It is now clear that my time abroad is running out.  This has truly been a rewarding time away.  Thanks Tolt UCC for this wonderful opportunity. 

Here are some pictures of kite making and parachute play.  We introduced kite making to the 5 home schooled first and second graders first as an art project. .  The making of kites was a big hit. Creating them went smoothly, and the kites flew beautifully that day.  Now, of course we have to schedule all the other children’s opportunities to make kites.  Even the older youth are really excited.  Thanks so much Butch Harviston, for creating and making the 50 kite kits, and for the easy instructions. 

The parachute was also a hit.  These children really have nothing that they own personally.  So when something as big and as colorful as a 30 foot parachute is opened, the look of wonder and awe on their faces can almost be overwhelming.  Thanks Tolt UCC’s Mission and Justice Committee for the parachute and book of games. 

The Rotary Club of East London had a swim-a-thon for polio one Saturday at one of the large high schools in East London.  We drove our ten oldest youth in to participate in this. We really wanted to encourage this because this rotary group has taken a special interest in Open Arms.  They are the group that provides each child with a Christmas gift to open on Christmas day.  The ten youth were immediately overwhelmed by the size of the pool, and all the swimmers in swim uniforms.  The rotary had reserved two lanes for Open Arms.  So after much persuasion we were able to get them in the water.  After an hour of much fun in the warm clean water, we could not get them out.  Another social skills building event for Open Arms. 

There was an interesting tree at Open Arms, covered with these little red bells.  It is a poinsettia tree, yes the poinsettia we are all familiar with.   This tree is thirty five to forty feet high, with a two foot trunk and hard bark.  Next month it will leaf out somewhat, and then it will be covered with the traditional red poinsettia flower.  These remain for several month.  As the red petals or bracts fall off, the centers of the poinsettia flowers become these wonderful hanging bells.  

During my stay here, I I also learned that the English, very early in the 1900’s when they were fighting the Dutch Boers, (farmers and ranchers), in a very destructive way, were way ahead of Hitler.  They created these horrible and extreme concentration camps where the wives and the children of the Dutch Boers died by the tens of thousands at a time. The English Army was not match for the rag tag bunch of Dutch Boers.  The way the English won was to round up all the Botch Boers wives and children and put them in concentration camps.  I was able to drive up to Bloemfontein and visit the memorial to the women and children who died there.  Here are a couple of pictures from that memorial.   

One a happier note, here was Sunrise one of the days during my final week.  

This experience at Open Arms for Children has been really rewarding.  The place is full of both promise and need, providing hope and direction, and making a huge difference in a small community.  This experience has been one that I will never forget.  I do hope that we can keep connected with Open Arms.  They will be receiving child number 52 sometime in the next week.  He is a six month old boy whose mother cannot care for him, in fact he has a brother and sister already at open arms.  There is always much that can be done in the way of programming, clothing, school needs, building improvement, grounds and maintenance, and daily operations.  I pray that needs will continue to be met.  My life has been touched by every single soul there. 

I also fell in love with the City of Cape Town.  Doug met me there and we spent a week there.  There is much to see and do there.  A place to return to is hiking Table Mountain, touring the peninsula, penguins, botanical gardens, wine tasting, shopping, eating, and the beach filled up a week very quickly.  I close with a picture of Table Mountain taken on the return trip from Robben Island, home to the prison which housed Nelson Mandela for so many years.  See you all next week.  Thanks for this wonderful time off and away!

Summer finally hit the Eastern Cape.  The locals have complained that summer was never going to come.  It has been in the mid 90’s for a week now.  Some days it is the humidity that is draining me and not so much the temperature.  So bath time for babies becomes play time.  

And then of course there is the trip to the beach for water fun.  The wind surfer entertained us a lot.  

I hope they will have a warm fall.  March is when fall begins here.  Day length is really starting to shorten here.  The sun is rising so much further to the north these days. 

In looking through some of my pictures I noticed I never sent you a picture of the last minute Valentines Party we created here at Open Arms.  Here is a picture.  

It is hard to see the one ply paper towels used as crepe paper streamers, a beach ball for the disco ball, and balloons hung with left over quilting edges.  It was amazing what we pulled together and without a trip to the store to pull this off.  The children and youth really got into it.  The older girls spent time on make-up, (a little heavy, however, they have absolutely nowhere to practice as make-up is not allowed in the schools).  Some of the boys actually found some sport coats and dressed up for the event. 

The fire department came out this week and gave a demonstration and talk.  The children loved it.  They were considerate, asked questions, and interacted with the firewomen and men.  

Another woman, Anina from the local garden club came and gave a garden demonstration and then we planted some loquat trees.  

Loquat trees are fast growing and produce heavily.  The fruit is larger than apricots with one or two pits.  When the flesh turns yellow it is sweet and very juicy.  The evergreen leaves are large and leathery. 

The next opportunity came as a surprise.  Every child at Komga Jr., Kindegarten through 7^th grade, has to participate in track and field.  I was a high jump assistant and judge for an all-day track and field event.  All ages have to participate in running events.  Stating in third grade, then you participate in high jump, long jump, and shot put.  The school is divided into two houses and they compete against each other.  Out of 249 children and youth, there were only three over weight individuals.  Here is an action shot from the high jump. 

I close with a picture from one of my home school PE classes.  This excited boy and I are on the same team in this relay.

I am leaving Open Arms and heading for Cape Town to spend a week with Doug.  I will send one more blog with final pictures from Open Arms.