Many, Many Moons Passed

As with all other posts, so much has happened since the last time I was able to write!  It's late-ish here, so my thoughts will be scattered as I am fighting the urge to fall into my mattress on the floor.  I also just moved from outside to inside since I was being eaten alive by mosquitos.  So random thoughts here we go!  Highlights, but not highlights as in everything I don't remember wasn't a highlight, but highlights that are jumping out:

- Cricket game -- We were able to watch the World Championship cricket game of Sri Lanka versus Pakistan at the DeVisser's home.  I love cricket, it is such a great sport.  Unfortunately, Sri Lanka lost although they were considered a shoe-in.  Pakistan, therefore, won.  Sad.  But was a great, fun night!  I was able to walk to the local bakery and ask for (spelling wrong) "Peti Pan Hatara" - four loaves of sliced bread.  It was funny.

- Making jewelry with the teen girls -- very fun.  It was the day after our "pamper day" for them.  Oh, I should tell you about that.  Pamper day - we washed their face, did face masks, did their nails, makeup, and hair.  It was quite the extravaganza.  I think they loved it and it was really fun to be able to do things with them that they are not used to, that are just fun things they haven't had many opportunities to do.  So, next day, we had jewelry making day.  It was so much fun just to sit around and laugh and talk.  

- Zoo -  We were surprised and taken to the zoo.  Since safety precautions are much less here, we were able to get much MUCH closer than we would ever be able to in the States.  A monkey with a red butt through poo at Leah and jumped at us.  Heard a lion cracking bones and roaring.  It was amazing.  Beautiful zoo too.  Except that most tourist places have a local rate and foreign rate.  Sri Lankans - $5.00/ Americans - $20.00

- Sneaking toilet paper from restaurants.  Ha.

- Reading through the book of Ruth with the girls - very powerful.  Pray that they don't see Boaz as the redeemer but God as the orchestrator of redemption and intimate planning in Ruth's life.  We're afraid they'll take the story as more reason to search for love from sources other than God.

- Going to the South -- Seeing where the tsunami hit and everything that Auntie Ophelia has been able to do.  They basically built a whole new village for the people affected by the tsunami.  Beautiful homes.  We also got the chance to go to a nearby place called Gall.  It's an old Dutch fort which, once inside, makes you feel like you are in a very humid Europe smashed together with Sri Lankan style.  Fun day.  

- Ben and Riley Applebee are here!  They are friends from home and it has been so weird to see them half-way around the world, but it has been so welcome to me too!  They brought much more excitement and a breath of fresh air to our little band of peeps.  The day they arrived we left for the farm again though, so it was short and sweet for a while, but we have since been spending more time with them as we moved back to the Teen Girl's Home - a lot of moving around!

- Charindu and all the crying kids at Esther center - Do you know those situations where it's so awful, it's almost comical?!  Well, we were watching the widow's children while they were at sewing school and the majority of the children are sick with coughs/fever.  All the children were wailing.  Every one.  And this little boy named Charindu kept trying to kick me.  It ended up being hilarious.

- Staying for an hour at the boys' house watching the news, figuring out that "Michael Jackson" followed by two crossed four fingers meant that "Michael Jackson has died"

- Cooking with Shanti - I will never be as tough as Sri Lankan women!  They skin chicken.  Haul and skin coconuts without breaking a sweat.  They are tough cookies.  I would be lucky to ever be like them.

 - Elephant Orphanage - we got to watch them go for their swim in a river.

Well, my comments are getting shorter and shorter, reflecting my state of tiredness!  I think I'll head to bed for now, but hopefully this is a good enough update!  Thank you to all of you who are reading this, praying for me.  It's awfully hard to communicate, or find the time to, so thank you for your patience!