I’m Scared for the Beard

 

 

It is now the morning of January 1^st, 2010 her in South Africa and the U.S. is partly into the new year as well (one hour to go for the west coasters). 2010 is a very big year for South Africa. The world will be watching as the World Cup comes here in June.  (That’s soccer for those of you who don’t know) I’m bummed to leave before it starts, but I know 2010 will be an exciting year filled with adventure for me as well.

 

2009 ended great.   I was done teaching at the creche about a month ago and have since been working in the Children’s Home.  I leave in precisely 3 weeks and 6 days, but who’s counting 🙂  Being back in the Children’s Home and working full-time has been a great experience.   I am getting great training to be a dad one day. Each day I bathe, dress, and change nappies (diapers) of the kids, well only the ones that need it.  I cook dinner for 12 and even sometimes do the dishes by hand.  Then there’s the fun part of discipline. I get to be the dad figure, because I am the only guy volunteer in the home right now.  It has been great though. 

Christmas was lots of fun as all 4 of us volunteers all worked the whole day in the home.  We took turns disciplining and doing whatever else was needed. It was a long, but fun day.  I just shaved a beard I had been growing for 2 months. When you are 9,000 miles away from your girlfriend, these are the kind of things you do.  There’s one kid who always is scared of something. When I put him to bed, he always says, “I’m scared for the thunder” or scared of something else. One night he said, “I’m scared for the beard.” I think that was the clue to shave. 

I never thought I was the tattoo getting type. Why would you want something on your body forever?  I gave in and joined the inked craze. Last week I got a tattoo on my arm that says, “”SEEK JUSTICE, LOVE MERCY, WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD.”  It’s Micah 6:8, my life verse and my marching orders for life.  I also have an outline of Africa in the middle of the words, so to always have Africa and the people here on my mind…and arm. 

This has been a great year here in Africa, I have 4 more weeks to end well here before I leave.  I will definitely miss all the people I’ve met here and the kids who I’ve come to love.  I came here, because I only had heard of statistics of the kids in need. These numbers have faces.  I have come to love kids who have HIV, who are orphaned, who live in poverty, and this is just the beginning in my journey with them.  Even though I might not be here after this month, doesn’t mean I will stop fighting for them. 

If you are the praying type, please pray for a job and a place to stay in Chicago.

 I will be spending 3 weeks or so in CA before heading to Chicago.  Hope to run into you.

Taylor