Korah-Day 8

Just a quick post to say I talked with Katie today and they are fine. They did more painting today...yellow for the inside of the huts, blue for the outside.

Sumer's group is leaving tonight. They had a hard, emotional time saying goodbye to the kids. Tomorrow our 4 will continue painting and doing whatever work is needed to complete the huts.

Katie said that her friend, Habtamu has a dry, scaly patch behind his ear. It really bothers him and he doesn't know what to do about it. People keep telling him just to keep washing it but he told Katie, "But our water is dirty!" I told her to give him the tube of hydrocortisone cream that they brought. Thank you to the ladies in my moms persecuted church prayer team who packed the wonderful and very complete medical kit. Habtamu is now the proud owner of a big tube of hydrocortisone cream, thanks to you! Pray it works for him.

Katie also told me that Fasika came up to her and asked her, "Only 7 more days until you go back to United States?" Katie told her yes. She put her hands over her face and began sobbing. Katie told her, "You can't cry while I'm still here. Let's not cry now, ok?" She kept saying, "Ok, Ok I will try...Ok, Ok." Habtamu, watching on was trying to be a brave guy but he just put his head down on the table. It is going to be really, really hard for her to leave these kids:(

Remember Bayza, Katie's friend who I mentioned earlier? She came skipping up to Katie, pulled her out of the hut she was working on and handed her a little package. Inside was another silver necklace with a little water jug pendant.

Katie asked her where she got this. She giggled and said, "My mom gave me the money and I went to the market and bought it for you."

Now she is proudly wearing 2 precious gifts given to her so sacrificially by her 2 new friends. I can hardly believe these girls did this. Neither can Katie believe how sweet they are and loving.

Katie is really good with kids. They love her deeply and bond to her quickly. I think she is just so genuine and they see that in her. She truly loves them and they see that. She looks them in the eye, listens, cares and also jokes and laughs with them. What she has really is a gift because I haven't often seen it in others to the extent I have seen it in her. Even Mihiretu, Misganaw and Aliya are this way with Katie...they really, really want to please her. Why can't they be that way with me??:)

Many blessings,
Laura