A Saturday update

Ah, where to begin? Since I last wrote, I have moved in and settled at the Baby Haven. I have no internet there although I may be able to get some in the near future which will allow me to update you more often. If that is the case, I will be able to upload some pictures so that you can put some faces to the stories.
At the Haven, I am a part of a team taking care of 3 girls and 2 boys all under the age of 14 months. They are precious! I moved in the same day as Baby Lerato (meaning love).You can imagine a baby with absolutely no emotion, except fear in her eyes, that was Lerato. She was propped up against the couch with a couple of toys around her and would not move until someone else picked her up. I was told that she was found next to her dead mother (close to my age) who died of AIDs. We have absolutely no history on her. We don't know what she ate, what she drank, even her age is a mystery. Just think for a minute how important your birthday is. Now think of this baby girl. Can you imagine growing up, never knowing when your birthday really is?  next Thursday she will go into the clinic to be checked for HIV and TB (2 diseases we fear she has) and they will base her approximate age on her developmental skills and what she's capable of doing. My guess is that she is physically around 12 months and developmentally around 9 months. Despite all of this, there is some good news. After 24 hours of being at the Haven, she has found her voice and her dance as she is frequently found bobbing up and down singing a quiet "lalala" to any audience willing to listen. It's amazing what 24 hours of being loved will do to a soul. Her and I have our challenges as she has never seen a white woman as a face of trust. We have yet to conquer the bottle together but I see our relationship as something much bigger. It is a testimony to the issue of race in South Africa. Together, we are overcoming deeper tensions and crossing cultural boundaries that we would have never faced in our previous lives. To me, this story is worth a thousand words. Please pray for Baby Lerato. That she may continue to grow in her trust and that ultimately, TB and HIV results would come back negative.

I also want to introduce you to Baby M. She is a chubba bubba! The best way she has learned to crawl is sitting criss-cross applesauce and pulling herself around using her arms with one leg dragging behind. I just recently learned that she was born with syphilis from her parents and they are worried she is developmentally delayed. At this point, her time is crucial. If she does not show improvement soon, the doctors fear she may never catch up. Any chance I get, I am working with her on standing,picking herself up, and just generally beginning to use her legs more.

Since moving into the Havens, I have met so many wonderful people. Our house mom Joanna is from England and has adopted a son Samuel who is now 3. We connected over our love for an "English Christmas" as she calls it--which merely means having the holiday in the wintertime with lights, decorations, and hot chocolate to go around. Here, it is sunny and warm with cold turkey and swimming pools outside. This year, she will be able to return to England for Christmas, the first time in 3 years.

I have also met many house aunties from within South Africa. I love listening to them dance and sing as they mop the floors and change the babies. One lady laughs at me for always letting my tea and coffee go cold before I'm able to drink it. (I get easily distracted: ) She says I like cold coffee better than hot coffee lol. Speaking of coffee, the mall close to our place actually has a Seattle's Best coffee house. They make wonderful americanos for 19 rands (just over two dollars). It is easily one of my favorite places yet!

Well, since I'm being charged for my time, I am going to wrap this up. I hope all is well back at home! I love and miss everyone! Hopefully, next time I will be posting pictures and telling more stories.