Goooo Gators!!

You would have thought that we were in Gainesville, Florida last night at a tailgating party. We spent the day at the Rafiki Village and when we got home- Bob and Jim were grilling some shortribs, baking some potatoes and steaming broccoli and carrots- They even bought a cake- Yummy!!

Erik downloaded Mick Hubert- Voice of the Gators- right into our family room. The Kaspers were all sporting our Orange and Blue and we had a great ol' time cheering on Tebow and the Gators!! What a great way to start the football season!! Erik and I are trying to locate the nearest Gator club for the next game:)

We had a very nice weekend- Friday night we were invited to the Cooks for dinner. When we arrived they asked how flexible we were. Their power had been out for several hours- a common occurrence in some areas of Lusaka- so we loaded up the van and went to a local Chinese restaurant. The restaurant is located in a warehouse in the fairgrounds- so you drive into the warehouse- the kids all played in the warehouse as the adults waited for dinner.

What a great time of fellowship and play time for the kids.

Yesterday, we spent the afternoon at the Rafiki Village. We met David and Nancy Writebol and Rose Allinder. Wow- what an inspiration. These people live 30 minutes south of Lusaka then turn right for about 30 more minutes down a very bumpy dirt road. They have about 60 acres of land and currently one dining hall, 3 classrooms, 6 dorm rooms, and the guest homes that the missionaries live in. Their hospitality was so wonderful!! We were able to see the way they run the orphanage- they showed us inside the classrooms as well as the new school building that is still under construction.

There are currently 32 children who are double-orphans, both parents have passed away. There are 6 mamas who take care of the children. The children are between the ages of 2-6. They are taught at the school and also have a bible study in which all the staff and children are involved in. The primary founder of the Rafiki foundation was very involved in BSF. All their support comes from donations and let me tell you- people have been very generous. This was a beautiful facility. There are 8 others in Africa with the same model. Besides financial assistance- there is also a need for tennis shoes and clothes. I know we could help, I just need to find a way to get things shipped over here at a minimal cost.

Lynn Bledsoe- any suggestions??

My kids loved playing with the children and the children sang some Bible songs for us.

Bradley and Chelsea were trying to teach them to swing.

Peterson also got his first "Zambian cut". The groomer was called Mutt Cutts. He looked great and it only cost 120,000 Kwacha, about $40.

My kids have started their own blogs:

Chelsea- Zambiangirl.blogspot.com

Bradley- Zambianboy.blogspot.com

Have a blessed week!! Happy Labor day!!