Dear Friends:
I must say I have been very neglectful about sending you an update on GRACE Home since my return to South Sudan in February. Yes, I have been busy but, that's no excuse. So, as I prepare to return to the U.S. again I thought I had better update you before I leave.
February is the start of a new school year here so when I returned I immediately started getting the kids ready for school. Justus' father is a tailor so we hired him to make the uniforms for everyone. He did a great job and the kids were so excited when they received them. Oftentimes, even if the children go to school the guardians cannot afford the uniform so they have to wear regular clothes. This makes them feel different and the school will even send them home because of not having one. Everyone was registered except for Simone, the little three year old. They do start school at age 3 here but she just turned 3 and is not ready. They tried sending her to school but she kept running back home (the school is in the church building just outside the gate).
We now have 23 children with only one vacancy left for a girl. Just last month we got two brothers, ages 13 and 8 years, whose parents had died. They had been left alone and had to go to the neighbors to get food. They are now in the GRACE family and doing very well. I wish I could share with you the smiles I saw when they were shown where they would sleep.
Our agriculture work at GRACE is going well. This planting season we are teaching the children about gardening. They prepared a plot near the gate for ground nuts and our agriculture manager is working with the mamas and children. They bought plenty of g-nuts for the area but ran short when the children ate them instead of planting them! So, after buying more the planting will continue. The mamas and children will be responsible for weeding, caring, and harvesting. Agriculture is so important here because if you don't grow your own food you don't eat. Their chicken population is increasing but they face the challenge of keeping the chickens alive since they are "free-range". The chicks are easy prey for predators and the hens lay their eggs anywhere they choose.
As we develop the land for agriculture, we are also looking at a playground. UMCOR gave us some old tires so we will be working on a design and the best way to use them. The kids also love playing soccer so we want to have a place where we can put up a make-shift goal and windows won't be broken.
I will be leaving here on May 13th and will arrive home on the 14th. I hope to see many of you while I am there. Please keep the children and staff of GRACE Home in your prayers.
May God's GRACE and peace be with you,
Libby
