Quick list of things to tell you!

THANK YOU! We have raised $3200 of the $5000. I wish I could get more volunteers to work with me so they could help with these efforts. I’ve been talking with some of the previous volunteers and they are doing there best to help. I would LOVE to break ground in March when Jason comes to visit. It would help me to have someone else help to at least start things! terrychildsupport.org - Leah has her own web site! Isn’t that the coolest? On the site there’s information to her banking number. They must use those here to transfer money. Some might find this helpful (esp. those volunteers from other countries that have expressed interest in using this!) It seems that I’m given the opportunity to help strengthen the relationship between the orphanage and GVN. This is sort of related to my last bullet point above. I’m working to get Terry’s listed on the GVN site. Those of you that have been out to GVN’s site don’t see Terry’s listed. I’ve inquired about this and I’m working to have the orphanage listed so that people can donate “easier” through the web site. Wish me luck! It means more trips to cyber for me! I’m recovering my sickness…so are the kids! No worries please! I’ve recovered so much so far I thought Bobby the dog wanted to show you how we’ve been getting along! She told me to tell you that she’s trying to talk Leah allowing her to go to Machakos with her. But since there are already dogs in Machakos that would eat Bobby she’d have to be inside at night (when the dogs are out of their crates protecting the grounds) and Leah won’t even entertain the thought of having a dog in the house. Matatu story: I wasn’t going to share this, but I had a cool thing happen this morning. I’m batting terrible odds with matatus and I felt compelled to share a positive one. When I take a matatu from the top of the hill to the town, I sometimes (OK many times) get turned down at the stop b/c it’s full and b/c of my color. It’s not a prejudice thing! It’s b/c they would rather take a black man that will hang out the side of the door than a white woman that “needs” to have a seat. I say “needs” b/c believe it or not there ARE regulations to follow and one of them is that you can’t stand on the matatu (the other is that you must wear a seatbelt). OK…this barely ever happens but I mention this b/c although people don’t follow the rules they are quite aware of them. Today, I got on the matatu and had to stand up. I never worry about this until we actually enter town. There’s a stretch of the road that the police like to stop matatus and “inspect” everything outside and everyone inside. If they were to stop us and found people standing they’d march us right down to the local jail. No lie! (actually they’d first allow some an opportunity to get out of going to jail by bribing them with money to let them go! They’d have a field day with me, I’m sure!) When your choices are limited about getting to town, you take risks. Today was no different for me! As we arrived at the “police spot” everyone started ducking down in the aisles. The woman to my right move as far over to give me a ½ a butt cheek to sort of sit. And the man behind me, in the aisle squatted so the other ¾ of my butt could actually sit on his knee so I wouldn’t have to painfully squat (although it really isn’t all that painful!). The woman put her arms around me tightly so that I would remain securely in my “seat.” It was really very nice and something that doesn’t happen to me that often (I’ve had these experiences before and this was the first time people made me feel comfortable). All this to say that there are some good experiences on these things…they are few…but I don’t lose hope after today! Namaste!