Today is a holiday here so our day started off a little differently. We got to enjoy a walk along the canal with the older children. We left at 7 and just strolled along and stopped to look at scenery, a baby horse, tiny fishes, white birds and whatever else we could see. It was a great way to start our day!

Early morning fun time

Early morning walk

Photo by Leica on our walk

We then came home and got back to work… Guess what we had to do!? If you guessed more material cutting, you are certainly right. Then we did a lot of odd jobs… we prepared the payroll for the end of the month among other things. There isn’t much time to stop around here. Karen wouldn’t even let us have our half hour nap in the afternoon… I guess she thinks we are big and ugly enough that we don’t need it anymore.

Jennifer got to give her godson Judel a present… At first the poor boy was terrified… getting called into mama’s house, he didn’t know what he did wrong this time! He was quite pleased to learn he was getting a present rather than a lecture!

Happy Judel with gift from his godmother

Our Djemima had come first in grade 6 this year after the government exams so she also got presents. She was quite blessed… She got a present from school for being first and also from mama and papa for all her hard work!

While Karen worked in her office today, she had a little helper… She was checking over an email she had written and noticed extra letters kept popping up on the screen. Turns out Magdala was already put to work… helping mama type! We then got baby Magdala out into her jolly jumper, we have been too busy relaxing every day to even think about Magdala needing to go in it!

Karen’s new office help

She finally let us go off the compound today… further than the canal. We got to go to Luckner’s store to pick up some cold pop and other things we were running out of here! It was a treat just to be enjoying the air conditioning… We were happy as clams with that; we didn’t need the change of scenery too!!

This afternoon, on our third trip here, Karen FINALLY showed us what her life here is really like. For anyone who visits, she always seems sooo busy and running around non-stop but we all know the difference… She’s busy because she only works when a team is here! Thank you so much for letting us have a taste of reality… It is so nice to see how you really live and to be treated like royalty.

This is how Karen lives all the time and team members when they come

We are too hot. Wave it a little harder please

Tomorrow is going to be a very exciting day here at HATS. The little ones are having a party… Everyone in preschool and under gets presents and cookies! We are putting together a special gift for each child. The older kids and Jennifer and I are really disappointed that we aren’t invited but it turns out Karen has other plans for us… We are getting a beach day! Every year, she tries to take the older children to the beach. It is nice and rare for the older children to get off the compound. There aren’t many places that are safe that you’d want to take them! It is almost like a vacation for these kids. So tonight will be quite busy… We have to call them up and tell them and then make sure everyone has a bathing suit and trunks they can wear! Stay tuned for more! 🙂

~J&J