From Baby to Little Boy

Finn is no longer a baby. The change happened so fast - almost like we blinked and suddenly a different child appeared. The first sign came a few weeks ago when he started feeding himself.




Talking was the next development. While we have no idea what Finn is talking about, he has a lot to say. While talking to someone, he makes serious eye contact (just like his dad). And he will wait for a response!


Last but certainly not least, Finn can be naughty. When he does something that he KNOWS he should not be doing, he will look at us and wait for a response. Whether we say "no," or remove him from whatever is about to happen, he does it anyway. Then he smiles and laughs and continues about his business.

In the Bath

Who needs television when you can get this kind of entertainment?
And I can't believe I had the camera to capture this priceless discovery!

Ian and the Trade Hub

Since Ian is not one to toot his own horn, I'm going to do it for him (beep-beep)! He is in Johannesburg, South Africa right now for a "trade" forum. Over 200 delegates from countries in the southern Africa region are attending (including ambassadors and other important dignitaries). Guess what? My husband and his colleagues organized the entire event! Until Thursday, I never really considered all of the logistics and behind the scenes efforts that take place in such events. Last Thursday evening (two days before Ian's departure) I came to the office to help with a few last minute preparations. I was blown away by Ian and his team. Talk about dedication! All of them pretty much worked around the clock the weeks leading up to the event. It was crunch time. I was expecting high stress levels and bitterness for the multitude of overtime hours. I was wrong! While everyone had to be stressed and tired, they did a great job of hiding it. I don't think I've witnessed this level of camaraderie since high school field hockey.

Anyhow, at one point, while I helped one of Ian's local staff members prepare the welcome packets, she said, "We are lucky to work for Ian because he doesn't take for granted his employees. And we know the event will be successfull because Ian is very organized!" Yep - that's my husband and I am proud to toot his horn!

January Highlights

Benton and Maggie's visit was definitely the highlight of the month. Most of these pictures are from our "Botswana Adventure!"

December Highlights

From camping in the Central Kalahari Desert, celebrating Finn's 1st Birthday and Christmas to Uncle Benton and Aunt Maggie's visit and New Years Eve, December was packed with loads of fun!

Language is a Barrier!

According to the "Teen Leaders" and the volunteer facilitators, yesterday's Teen Club went well. While I do take other feedback into consideration, I weigh heavily on my own evaluation. Unfortunately, this was quite difficult yesterday. The event was almost entirely in Setswana.

The theme of the event was Personal Safety and Crime Prevention. We had two guest speakers, a Police Officer and a counselor from Childline (an organization that responds to children in crisis situations). Following their presentations, we broke the teens into groups to role-play and discuss specific scenarios. Topics included: theft, sex-exchange (prostitution), rape, drug/alcohol abuse, cell phone predators, and hitch-hiking. I chose these topics because these are what our teens deal with on a regular basis. It's bad enough to be a victim in any one of these situations. But imagine the added implications if you are HIV+!

Unfotunately, it is very common here for teens (as well as men and women) to have multiple partners. And it's not out of the ordinary to hear a conversation like this:

"Who was that guy that dropped you off?"

"My boyfriend!"

"I thought Thumelo is your boyfriend."

"He is! But this guy is too! He provides my transport. Thumelo buys my airtime [cell phone minutes]."

Of course this is problematic. Add the HIV+ component and you begin to understand why 1 and 3 people here are infected with HIV/AIDS.

Yesterday the question was asked, "Why is it common for teens to 'sell themselves' in exchange for material items?"

Sadly, the response was, "Because we live in poverty. How else do we get these things?"

Anyhow, back to my orginal point. At the beginning I popped in on each group to see how things were going. At first, there was a lot of blank faces and awkward silence. But as soon as I asked if they wanted to hear the scenarios in Setswana, everything changed. Fortunately, there were enough local volunteers for each group who could translate. Suddenly, all the kids were participating. I just wish I understood what they were saying!