Hello everyone! Yesterday was Labor day,
so in honor of labor, we put the older kids to work at BYKOTA house. On Friday
we announced that we would not have school on Monday, because it was an
American holiday. We also mentioned that it would be a cleaning day. It wasn't
very nice, but watching the kids faces go from super excited to not have to
school to realizing they were gonna be put to work was hilarious! The
weekend passed with nothing super special happening, and Monday arrived. We had
told the students that we would be at their house at around nine thirty to
explain what needed to be cleaned. Even with this explanation, they showed up
at the school at eight thirty, just like usual: they thought that we were
having a school cleaning day—I guess we should have made it more clear on
Friday. Kels had a great idea to take the little kids to the park while the
older kids and the staff worked on cleaning the boys’ and girls’ houses, so we
gave the lists to the houses and packed all the littles into the tuk tuk. We
had seven kids altogether, and I was thankful that Pisey said he would go with
us. We were off to the park! I guess our translation did not get through well
enough, because we went straight for an amusement park… oops. Thank goodness it
was closed for repair—did not want to be the bearer of bad news and say that we
did not want to go to an amusement park: with seven children under the age of
five. Boo took us to the closest play area near the shut down amusement park—which
was a playground for some big building: maybe a library or museum… I am
continually amazed by children’s pleasure in simple things. I took one look at
the playground (probably 20ft by 20ft with three slides and a couple of ramps)
and thought, “great, they are gonna be amused for a grand total of five minutes
with this.” We were there for two hours… I think that is something that Jesus
meant when he told us to be like children in our faith. We should not need
great big playgrounds to make us happy—we need be content with what we have. I
remembered this game that my friends and I used to play called “lava monster”
in which one person was not allowed on the jungle gym and everyone else was not
allowed off. The lava monster would try to tag everyone and if you were tagged,
you became a lava monster too. The BYKOTA kids were too young to get the
concept of the tagging system and staying on the playground set, but they
understood being chased by a monster. It was great fun to run around trying to
catch them. Kelsi noticed that it was about to rain, so we decided to go for a
walk and then leave. We walked around the big
library/museum/havenoideawhatitwas and found a really cool statue of a lion, so
we took pictures. We also happened upon a fountain area, and of course all of
the kids wanted to get in and swim—another reason I was thankful Pisey came:
six arms and seven children trying to jump in is easier than four arms and
seven children J When we came home we checked on the houses, and they were clean!
In other news, the sewing class has moved
to the girls’ house and so the machine is easier to access for the girls who
want to start sewing things for church and also it clears a room out here, so
we have more room for anyone who would want to come and help with everything we
do here! (could be you… we might have just cleared out space for you).
In other, other news I have fixed my
guitar! I went to a guitar shop and found the tuning key. Also found out that
there are Fender Malibu Acoustic Electric guitars for $100 here :) Yep… might
be replacing my guitar before returning home.
And in final news, I would like to share
the story of the mouse in the bedroom. The power went out a week ago, and Kelsi
and I left our windows open to have a breeze in our room. A couple days later,
I was getting ready to get in bed, and for some reason decided to adjust my
pillows… I lift my pillows up and right underneath them is a dark brown rat. It
jumps off the bed and races to a hiding place somewhere in the room. I looked
for a couple minutes and then decided that I would find him eventually. Kelsi
told Rhonda the story the next day, and Rhonda said that it was probably a
Chincha (lizard), and that I was probably mistaken because they look so alike
and I am used to seeing mice—not geckos. Well, a couple more days go by, and
Kels and I decide to move to the next floor bedroom—for a couple reasons not
including the mouse. And as I am moving things, it appears! Kels and I chased
it around the room for a good ten minutes bought lost track of it. When we told
Mark and Rhonda about it, they suggested letting one of the cats loose on it.
So we left a cat in the room for a while with no luck. The next day I was
climbing up on the balcony to color in our rewards chart for finishing PACE
books, and I open the door to our old bedroom to find the mouse sitting on the
edge of the bed. I closed the door quietly and ran to get the cat again. Chantal
brought the cat, and I told her to throw him in the room… and then on second
thought I said, “put it on the bed with the mouse” which Chantal was not happy
to hear, because she was a little creeped out by the mouse. As she snuck the
cat around to the other end of the bed, I watched the cat’s eyes lock on the
mouse, and I said, “ok. put the cat down.” That cat sprung at the mouse and the
mouse jumped and tried to run up the dresser drawers, but the cat snatched it
with its claws and brought the mouse to the floor and stuck it in its mouth. Coolest
thing I have ever seen. I am not a cat lover, but I love that cat.
The following video is random footage that
I shot while in the process of catching the mouse.
I hope you enjoy reading these updates,
and I sure hope that it is a reminder to you to pray for us. We are continually
thankful for all of your support and prayer. We love you guys!
BecauseHeLives,
Micah and Kelsi.
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