ADRA-Babysitting!

I don't think I have ever REALLY appreciated air conditioning until now. As I write this little ditty I am sitting in a blessedly air conditioned room on the third floor of a blessedly air conditioned hotel. Having spent the past month in a hot and stuffy house it is a miracle to be spending the next 21 days inside an air conditioned suite. Michael and I are currently taking care of 9 children ranging in age from 17 months to 5 years old. Since we are on our summer vacation and had nothing better to do, we volunteered to help out with ADRA's "Mission Institute." Its a three week long series of meetings that prepare or refresh Missionaries for the mission field. There are about 40 participants at this particular institute and 9 small children generated from that number for us to love for 6 1/2 hours a day. It has been an amazing experience thus far. The kids are surprisingly well behaved (for the most part) and Michael and I are enjoying seeing how we deal with kids in general. Don't worry we haven't decided to have any just yet, but being able to work with these has made us realize that when we do decide to make the plunge into sleepless nights and unbridled energy, we will love every minute of it... or most minutes.

We have 2 little Aussie Girls, Keira 20 months and Alesia 4 years. Two south Africans, Nasya 3 and Riley 5. One Albanian girl, Amantia 3 years. 2 Phillipino kids, Miles 4 and his sister "Sissy" age 3. 1 American girl, Chanel age 3 and 1 Azerbaijanian boy, Adrien 17 months.

They are the cutest kids you will ever see. It is ridiculous. Michael and I just chat away about how cute they are every night before we go to bed. They play really well together, thankfully, and all of them except for one or two listen really well.

As we spend the next two weeks here pray for us and our kids. They are going thru a big transition period and need some help adjusting.

We love you all and appreciate your prayers and support.