Swimming and Adventures!

We have been having a blast this summer, both doing special activities and just hanging out at the house playing games and doing activities.  One of everyone's favorite outings is going to the swimming pool.  The kids get  to wear their swimming costumes and love showing them off to their aunties and uncles.

The pool has several different depths, so the younger kids are able to wade and splash with toys, while the older kids go into the slightly deeper water and swim around with their aunties and uncles. Its fun to watch the kids learn to go into the deeper depths, learning to trust the volunteers and themselves in a new way! 

Swimming comes naturally to some of them - Carol loves to jump in the deep end and comes up with a huge smile on her face! Where as Annet and Cocus need a little encouragement to go deeper in! Y

Once we are too cold to keep swimming we all dry off and head over to the playground.  The kids enjoy swings, slides, balance beams, and other fun play structures. As you can imagine, they have a blast with so many fun things to do!

Here are some pictures of our day at the pool and playground!

The kids love showing off their silly faces, 

so do the volunteers! 

(All photos courtesy of Laura Karsjens!)

"Will you be my Valentine?"

I don't know about you, but we had a great Valentines Day around here! What a sweet opportunity to talk more about what love means, how we are called to love others and how deeply He loves us! Through out the week we talked with them about how Jesus chose to love people - no matter if they were kings or lepers, no matter if they seemed like they had it all together or if He met them in their most desperate moment, no matter if they we're steady and true or doubting. 

And we learned about John 15 and how Jesus talks about love :

"I've loved you the way My Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in My love. If you keep My commands, you'll remain intimately at home in my love. I've told you these things for a purpose: that My joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is My command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends." (John 15:9-15)

 We decided we wanted to make it a special day and celebrate with them what its all about - joyfully thanking God for His love for us and that we get to love our friends and family!  

So we had a party. Complete with each child receiving an invitation, asking for their presence (even though it was literally 10 steps from their bedroom so I don't think we could have kept them out of we tried!)! We got dressed up (pulled out a bag of fun necklaces and jewelry, the girls went wild!), we made and gave valentines to each other, we had ice cream which is something they never have  (EVERYONE WENT WILD!) and we danced! Let me tell you, there was some pretty amazing dancing happening! Put 12 kids and 8 staff in a small room dancing and you work up some serious sweat! Here are some fun pictures of our night together, hope you can join in our fun!

 Lots of dancing - mzungu and Ugandan style! Waka Waka was a favorite of the night and I believe played about 6 or 7 times! Throw in some slow dancing (something the kids asked for!) and some break dancing (complete with a few head bonks and stepped on toes) and you got yourselves a great mix!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 LOVE FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS!

The kids are getting really good at silly faces! Now its a struggle to get them to have "normal" smile in pictures, they like the ridiculous ones way better!

(All PHOTES ARE COURTESY OF KAILEY JENSEN)