The Extremes of Life...

Hello all... things have been a bit of a struggle lately, so I haven't known what to write. Some of our older kids have really be having a rough time, to the point where one had to stay with me until we could get him into a psych hospital. If I'm honest, at the moment that feels like the tip of the iceberg, but I know that God holds it all. He has a plan for these kids, and for me, and I know that He provides exactly what is needed for His plan, provided we are seeking Him. There are frequently jokes in the office about how people imagine that our lives consist of holding babies all day, and then I listen to a teenage girl sob as she recounts her memories and wishes that she had her mom back and know concretely that none of this is about holding babies (usually it's the abundance of volunteers who get to have that job!)...

And today I took a 5 month old who weighs 11 pounds to be tested for HIV, syphilis and Hep B. She was born as a twin at 36 weeks gestation in September to a mother who died of AIDS and syphilis less than 3 weeks later. Her twin passed away in December, and her dad was left not knowing how to cope. It just breaks me to think of all of the loss her dad has experienced in the past few months, in addition to the fact that it was likely that he was the one to give the baby's mother HIV.

But... on to happier moments that I haven't yet shared... :o) I joined a small group Bible Study of guys and girls, all about my age, and it's been a blessing to start to see community that isn't connected to work start to come together! At the beginning of January, for Beth's birthday, she and I went on a "Canopy Tour" in the Magaliesburg Mountains (the second oldest mountain range in the world - created about 2,400 million years ago) where we took zip lines across the top of the canyons, over the trees, and it was AMAZING! Then later in the week the birthday festivities continued with dinner and dancing at Rodizio's, a Brazilian restaurant. So, in clear testament to the fact that I still don't post here often enough, here are some photos from the beginning of January :o)



The canyon :o)



Beth over the trees


Me :o)



Getting clipped onto the line!



Party laughs... Beth (middle) & Claire (right)



Thankful for friends...