school visit.

Thursday, Katinka & I walked over to the primary school in the morning to see our kids. We left the bureau and started walking the short distance to their school on the red dirt road. It is amazing to me that I still think it’s insanely hot here. But, let me be quite frank…

IT IS INSANELY HOT HERE. 

And every morning, Katinka or I will comment on that fact. 

It doesn’t change. 

It’s the same. 

But it is still shocking every single morning.

Katinka and I walked up the dirt road and we were unsure of exactly where the school was, but Jon had told us directions the night before and we were pretty positive we were at the right place. But we stood on the road looking around for a minute or so.

Then all the sudden, from a building we were facing off the road I heard, “TATA JILL!”

Yep.

We were at the right place…

It creates quite a stir when two white girls show up anywhere in town. So the kids were all peeking out their open schoolroom windows, staring at us. The director of the school took us into her office and we spoke with her for sometime. The children have to be at school each day by 7 o’clock in the morning. They then get a break at 10 for breakfast. Our kids take money with them and there are women in a little area of the school’s property by the street who sell bread and water and different things for the kids to eat on this 30-minute “recess” time. After they were finished with their petit dejeuner, we started with the oldest class and worked our way to each of our kid’s classrooms. We took pictures of them in their uniforms and with some of their friends to be sent to their sponsors in the States and Europe. It was so sweet to see their faces light up when Katinka and I would walk into the room! They were so proud to show us off to their friends and so surprised that we had shown up at their school. Saturnin, Dossou, and Hubert led us to each class and everyone was so welcoming and glad we were there.

looking out at the main road from the front of the school

one of the two buildings at the school

in the directors office

a list of the teachers for each class

the children gathered for their breakfast break

the door on the left is the entrance to Adjoke, Rosaline and Amide's class

the toilets

This primary school has 388 children.

This primary school has 6 teachers.

That is an average of about 65 children per class…

Can you IMAGINE?

I am not a teacher.

I could never be a teacher in the States.

And I am confident that I could NEVER be a teacher in Africa.

Children crowded into one classroom.

No resources available.

Each child doesn’t even have their own textbook.

But it is imperative that these children receive an education.

sweet delphine

femi. his smile can light up the room!

hubert. trying to be a stud and not smile...

pretty hubertine surrounded by friends.

alice. she was mildly embarrassed by us! 

but that's what Tatas are for, right?

adjoke.

charle is a child in Sakete who receives help from Arbre de Vie.

The children of Arbre de Vie's orphanage are able to attend school because of the generous donations that are provided for each child through monthly sponsorship. Arbre de Vie also provides sponsorship for children in surrounding villages so they can attend school, afford their uniforms and various supplies, and also have nutritious meals. Many village children still need sponsors.

This morning, we walked over to the high school to pay the same visit to our kids there. They have the same break at 10 o’clock, so we knew that would be a good time to show up. It was pretty chaotic in front of the high school and we were once again drawing quite a fan base as we searched for a familiar face in the crowd of close to 1,000 students. Bernard and Louisette walked out of the gate together and saw us standing by the street vendors. The look on each of their faces was priceless! They grabbed us and gave us the biggest hugs. So proud that we were at their school!

Bernard took us to the headmaster’s office and we were, again, welcomed to the school and given permission to do anything we needed. The high school is much, much larger than the primary school. There are many buildings. And close to 30 classrooms. After the children all returned to their classrooms following their break for petit dejeuner, Bernard took us into each of our kid’s classrooms and we met their teachers and took their pictures. All the students were so friendly and each of the teachers were incredibly welcoming.

I already take such pride in these kids.

They are some of the best people I have ever met.

I find myself daily being astounded by their perseverance and will to overcome.

I realized that even more this past week.

Just how proud I am to know them.

Walking through their schools.

Seeing a different part of their life.

I love making sure they feel special. 

And loved.

Because they are so special.

And they deserve so much love.

seraphin.

louise.

bernard's class.

louisette.

vivianne.

april 26th.

april 26th is always a day i remember well.

first of all, a few of my sweet friends share a birthday on this day.

krystle's birthday is april 26th.

she is one of my best friends.

my birthday is september 26th.

for years, we were under the impression that we celebrated our half birthdays on each others' birthday...but, as our friend amber graciously pointed out, in fact our birthdays are not 6 months apart...

i still secretly pretend my half birthday is on her birthday though.

guess it's not a secret now...

____________________

last year, april 26, 2011 is a day i remember well.

it was krystle's 30th birthday!

kelli, amber, and i had spent the entire month of april showering her with a different gift everyday and planning some very fun surprises.

april is also the month my dad had surgery.

i was finishing up quite possibly my most difficult semester of graduate school.

i was working full time at the children's hospital.

i was going to clinical for school two days per week.

stressed and overwhelmed are two words that adequately describe me at that time.

two days before krystle's birthday, my dad was re-admitted to the hospital and in the ICU with significant breathing problems.

i spent april 26th running errands for her big birthday celebration and then i spent the entire afternoon in my dad's room of the ICU, thankful he was doing so much better. grateful amber and shane had made it home from florida and were there to offer some much needed reprieve at what had been a long, long month. (side note: something i have learned from my nursing experience and personal experience...it is always so nice when friends are present. you don't have to have the right words. you don't have to say anything at all. being there is always, always enough.)

krystle's party was so fun. and she was so surprised at dinner! the company was fantastic. and i remember the cake being exceptionally delicious.

it was the best day.

(krystle, me, amber)

____________________

two years ago, april 26, 2010 is a day i remember well.

jonathan and kelli sat krystle and i down in their living room in broken arrow on that night and told us about the opportunity they had been given to move to beavercreek, ohio for jonathan to be the senior high pastor at beavercreek church of the nazarene.

i remember everything about that night so well.

i was at work.

i had been cancelled.

jonathan and kelli needed me to come over if possible...

i remember being so hateful to jonathan on the phone.
i hate thinking about that all now.

krystle and i met at our church because she had been at dinner with her family celebrating her birthday. 

i remember pulling into their driveway that i'd pulled into hundreds of times...and not wanting to walk in their door.

we both knew it was news we did not want to hear.

in that moment, on april 26, 2010, i can still feel the tears.

krystle, kelli and i were the definition of a "hot mess".

jonathan was so patient with all of us, just like he always is.

i hate to say it now, but i was not understanding in that moment.

i was hurt. and devastated. and selfish. and not kind, if the truth be told.

it was not the best day.

(krystle, me, kelli)

____________________

and now, april 26, 2012...i am in west Africa.

living with and loving on some of the best people i've ever, ever known.

being changed. 

seeing everything differently.

driving a moto every single day.

sleeping under a mosquito net every single night.

sweating insane amounts every single day.
learning new french words and phrases every single day.

taking two very cold showers every single day.

drinking liters and liters of water every single day.

being called "Tata Jill" hundreds of times every single day.

6 weeks ago, i had never met any of these people.

i just knew OF them.

why? how did i know of them?

ashley was the youth pastor at beavercreek church of the nazarene before jonathan moved up there to be the senior high pastor.

why?

ashley and jon had left ohio to move to Africa.

why?

to live with and love on these children of Yedidja at Arbre de Vie.

2 years later, it all makes perfect sense.

2 years ago, i was still crying every night. (all the time, actually...)

2 years ago, i was mad.

2 year ago, i was not believing the Lord wanted my friends in Ohio.
2 years ago, i was selfishly wishing for them to ignore all signs that pointed to leaving oklahoma.

i wanted my friends in Oklahoma.

i wanted their baby to know me.
i wanted their baby to know her papa blackie and mimi nancy and GiGi.

i wanted to watch The Office on their couch and eat bluebell ice cream.

i wanted to dog sit for them even if samson maddens me on a good day.

(evelynn. i love you more than words.)

you see, it was all about what i wanted in those moments.
but what i wanted, didn't matter.
what i want, doesn't matter.

it has become quite clear over the past 2 years that jonathan and kelli are serving exactly where they are supposed to be serving. the lord is using them and i am just sad that i don't get to witness it all firsthand. it also became quite clear to me this week, as i was remembering back on the past 2 april 26th's that the lord has a funny way of working everything out.


if jonathan and kelli hadn't left oklahoma to move to ohio so jonathan could take ashley's place as the senior high pastor at beavercreek church of the nazarene, i would not be here.


i would not know anything about arbre de vie.
i would not know anything about benin.
i would not know anything about these children i have so quickly fallen in love with.


it always works out, doesn't it?
we might not see it in the moment.
because in the moment, the pain is real. the tears are real. the fear of the unknown is real.
but looking back, it all makes perfect sense.
and it is always, always worth it.


i am not sure what next april 26th will look like for me...
but i can't wait to find out. 
why?
because 2 years ago, i would have never thought my april 26th would have looked like this...

(hubert, alice, amide)

(damien)

and it was, just like every single day here, the best day.

normal.

3 blog posts in one week?
who am i?
thank you so much for all your sweet, encouraging words and comments about this blog.
anytime i talk to someone from the States, they always say people are enjoying these updates.
i have found keeping up with this quite therapeutic.
it is nice to sit down and decipher what i've seen and felt.
so thank you for taking the time to read these stories, look at these pictures and fall in love with these kids too.
they are so easy to love.
i wish each of you could meet all of them.
hear their laughter.
hug their necks.
and feel their joy.

____________________

in cotonou on monday, i bought 2 of the prettiest mangoes i have ever seen! i was PUMPED to eat them this week. so tuesday, i brought them to the centre with me and the little kids were not at school that afternoon. that meant they were lucky enough to share tata's mango with her! it was delicious. and so gigantic. we ate it up. and saved the pit for one of the big kids to enjoy when they got home from school. nothing goes wasted around this house!

micho.

trust me, she is just as sassy as she looks...

damien could not believe how big it was!

a mango as big as cosmo's head.

waiting patiently for Tata to quit taking pictures and cut the mango already.

____________________

micho with her boyfriend damien.

love everything about this picture.

especially the hand on the hip...

damien was playing photographer.

adolphe. micho. cosmo.

cosmo showing off our puppy, bop.

sweet bop.

these dogs are so patient with these kids hanging on them all the time!

bop was over the photo session.

glad to have Tata Katinka back this week!

melt my heart.

sweetness.

____________________

wednesday afternoons the kids don't have school. so after lunch, they are expected to clean their room. and take care of other chores around the property. yesterday, seraphin worked at transplanting part of the garden to another section of our land. it needed to be moved because of the dorm construction. let me tell you something, this boy is a WORKER. a hard, hard, hard worker. he does it with a smile. he does it well. and always gives it all of his effort. it is amazing to witness his sweet spirit. 

katinka and i were admiring his work and everything he had accomplished when we noticed that a cow was standing in the middle of the garden...we don't have a cow at the orphanage. where did this cow from? who knows. but seraphin had to get the cow out of the garden. so he took hold of the rope around the cow and that cow bolted. seraphin was being pulled behind the cow and everyone was just watching! i, of course, was dying laughing. here's seraphin right before getting carried away by the cow. he ultimately got the cow tied up to a tree until the owner from up the road came down to collect the cow several hours later...

_____________________

hubert getting water for a shower.

the girls are doing their laundry in the background.

rosaline working on washing her clothes.

alice.

florent washing his khaki school uniform.

adolphe getting a bucket of water for his shower.

the goat got loose...

hubert had to chase it down.

i just stood there laughing and snapping pictures.

that's what aunts are good for, right?

success. :)