As I have the privilege and joy of being
with our amazing little man day in and day out, I thought I would share a few
things you may or may not know about him from everyday life as he grows and
flourishes here in Burundi.
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I was recently thinking on the deep and
endless love I have for him, and how hard it would be for him if Isai or myself
were to leave his side as he grows, or even pass away. I think at some point throughout life, many
parents consider this devastation that can happen to anyone. My heart began to be broken all the more for
our children here in Burundi and how they must have felt to have everything
solid and consistent ripped from them when they were abandoned or their parents
died. My heart aches about this. However, we have a good, good Father and
Leader who loves them and has surrounded them with people who call them their
own, people who love them in such a deep way and want to be a part of the good
moments and the bad. This may not ever
take the place or completely change the devastation that came their way, but
God has a way of making all things work together for good for those who love
Him. And I am confident, for each one of
our children - he has made a way for them in their own unique way.
.
We love our little man, and know he will
be an amazing big brother to Isabella who we are expecting next month! Happy, Happy Birthday to you, Malaki Daniel –
and many more years to come as you follow the lead and will of your Heavenly
Father, who loves you. More about Kai:
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Favorite
Foods:
Olives, mango’s, gummies (wonder where
he got that from!)
.
Favorite
word:
Koko, meaning agakoko in Kirundi which
is bug. He loves bugs too... Possibly
just a little too much!
.
Scariest
moment:
When he fell off the top of a bunk bed
at the children’s home, we brought him to the city to get him checked out to
make sure he didn’t puncture a lung. I
know God was with me, because when they brought him to me at home they were so
fearful and upset, and I calmly just removed his clothes to examine him and see
what was happening with his breathing.
(Of course my heart beating out of my chest, and my mind running a
million miles per second thinking if something was wrong internally we wouldn’t
have many options for him here in Burundi.
I quieted my thoughts and began to pray, then called a wonderful
Canadian Doctor, Danica who gave some very helpful advice. Glory be to God, alone… There wasn’t a mark
on him, broken bone or anything wrong.
.
Best
buddy:
Desire, no questions asked. They hold hands, run together - play
together… their characters mesh well together as Kai is very strong willed and
often leads and Des is more laid back, and just goes with the flow. No fighting over toys, attention… just
together in peace, love and laughter. It’s
fun to see them grow together teaching each other Kirundi and the other
English.
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Uniqueness
about Kai:
He loves people. We can be on the road walking and of course,
half of the population wants to greet him with a handshake because he’s a
handsome little boy, and he’s simply not Burundi, but American (which makes him
interesting to them). Well, if one
person says (Yambu Umwana = hello child) he automatically thinks this means he
needs to go to them, shake their hand and say Mambu (he can never pronounce it
right!) Even if you pass by the person,
he will insist that you go back with him just to give a handshake. Love it.
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He’s very courageous, sometimes without
any fear. He learned how to swim going
to the pool in the city once every 2-3 months… sometimes more often; meaning he
has gone under 10 times in his lifetime.
From the beginning he would dunk his head under and hold his breath… one
time he was out of site for 2 seconds behind a bush, found jetting for the pool
to dive in. Thankfully a friend was
right there and grabbed him. He dives off
of steps, runs as fast as he can until he is near tumbling, tries to climb up
his Papa’s tall ladders and so on. This
little boy, without question needs an eye on him at all times. Please join today in blessing our little one with your prayers and thoughts. All our love...
