and other hardware for the power lines that have been promised here for more than a year.  The poles are already up, and now it seems that work will soon begin on the wires.  Hopefully the days of generators at the VTC will soon be over.

Please check on the KWO Facebook page for our most recent pictures.  We are able to get a few out now.  Thanks for caring!