Better check the ingredients on your jarred cheese spread...

Well, I am writing again because Traig has spent the past two weeks in a large shipping container inventorying satellite network parts and that is really all you can say about that!! His VSAT training officially begins today.

On Friday morning, I had an unscheduled visit to an orphanage here in town. Tonya (neighbor, pilot’s wife) was showing me a few places around town and we ended up sitting in the baby room of a very nice Care Center here in Maseru. Every day since then has been a hard day. This home is for HIV/AIDS orphans and infected children and before seeing these precious children, I struggled with the thought of babies having HIV and now, it is a thought that consumes me. It is easy to accept that adults make poor life choices and suffer the consequences of those decisions; it is not easy to accept why an innocent baby has a horrid disease slowly destroying their body. As I mentioned in my last blog, it has been my prayer that my heart break over the things that break God’s heart and God has answered that prayer.

We held and played with these children and they were all smiles. Nights are now the hardest time for me as I rock my baby to sleep and think of those babes who do not have loving arms to cradle them each night as they drift off. Currently, Lesotho has placed a ban on adoptions so the numbers are at their highest in orphanages all throughout the country. Please pray for a lift on this ban as we have already met several families who are hoping to adopt, some of which were already into the process when the ban was put into place. And if you have a baby, rock her to sleep tonight and thank God for the blessing that is life. Blessings, Laura

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Today, Monday, I had a long visit with ‘M’e Augustina, our housekeeper, and my day time company as I no longer have Traig around! She has been a blessing to our family. Not to mention she makes great lasagna!! Anyway, I was correcting some home school work and we began chatting about education in Maseru. She told me it is very expensive and if a student comes to school without their uniform in its entirety, their books (which they have to purchase themselves), and a pencil, they are sent home. I told her that school is free in the U.S. and that the children’s teachers had given me books to bring to Lesotho to continue their school here. She was floored. “It is not easy here, not like that.” she said. How humbling this short three weeks has been. My dear friend Zeta once said every one should visit a third world country and I couldn't agree more (did we mention our guest house?).

--And on a side note, ‘M’e just showed me a dress of the baby’s that was covered in spaghetti sauce (from yesterday) that she cleaned spotless with Melrose cheese which is their cheese whiz equivalent. While I am very excited about the dress, I am equally alarmed by what would be IN jarred cheese that would remove set in grease…Should I really be eating something that doubles as a stain remover? And what would have ever made her think to use cheese as a laundry aid? So much to ponder here…

We can not thank you all enough for your prayers and kind e-mails. So often when I should have felt loneliness, or frustration I have felt peace and I know it is because of the prayers being said on our behalf. Blessings, Laura