Jake's Story (From My Perspective)

           

As his younger sister I have to admit that I was often quite embarrassed of him. I remember riding the bus with him to elementary school and he would make me sit next to him. All the way to school he would sing as loud as he could. AHHH so embarrassing. I also remember in 9th grade I was so glad he was older than me. I was so nervous to go to my first day of high school. I felt better knowing that I was walking into my first class with my older brother next to me. He would be able to protect me. He was always a very protective older brother, even when I did’t need any protection.

Jake always stood out as unique. He did things his way, and not the way anyone would tell him. He thrived in his uniqueness. That is who he was. Many people go through life, including me, trying to fit in. Blend into the crowd. Be normal. Do as everybody else expects, or at least what you think they expect. Jake was not this way. We always said Jake would have done better growing up in a third world country. He was on his own time. He would be late; he would forget things; he would run out of gas. It did’t matter how long it took him to complete a task the whole process was part of the journey. 

I admire Jake for his athleticism. He loved to climb, bike, run, hike, kayak, and play basketball. I do have to say he excelled in the individual sports. He was a bit of a show off and did not know how to share the ball. I remember one time he took me bouldering at the base of the monument. I was so proud of myself that I made it up this little boulder. As I started to come down, I got so scared because I could not see where to put my feet. Jake ended up having to climb up after me and guide my feet each step at a time down the rock. 

Just like all of us Jake had struggles. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 11. He always struggled with keeping his blood sugars at the right level. His blood sugars were sometimes too high making him feel sick and sluggish or too low often in the middle of the night when we would find him unconscious his body jerking in a seizure. Those times were hard to watch. We pleaded with Jake to take better care of himself, we were scared for his life. There was something in his body that did not allow him to manage his sugars well. He tried. He always did everything he could. Down the road maybe we will find Jake had a whole new type of diabetes that hasn’t yet been discovered. 

In the last year we had also realized that Jake was suffering from a mental illness. Who knows when it started and why it started. One guess is from some brain damage from his many seizures. I came home from Cambodia early, while Gideon stayed so that we could be in the US for the birth of our son. I lived with my parents and Jake for that month before Gideon returned as well. I did not understand at the time what Jake was going through. I saw him very forgetful, very happy, angry, antsy and paranoid. We tried to reason with him in those moments when he was angry at us, his family, which would make him more angry. I and I think my family thought that we could get through this time with Jake we just need to communicate with him. He would get mad at us, sometimes on the bridge of violence, but then after some time to calm down he would apologize and tell us that in those moments that was not him. We know it wasn’t.

My parents began to attend a support group, NAMI, for people with family members with mental illness. They began to learn the signs of mental illness and how to  respond and react to those with them. They began to tell us everything they learned. Out of all of my discussions with my mom the thing that will stick is that people with mental illnesses let loose the most on their family because it is a safe place. They know that families are a place where unconditional love is supposed to be. My parents were that place for Jake. I’m not saying it was easy for them, but they were conquerors. They always showed him love, sometimes tough love. The sad thing is that not every person has that safe place and that is one reason why people end up homeless.

You know that song on KLOVE that says “What if the sorrows in this life are blessings in disguise?” I have come to look at Jake’s illness as a blessing in disguise. Jake was always an independent person. He wanted to do things on his own. He didn’t want help from anybody even though I thought he was the person in my life that needed the most help. I remember starting from after my college years he didn’t participate in family events that much. He always had somewhere else to be, usually with friends on small holidays. This last year that Jake was here on earth we had a lot of family time. He lived at home, and he wasn’t able to drive so I got to drive him places. We got to play racquetball. He came and helped Gideon and I rake the bazillion leafs at the place we were staying. I think he came to almost all the family events. I am so thankful we got to spend lots of time with him. He got to entertain Kai with his crazy dance moves.

I think back on Jake’s struggles with diabetes and all of the times God could have taken him to Heaven. He could have been in Uganda on the other side of the world. He could have been on some random street. It could have been when he was at home all alone. God’s timing is perfect. God was ready to have the whole, perfect, healed Jake with Him and Jake was ready to be there too. God took him while at home at my parents in his sleep. My parents didn’t even hear him have a seizure, which they usually do. God wanted Jake to come home. 

Jake loves Jesus. The last couple of years his love for Jesus became more and more loud. You could not talk with Jake and come away ignorant of what he believes about God and God’s call for us to love. He was unashamed of his Savior. Jake’s life and his death have brought me closer to God. I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. Thank you for that gift. I can’t wait to see him in Heaven. 

Teaching Again

 We have both started teaching again so that the children at the home are getting some education before we actually have a building and can officially start out school. Gideon has been teaching 2 1st graders and 1 kindergartener. I have been teaching 6 preschoolers. We both have been teaching only 3 days a week. It is great to be back in a classroom, but for me it is always hard to remember how hard those first weeks are when your students don't understand your language. I am blessed to have a worker at the home assist me in the classroom.

This is Annalyne. She watches Kai while a teach the 3  half days. We are blessed to have her. She does a great job and cooks us good chapati. :)

Some of our preschoolers

                                                                    Gideon and is 3 students in PE Class

Oh The Germs: Being Stretched As A Parent

Back in the States Kai did not play with kids that often. He would go the nursery during church and Mom’s Group. He would play with the boy I watched for around 3 months. He would hang out with his girl friends; Evie, Chambry, and Emma. Those were all in controlled environments where I or someone else could determine what was allowed in his mouth or not, if the toys had been recently sanitized or the carpet had been recently vacuumed. Kai has been a really healthy baby. He hasn’t had any fevers other than when he got his shots. Back in the States I would say I was not germ-ophobic. I have heard stories of other moms and their measures to keep germs away from their children and I would laugh at their silliness. And then........................we arrived in Kenya @ Tobiah  Home.

Seriously, we did not let Kai sit on the floor around the children for the first couple of days. We were worried about a couple of things 1) him being malled and not being able to crawl away. 2) All of the children’s hands, feet, arms, legs, that just wiped their own runny nose ending up in Kai’s mouth. Every time we came back to our room to go to sleep I wanted to wash mine and Kai’s hands. Kai did end up getting a cold. Could have been from the plane ride or from the kids. At least he hasn’t gotten the cough that the other children have. He also has broken out in a rash and we are trying to figure out from all the variables exactly what is causing it. 

Now that we have been here a couple of weeks, I’m glad to say we have loosened up a little bit. We realize that there are some things we do not have control over. We have to let him build up his immunities. He has been having so much fun with the other kids that he has learned to crawl. 

Even though we are being stretched as parents to let God be in control even of the germs with which Kai comes in contact, we will be teaching our students a few basic hygiene methods to help the spread of germs decrease amongst the home and classroom. 

:)

First Week In Our New Country

Well friends and family, we have been in Kenya for a little over a week, and we wanted to give you a glimpse of how our time has been so far. We are still staying at the orphanage, as we are looking for a house or apartment to rent. We have already began preparing for the new school in several different ways. We are adjusting to life here in great leaps and small steps at the same time.

It has been a blessing to be able to stay here at Tobiah Home. We are getting to know the children, the staff, Jerry and Danielle and Peter and Maryanne. We have had some great conversations about our vision for the school and also have gotten some input from Peter and Jerry about their vision for the CWH ministry. Peter has been very helpful as we look around for places to stay. We find that the places we want to stay at are either already full or are still being built at this time. We have a few leads and hopefully we will find a place soon.

Here at Tobiah Home there are 6 preschoolers that are currently being taught by one of the workers, mainly in Swahili.  I, (Kristy) will begin teaching these 6, so that they will acquire the English language. I will set up a classroom here at the home. In order to go onto high school here in Kenya, students have to pass an exam in English in the 8th grade. There are 3 older girls that are currently at the level of grade 1 that Gideon will begin tutoring. We do not have an exact date that we will start teaching/tutoring but right now we are looking at sometime next month. Gideon is in progress mode. He has said this himself and is already doing research to find out exactly what it takes to have a Kenyan registered school.

In some ways, adjusting to Kenyan life has seemed easier than our transition to Cambodia. Gideon was driving the second day we arrived, so we were able to get out and find our way around the city.  I think it took us a month or two before we were driving in Phnom Penh. Peter, Maryanne, Jerry and Danielle have all been great help in giving us advice and direction as we learn about Kenyan culture. Having experienced the transition to a third world country before, our minds were a little more prepared for the differences. The one thing that has made a difference is having Kai. Getting on a good sleep schedule has taken longer. After so long with so little sleep, we all have gotten colds. With the lack of sleep and a sore throat comes a grumpy, impatient mama in the mornings. Adding in trying to make major financial decisions about housing, buying things for the house, buying phones etc... just makes miscommunications even more common. Thank goodness we love each other and have Jesus who helps us forgive one another at the end of the day.

We are doing great! Feel blessed to be here. We are looking forward to having a place of our own though. Enjoy some pictures of Kai playing with his new friends.

Kai with Sophie 10 months and Josh 8 months.

Kai with Alice who is around 8 years old. She is so good with the babies, and she keeps Kai very entertained.

READY (OR NOT) HERE WE GO!

Here we are... 2 weeks from lift off! Before we go, let's look at how God has blessed us, is blessing us and will bless us!

God gave us plenty of time to do some hiking as a family in God's beautiful creation! Kai really loves water, so we took him to several waterfalls!

We definitely had a lot to be thankful for on Thanksgiving! A truly amazing God, wonderful families, fantastic friends and a calling to serve God in Kenya! Also, as Kristy and I have looked back on our lives we have so much more! 

 For my brother's birthday, we got to meet up with several of the Walker family members and go to a Denver Nuggets basketball game and sit in box seating! It was AWESOME! Unfortunately Mama got a nasty stomach bug that forced her to stay in at the hotel! Kai loved seeing all of his cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents, but the game was just a little bit too loud for him!

We have enjoyed the cold weather and the snow! Kai got a white Christmas for his first one. He doesn't know how to catch the snow on his tongue yet. He also did not enjoy sitting in it for long.  He sure does love swimming in the hot tub to get all warmed up.

We had a great Christmas spent with Kristy's family. Kai got the most gifts. He is at the stage where he loves to make music.

As we have little time before we leave, we have many thoughts and emotions running through us. Some of those include excitement, nervousness, happiness, sadness, and gratitude. Please pray for safety for our travels, for our attitudes as it will be trying to travel with Kai, and for all to go smoothly when we arrive in Kenya.

We are extremely grateful for you our family and friends who care enough for God and His call on our lives to support us in this journey! WE CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH!

We're Leaving on a Jet Plane

It's official we have our tickets, our passports, and our travel dates. We've sold our car, and our to do before we go list is getting smaller and smaller. We are excited, anxious and a little more nervous to leave the country this time with a smaller person, but bigger responsibility in towe. We have been making a list of everything we want to take with us. Those things we want to purchase here just to make sure we have for the first couple of months before we know exactly where to buy them in Kenya. We will be visiting Gideon's side of the family before we take of mid January! Please keep us and our families in your prayers as we prepare these last couple of months. Pray for our to do list not to feel overwhelming. Pray for Gideon as he finishes up teaching. Pray for easy and safe travels with Kai. Pray for Kai's time adjustment and sleep for all once we are in Kenya. Pray for our adjustment to a new culture and new relationships. Pray for wisdom from God for us as we work with CWH and people in Eldoret to build a new school. Wisdom to know where to have it, who to invite to come to our school, when to start it, and all the details.

Experiencing Fall Again!!!

Gideon was so excited to experience the fall season again since we didn't have it in Cambodia the past two years. He was anticipating what it would feel like. Once it came he said it didn't feel new or like we even missed it these last two years. I guess because we had experienced it the majority of our lives fall didn't seem abnormal or out of the ordinary. We are excited that Kai gets to experience fall even if he won't remember it we will get to show him the pictures. Please enjoy some of our fall pictures!

Busy Busy Busy September

I think September has been the busiest month we have had since Kai was born. Gideon loves to be busy, but I would rather have relaxing weekends where we stay home and have nothing planned. September turned out to be how Gideon perfers, but I did have lots of fun. Enjoy these pictures to see what we have been up to this month.

        Kai was dedicated at  church.
We were also able to speak
       about our time in Cambodia and move
to Kenya in front of River of Life
  and First Baptist Palisade this month.

      This is Remy. I have been
    watching him during the day
    on week days. He is 14 months,
and full of energy. 

  Went camping one more time. Kai
    did awesome sleeping in the tent, but
   I froze. We got to see some beautiful
fall colors on the Mesa.

      Lunch with family and friends to
celebrate Kai's dedication

           

                    Gideon got a position
                      at Caprock Academy
                        teaching 8th grade. This
                                 isn't a picture of him teaching,
                                 but he always looks this
                             handsome when he leaves
                                 to go to work. 

      Made it to the top of Hanging Lake on
                 our second try this summer. Our first try          
         we only made it up to the first bridge.
      Hiking with a baby proved harder than
thought.

 

We celebrated our anniversary twice. I planned the evening of our actual anniversary. It was a theme of 3's since it was a third anniversary. We had a three course meal pic-nic. Gideon got 3 small gifts. We watched Home Alone 3. Gideon had these flowers delivered on our actual anniversary. Gideon planned a surprise weekend to celebrate. We went to Denver, had my uncle and aunt watch Kai for the evening and we went to a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater. It was so much fun. Gideon was even entertained, but neither of us figured out who the murderer was.

What in the world has Kai been up to? (sung to the tune of where in the world is Carmen San Diego?)

- Gaining weight now weighing 18lbs
- rolling over from back to stomach and getting upset he can't roll back over
-getting his 4 month shots, and handled them a little better than his two month still very lethargic for the following couple of days
- picking his pumpkin out of Bibi and Babu' garden
- laughing lots especially at other kids
-teething- always chomping on his paci, fingers or someone elses fingers. He has a couple of white spots on his gums.
- getting over his eczema hopefully it is just a phase from this dry climate
- watching football with Papa
- learning to eat yummy fruits and veggies even when his Papa keeps telling him that veggies are gross
- playing in the nursery during moms group at church.
-helping mama take care of a 14th month old during the week
- sleeping great only waking up once after 8 hours of sleeping to eat, then back to sleep for another 3!!!
-Playing with his toes!

Feeling Anxious To Go

We have been slowly but surely getting ready to go to Kenya. We got Kai's passport in the mail a couple of weeks ago. We skyped with Jerry and Danielle Sanders and met them for the first time. They are another American couple that just flew out to Kenya this weekend. They will be serving long term as house parents in the orphanage alongside of Peter and Maryann who are a Kenyan couple who are also house parents.  It was great to get to meet them. We hope to skype with them a couple of more times before we head over to join them. The part of our conversation with them that stuck out to me the most was when Jerry explained that he is so humbled that God would call him and Danielle to take care of all those kids. He also talked about how he is famous in his small town in Tennessee because it is unheard of for anyone to move to an African country. We are excited to get to know them and become great friends.

We have also sent out our support letters and have several opportunities to speak at churches. If you have not received a support letter and would like one please email us at gkkwalker@yahoo.com.

We have days when we wish we were leaving for Kenya tomorrow. Its hard to be in transition and see a goal but know that you have a long time before you can even start working for that goal. We also have those days when we are making great memories with friends, family and Kai. We know as we look back on this time in the States we will be so grateful that we had it.

We have been keeping busy. We just got back from a week in Portland, Oregon visiting my (Kristy's) college friends. Kai got to see the ocean, pick berries, ride up to the top of Multnomah Falls in his stroller, and meet lots of new friends. Gideon found out that his teaching job at CCU will not start this fall because they had a smaller number of students than expected. A little frustrating that they did not communicate that was the case when they hired him, but God continues to provide. He has been helping me take care of Kai. He is a great Dad! We are also watching a friend's 1 year-old everyday. It has made me realize that I would never survive if I had twins. I would never go anywhere. I would stay at home all day long. Gideon is also cleaning the office where the president of CWH (Children With Hope) works. All this to say God is taking care of us and knows exactly what we need.

June and July Praises and Prayer Requests

Praises:
* We are getting to spend lots of time with family. Grandma and Grandpa Walker came out in early June to meet Kai for the first time. We just got back in early July from seeing Kai's cousins closest to his age Hannah and Asher. We get to see Babu and Bibi (grandpa and grandma in swahili) almost every day.

* Gideon has a job and is in the process of filling out paper work and getting all set up to start his job as Adjunct Professor at Colorado Christian University for the online and some in seat classes.

* Kai is healthy and happy. He is experiencing a lot of firsts. First camping trip, first fourth of July,  first 5k run/walk, first hike.

* Despite feeling like we are in a period of transition we have been busy.

* God continues to provide for all our needs even when we are impatient and worried about exactly where God has us.

Prayer Requests:

* That Gideon's classes that he is teaching at CCU will begin soon.

* That we will continue to be prayerful about the way we are raising Kai. That he would see God through our interactions with each other, our families, our neighbors and with him.

* That we will be patient as we are eager to go to Kenya in January and start our next adventure. That we would be fully present here in Grand Junction, content,  and attentive to God's will while he has us here. That we will take advantage of spending time with family and loving on them.

We are thankful for each person that reads our blog and sends up prayers and our behalf. Please let us know if there is a way we can be praying for you.

Postpartum Lessons and Thoughts 2 Months Out

We always get asked if being a parent is harder or easier than we thought it would be. I think you can all guess our answer. Why is it that no matter how much we were warned to get rest during the pregnancy and warned how challenging parenthood will be that we didn't  fully understand what those words meant until the time came when we are experiencing it? I think overall Kai is sleeping really well, but still we are not getting as much sleep as we are used to. Also the changes in his sleep pattern throw us off as well.

With the lack of sleep also comes more of a challenge to show the fruits of the spirit to one another as we try to figure out our parenting style. I think mainly me, Kristy, gets a little less patient and moody with less sleep. Some of our discussions that have turned into small arguments have been over what exactly does a nursing schedule look like, should we use the pacifer at all times or just for nap times,  is it too early to put Kai on a nap schedule or should we just let him sleep whenever he wants. Of course we both want to have him sleeping through the night as early as possible, but what exactly does it take to get him to that.  I'm not sure we ever came up with answers, but we learned that even if we disagree with the way we do things we need to be more patient with one another as we learn what is best.

Last summer I wrote about how our  vacation time in the States was a reminder of our True Home in Heaven as we didn't feel completely at home since we missed things about Cambodia. These past two months after having Kai is another one of those reminders. Having Kai has given me a new perspective on how fast life on this earth is. When I am watching him grow and change so fast I'm so thankful to God for this gift and want to enjoy every minute and not  take advantage of what God has planned for us each day. It challenges me to have more faith and trust in God's promises as we live life here on earth.

We are loving our new life as parents and all the learning, challenges and new experiences that comes along with that. Kai is doing great. He is full of smiles, coos, dirty diapers,  and movements. He loves to be moving unless he is sleeping. His favorite toy is the ceiling fan. It entertains him for minutes. He has already more than doubled his weight and we think he is going to be a big boy!

We're Parents ( for over 2 weeks and its still sinking in)

If you are friends with either one of us on facebook you know Kai has arrived. He was born May 11th, 2012 at 10:08 am. He weighed 6 lbs 14.5 oz and measured 19 inches long. The birth experience was great up until the 2 1/2 hours of pushing. He was face up and had his arm around his neck and hand up by his face. I guess he did not want to come out. My midwife ended up using the vacuum to help pull him out. Gideon even had to sit down the last couple of minutes because he felt like he was going to faint. When I was pushing through a contraction he would also stop breathing.

Waiting for Kai was definitely not easy, especially since he came 8 days later than his due date. Gideon was getting really antsy and kept worrying about not having a job yet. After Kai was born Gideon was so glad that he has had some time to spend with Kai. Gideon is a great dad. He has changed more diapers than I have. Gideon always gets up at night after I feed to change Kai's diaper and rock him back to sleep. These first couple of weeks we can't stop commenting on how cute he is. We feel deeply blessed to have this new joy in our lives. We have enjoyed hanging out with my family. Grandma and Grandpa Mercer are so happy whenever they get to hold him. Luckily Grandma and Grandpa Walker will get to come meet Kai in person the first week of June. Gideon is still in the process of looking for a job, but we know God has a plan for us while we are home for this little while. Please pray with us that we would be patient and trust that God will provide while we are here.


With no job and adjusting to a new family member, our lives feel a little bit in a jumble. We are now longing for some sort of routine to at least feel a little normalcy in our lives.  Please pray that we would continue to trust God, that He has everything in control and peace.


We have been going on long walks, hanging out with friends, doing lots of laundry (baby clothes, spit up rags, blankets), spending lots of time with family, applying for jobs, giving Kai baths and showing Kai off to our church family.

Thank you for praying for us these past nine months, as we have prepared and awaited Kai's arrival. He is healthy, absolutely adorable, and continuing to grow every single day! Please continue to pray with us that we would be great parents and we would be able to show Christ's love to him.

Since being home we have been able to meet with the Children With Hope board members. We have not quite yet began to prepare for our departure to Kenya, but it is always on our hearts and minds. If you would like to see more about the Children With Hope organization you can visit their website at www.childrenwithhope.org, and they are also on Facebook at Children With Hope. The organization has gone through some difficult transitions these past couple of months, but God is growing the organization through the difficulties. Our job will remain the same and we are excited to see how God will work.

Above pictures of Kai. He has already grown and changed so much.

Above pictures are of the new kids at Children with Hope Tobiah Home. Their names in order Jared, Joshua, Sophia, and Rachel.

It looks like Kai already has lots of friends to keep him busy.

6 Days and Counting

I've been counting down ever since I left Cambodia but we are officially at less than one week from when Gideon gets back to Colorado. We have been apart for 30 days and we have 6 more to go. Yes its been hard. A couple of days before I left Phnom Penh we questioned our decision to be apart this long and so close to Kai being born. We were nervous that Kai would come before Gideon got here. I guess that is still a possibility but I think he will hang on for a few more weeks. He doesn't seem to be in too much of a hurry.

Even though these last 4 weeks going on 5 have been hard I think both Gideon and I would agree that it has been good. Gideon said to me the other day in a skype conversation that God understood our needs and put us both in places that we could handle the hardships. Gideon is used to be alone and actually thrives sometimes in places where he gets lots of alone time. So him being in Cambodia with out me and family has actually been ok for him. He has had lots of time to spend with God. I on the other hand hate being alone so being able to be here surrounded by family and friends that I have not seen in a long time has been good for me. One of my strengths is being flexible and transitioning/adjusting well into new situations. Our hope is that I have done most of the transitioning that needs to be done before Gideon gets here, like setting up the house we will be living in.

So what exactly have we been up to the last 4 weeks while we have been apart. Here it goes:

Kristy:

1) Going to doctor's appointments

2) going on walks alone, with our dog filos, with friends, and my mom

3) making sure our insurance is all worked out with our doctor

4) opening gifts at baby showers for Kai and getting all the motherly advice I can get.

5) taking lots of naps because everybody says I should get all the rest now before Kai gets here

6) hanging out with my older brother Jake

7) cooking dinner for my parents (most of the time it has turned out good)

8) gaining weight from all the food I've missed, but I haven't gone to any of Gideon's favorite restaurants and I haven't opened the girl scout cookies yet either.

9) unloading all our kitchen supplies from storage in to the apartment we will stay at once Gideon gets here.

10) Making sure we have all the necessities needed once Kai is here.

11) Skyping with Gideon every day.

12) Using a humidifier because my body is not used to all this dryness.

13) Going to beauty school with my mom and getting all pampered. Hair dyed, nails done, facial, hair cut... the works.

14) Wearing jackets and sweaters in the morning because its a bit to0 chilly.

15) Watching basketball games with my dad.

I think that sums it up!!!

Gideon:

1) Missing me!! ;)

2) Enjoying every moment with his students.

3) Making plans to pack up and give away things he will not bring back with him.

4) Going out to dinner with friends, trying to make good goodbyes.

5) Sweating so much he soaked his i-pod and it doesn't work anymore. It is now hot season in Cambodia.

6) Finishing his practicum and class for his Master's program.

7) Working on lesson plans for his long-term sub, and working on unit plans for next years teacher.

8) Exercising and losing weight. Thank goodness his tennis shoes broke and hopefully he will gain some weight the last week he is there so I don't look like I've gained too much! :)

9) Playing games with 35 elementary students every Thursday after school.

10) Enjoying driving the moto without having to haul me around on the back.

11) Spending time with the guys getting fatherly advice.

I'm sure Gideon could add a lot more to his list. I think he has had the harder/busier 5 weeks.

Please pray for him as he travels to Grand Junction Wednesday April 11th.

We hope you all of a Happy Easter and a great time celebrating our Risen Savior!!!

School in School

School in School is a catch up program for local Khmer kids who attend government Khmer schools. Our teaching assistants at Logos International School with some other staff plan supplementary lessons to what the kids are learning at school during the day to help them with Math, Khmer, and English. Even after a regular school day many of our Khmer staff at Logos stay until 6:30 pm to help children that come to Logos for this extra help. They also get a chance to share about Jesus with them. My TA Sorphorn helps teach the grade 2 math class on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

These kids do not have to pay anything to come to School in School, and after talking with Sorphorn about her classes I thought of some people back in the States that would love to send some school supplies to help make their class more hands on and encourage the kids to learn more. Thanks to one of our supporting churches, Grace Gathering, last week the math class got to use some of these new supplies. They are so grateful and it looks from the pictures and video they had a great time. Please Enjoy the pics!

Baby Shower #1

Leanne is getting so crafty. She made a sign with Kai's full name hanging behind us in the window.

Our good friend Leanne hosted a baby shower for Kai this last weekend. It was so much fun. Thanks Leanne! We played lots of games, snacked on some great food, and got to spend some time praying for Kai, Gideon and I. Gideon stayed home and worked on his Master's classes, but he did get to enjoy some of the yummy food when he picked me up.

We played a guess the baby food game. Check out some of our reactions to the DELICIOUS food. :)

Getting some advice about labor and the birth experience. I'll take all that I can get!