Last Monday I went to the local mall with two other volunteers (Anna and Rebekah) who had just finished their week of night shift. We went out for lunch at Mugg & Bean (south Africa's well loved coffee shop/cafe) and did some grocery shopping. We got back to TLC in time for me to lay down for a bit before starting work that evening. The first night went well, though Claire and I were both very tired.
Tuesday and Wednesday night's were a little more hectic. We discovered Tuesday the Lions (the 2-8 yr old age group) had lice. Uh oh! We also had a couple babies up for most of the night. We somehow got the whole list of chores accomplished still and all the laundry done, but it was a feat. We did manage to squeeze in a break to eat pancakes and hot cocoa around 1am which was fun. Plus I got lots of cuddles with a couple of the whiny or hungry babies :)
Thursday was pretty smooth sailing. Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon was a planned volunteer & staff weekend away for training and team building. All of the kiddos and babies go for the weekend to stay with local family's connected with TLC or day volunteers. A couple of the little ones went away Thursday evening which I think is one of the reasons we had a quieter night that night. : ) Claire and I were both able to sleep a bit Friday morning, actually I slept 5 hours, before getting up to leave for the weekend away. We drove about 1.5 hours to Parys (in the Free State) to some cottages along the Vaal (?) river. The setting was quiet and peaceful. We had some training sessions and also were able to hear the background story of about 15-20 of the babies in the nursery (very sad, but helpful to know from whence they came), played games, swam in the pool, had a bonfire, a braai (what South Africans call a BBQ/cookout), and best of all went white water rafting on Saturday. The rafting was definitely the highlight for me. Anna (from Denmark) and I were rafting partners and just had a ball. We splashed and tipped other boats, and of course got pay back. We jumped out and swam in the calmer parts and some of the not so calm parts too. LOL I'd say all of us got a bit (or a lot) sunburnt (mostly our thighs and knees). Later we got a photo of a bunch of us girls in the pool sticking our pink knees out of the water, haha. I kept thinking while rafting..."I'm white water rafting in South Africa!!"
Sunday we arrived back "home" around 2:30 PM and after unpacking many of us rested or took a nap. I don't think I actually slept, but rested at least. The babies arrived back to the nursery around 5-7pm and were put to bed after settling back in. Claire and I worked our last night shift and I'd say it was one of the better nights with a pinch of crazy. My favorite part of the night was around 330 or 4 am a little girl awoke as Claire and I were eating pancakes. It just so happened it was this little dolls 1st birthday... So I gave her a pancake which she loved and happily ate as she sat on my lap. Love moments like that, making this all worth it.
So now it's Monday again. Full circle. I'm at Mugg & Bean having coffee after lunch with Claire. And we'll get some groceries later. I'm counting my blessings today, I know there's a lot to be thankful for. Especially like being thankful for having parents who raised and love me and being close to my family. Having food and water each day. Being healthy in body and mind. Being encouraged spiritually and refreshed physically. (I went running this early morning after finishing in the nursery at 6.) the sun is shining. I'm drinking coffee. God is faithful to me, and to each of these wee ones. He knows their names and their stories, each unique and some truly heartbreaking. He loves them and has a special plan for their little lives. Reflecting on the fact I get to play a tiny role in their life too.
