Fun Days!

Hello all!  The last couple days have been sooooo much fun. 
Yesterday I went to church but only Phumlani and Xolelwa went with me.  I think the rest of group slept in and relaxed a little this weekend.  Church was nice though.  We did communion and I got to pray with the two that were with me. 
Brooke and I went to the market for a little while after church and I was able to find a couple cool things to get.  I’m a little worried though because I don’t know how the packing is going to work.  I’ve accumulated quite a few things over the time I’ve been here.  I came back from the market and tried to pack everything just to see if I was even close.  I was able to get all my clothes in my smaller bag which will leave the big one for gifts, books, shoes, and miscellaneous items.  I just hope that the bags are under the weight limit. 
After I tested the packing limits someone came by the house and dropped off some things for the kids.  The nice couple dropped off a bunch of stuff but if you asked the kids what the coolest thing was it would definitely be the bike.  It was a pink, little, girly bike.  Xolelwa was the only girl that actually new how to ride a bike so the rest of the day, all the one’s that didn’t know how, were outside trying to learn.  They let me teach them how too which was really cool.  After I taught Khanyisa how, she was sooooo excited.  She road all the way down the drive way by herself with me running behind her making sure she didn’t fall off.  As she was approaching the end she was screaming and full of excitement cause she had finally learned how to ride.  She got off, layed the bike down, and said “thank you Daniel” as she gave me a big hug.  It was so sweet.  It felt so good being able to teach her and the others how to ride.  I can’t wait to teach my own kids.  By the end of the day Khanyisa, Unakho, and Sino were riding wonderfully.  Atho was hesitant to try though cause she was afraid that I would let her fall.  This morning she let me help her though.  It was much more difficult with her cause she was a little more uncomfortable and was having a hard time trusting me to hold her up.  Plus she’s much bigger than the others and the bike isn’t really meant for someone her size. 
Today, Mama and I went to Motherwell to get some things arranged for the Christmas party we’re having for some kids there.  We have a list of orphans from multiple schools and that’s who we’re wanting to have the party for.  We’re going to be cooking a bunch of chicken legs and providing drinks and so forth.  Quite often people will come by the house with old clothes and sometimes toys, wanting to see if we can use them and over the past couple months we’ve accumulated quite a lot of things.  We’ve sorted the clothes into sizes as best we can that way we’re able to give each child something for Christmas.  You probably remember me talking about the feading that we’ve done at the end of the month for the past few months?  Well, that’s what  this is this month.  Mama thinks that there will probably be around 100 kids.  We’re doing the Christmas party in Motherwell on Thursday this week and on the 16th we are going to the squatter camp in Seaview, the place that we built the church for when the group from the State’s came back in October.  I don’t think we’re going to be going there with food but Mama knows a lady that has been going around the area getting the sizes of different kids so we can take them clothes as well.  And on the 11th, next Monday, we’re going to be taking all our kids here at the house out to eat at a restaurant.  It’s a buffet and they should be leaving there completely stuffed.  We went there to check it out the other day and I left with my mouth watering.  The food looked AMAZING!  I’m really looking forward to that. 
So as you can see, we have lots of stuff going on over the next week and half or so.  And somewhere in all that excitement, I have to find time to get all my stuff ready to go.  LOTS to do! 
In my last update, I wrote that Bongeka had left to go to Cape Town, well I guess over the weekend before she got on the bus to leave, she had some troubles with some neighbors of hers that were actually family.  I’m not exactly sure what happened but Norenti, her mother, decided that she didn’t want Bongeka going to Cape Town without her so she is coming back to the house tomorrow.  I’m actually glad because now I’ll be able to say goodbye to all of them and not feel like someone is missing.  But that also means that I have to say goodbye to her again and the first time was already hard enough!  The second won’t be any easier. 
Well, this is really long so I’ll stop here.  I hope you all are having a great start to a new week.  I will talk to you all soon I hope.  Keep the comments coming.  Only 15 days left for you guys to write comments.  Then you won’t have to look at this thing EVER again! Ha. 

I love you all.  I’m thinking about you all so much anticipating the day I get to see you again! 

daniel