Pamoja!!

Our conference last week went so great and we had a blast! We came back stinkin tired but we are so glad for the time. I debated a lot on whether or not I should go and take the kiddos for a whole week in a hotel and travel and many other factors but in the end I realized that I was wavering on going because of fear. It was so intimidating to go to a conference that I knew was going to be all in French with students that I am not yet really connected with since my time on campus has been so few. I am not at all an pure blood extrovert and I get so scared of situations where I will need to be one in order to connect. Especially in a foreign language. yikes. But in the end I am extremely thankful that I went. The time that I got with the students and other staff was so refreshing. I loved seeing God move in the students lives and the excitement grow for their relationships with the Lord to grow. Although it was frustrating at times because I could not say all that I wanted just being there and for a week really live life with them could not have been replaced with anything else. It was also such a reminder of how the Lord really does answer and provide all you need when you step out in faith. One of my favorite times was on the last day we had a parade. Random, I know. I laughed a lot and thought over and over how this would just not work anywhere else. We went downtown and all together in matching gear walked around the city playing music, singing and dancing. We were not on the sidewalk or side streets, but right on the main busy streets with one of our crew just walking on the side directing all the traffic to go around us. It was great! We circled around town for a mile or so and went on back to camp for closing ceremonies. We loved our week and seeing God change lives and hearts in the students that we have come to love.

Us with Nogbou
Me and the boys with Micheline
Nogbou and Stephan

Dancin away!
Since I could not go to the big meetings with the boys I spent a lot of time playing outside with them. There was another couple of staff kids (Moise and Roberta) there who hung out with us as well and we all loved it. Elliot would giggle when they were near and Keenan would yell "Look, the girl and the boy!! My friends!!" It was also fun for me because they were so sweet and patient with my French. Nogbou asked me towards the end of the week how Roberta and I communicate since she is so attached to me and I jokingly replied that we communicate with love and a lot of grace!


Awwwww One night before bed Keenan insisted on reading a story to Elliot before bed. They snuggled up together and shared the book as Keenan "read" Pajama Time to his little brother. Really he just said the rhyme from the first page since he has memorized that and then described the other pages to him. It was so stinkin cute!!!

Another great story from the week is a conversation with Keenan again. When people all around Keenan are speaking French he starts babbling nonsense thinking he is fitting in. It is really funny to hear! But one day he started doing this while looking at Elliot so I asked him "Keenan, are you speaking French?" He looked at me wide eyed and very seriously said, "No, Im speaking Baby Elliot!"