sunshine is wonderful

i realized after a recent letter from my aunt that people have a lot of questions about what i'm doing here. but it's hard for me to know what those are and what to answer in these blogs. send me comments and i'll answer your questions!

sunshine, after a month of rain almost every day, is wonderful. in the last two weeks we've had a couple full days of sun and the breeze and the sun and my bike as i ride down trails make me just think "i'm in africa!"

i have two beautiful new babies in my life. my cat had kittens! they're incredible. they were born a week ago and i was at a workshop so i didn't actually get to watch and pet her while she was in labor. i wish! but, they are just starting to open their eyes and look like real kittens. i'm so in love. one looks like rexy (white with black and tan spots) and the other is black with white feet and a white mark on her face. they're incredible. i think one will be named ululimi, which actually means tongue or language, because she always has her little tongue sticking out while she's asleep. and then the other might be loleni, which means "look" but i just think it's pretty. i think they're both girls, but i could be totally wrong! haha.

yesterday i was approached by a neighbor whose husband seems to have run off to work and kind of disappeared. he isn't sending money, he isn't calling, he won't pick up her calls (from my phone)... and she's stuck with three children under 6. she came to my house yesterday. "ba, anna, give me ama'advice.'" what could i say? i don't know what to say. he's a jerk. i gave her food and felt teary. i would love to give her some work to do, but i don't have much.

right after that a kid who said he would hoe my yard came by and told me he's a double orphan, lives by himself, and could i help him pay for grade 9? and give him some food? and maybe a t-shirt? i can't help all of these people, obviously, with food and money because it would be endless. how can these kids find jobs? or be expected to pay for school if they're orphans? or do well eventually if they don't finish school? it can all just be so overwhelming.

i miss you all. i'll stop there. but i'll put info up soon on how to donate to two projects i'm working on: a library and a youth centre.