Day 10 -- The Locals

No need for a $50 Baby Bjorn:

This is the way that South African moms carry their children. That is basically a piece of fabric that they "tuck" like a bath towel around your chest. This kid was a little too big, but the mom was so excited about teaching me how to do it. I definitely felt like a local today.

Mamelodi Street Festival: At this point when I come to a site where our kids teams are I hear "Rachel, Rachel!" The kids look forward to seeing our teams each day, and the people who are leaving this week are clinging to each moment they can.

Can I get a Witness???

Today we went and picked up Witness, so is the 17 teen year old who was caring for Cecil, that sick baby. She is leaving for boarding school tomorrow, and so she wanted to say good bye to him today. She was more of a mother to him than his own in the hospital -- she was giving him water and lovingly holding his hand. She cried when we left him. Witness is a hero to me. She told us about her dreams of becoming an actress and her favorite subjects in school. I love this picture of her in an inspired t-shirt.

Reading Time

Today at the school I saw children walk into their finished library for the first time. It was so wonderful to see them run their fingers over the books in the shelves and then start to pull down the books one at a time and take them over to the reading area. One little girl was just going down the shelf in order -- having one of our volunteers read her every book on the shelf.

900 Stong:

Today at the afternoon kids program we had 900 children. This is the main room at Charity and Faith during large group (boy, that's an understatement) story time. Large group time is a blast! Steve has been leading worship. For some reason I get the impression that it is more fun to sing and dance with 900 South African children screaming at the top of their lungs than it is for him to lead 7000 refined Cincinnatians. My very favorite song to sing with them this year is "Making Melodies in my Heart". It is their version of "Father Abraham". I just love to see all the kids with their thumbs up, elbows out, legs apart, knees together, bum out head back, tongue out singing, "Making melodies in my heart to the King of Kings." I hope all of you at home are trying it right now.

Eskimo kisses in South Africa:

This little girl named Nonhlanhla that I met at the Nelmaphious branch campus on Sunday has come to the afternoon program each day. She finds me within minutes of arrival and does not leave my side the whole time. She has the funniest laugh of any human being that I have EVER met. It's deep and loud and she laughs often. I love her so much. Today I introduced her to Krissy. Krissy could not stop laughing. We spent half an hour making her laugh any way that we could. Tomorrow I have to get video of her laugh.

One of the South African teenagers that I have been teaching photography to took the "Eskimo Kisses" picture. I taught her about taking pictures of moments and the thirds rule. She has taken some wonderful pictures! Maybe a photography class in on the horizon. Everyone save your old digital cameras.
Thank you all for continuing to read our blog -- we are having a blast. I did meet Kelsey's sister yesterday at dinner, thanks Nancy.

Amo -- Joy misses you and says that someday she would like to come to the US and see you.

Thank you all for your prayers. Please keep em coming. More photos are up at www.crossroadscommunity.net/go -- then click the picture link.