More on neon but also street kids.

Hi dear folks, so as busy as we’ve been, updating you on all our adventures in the north, up rocks and down under the sea and such, we’ve kind of gotten a little bit behind on the day to day shenanigans.

We started work on Monday. Was that a shock to our system or was that a shock to our system? It was a shock to our system. But more on that after we tell you about the neon party we so diligently shopped for the other day. As you may recall, Al and I turned Kandy town upside down looking for neon attire for the bash our dear friends would be throwing…and what we found made us look like blazing, luminescent orbs. Also Amish. Wonderful pieces really, but somehow not neon club worthy…nothing a pair of scissors and some creativity couldn’t fix, however, and we left to dance the night away looking just like we needed to.

From so...

...To so.

It was indeed a party worth writing home about with a lighting system that rivaled that of the north star, music that put every club on the island to shame (they played every summer hit necessary, Justin Beiber included) and dancing that lasted about 7 hours. No joke.

We had one day to recover and then we were hit with another ball game altogether…against a team of about 35 kids. We were swiftly and efficiently introduced to Child Action Lanka, an organization that is aiming to work with street parents to get their kids, or the next generation, off the streets.

Center 1 (of three)

We have worked four days now, and every day is becoming easier and more enjoyable as we get to know our kids and get more of a feel for what we are needed to do. In the mornings, it’s the “baby cage”. Al and I take care of about 8 to 10 babies…who are all adorable, stubborn and need attention. We’ve been learning about changing diapers faster than you can say “squirm”, about carrying three babies at once, about how to feed, rock, tickle, cajole and about how being thrown up all over is really not the end of the world. Yep, we had a new little boy who cried for roughly 4 hours straight the first day we were there….pausing only to throw up his orange juice all over my shirt. Twice.

(Side note – Al thought this was hilarious, and he is now known as little Pukey)

The second day he decided he liked me and would stop if I held him. This was all right for about the first hour or three, but then I put him down...and got bit. Things are getting better however and he is slowly learning that crying is not going to get him very far – especially seeing as Al put him on the floor and told him, quite plainly, that he would stay there until he stopped whining. He did. Betwixed these adventures, we’re growing very fond of little Pukey. He really is pretty cute. Also there’s something about a little boy who probably doesn’t get a whole lot of cuddle time, putting his head on your shoulder, his thumb in his mouth and falling asleep because he finally trusts that your not going to hit him or leave him alone.

And the same goes for:

Him.

Him.

And all the other hims and hers that cry, laugh, color, sing, scream, eat and sleep here.

Despite the long hours, the frustrations and unexpected curve balls (teach computer lessons and write up the entire organization’s procedures and policies documents? Why the frick not?), we are quickly falling in love with these kids and with what we’re doing. We come home exhausted but with a certain sense of satisfaction in knowing that it’s really worth it, even if it is only a drop in the bucket. That really is something to thank God about!

So much love,

Alisa and Steph