Family Home

I am writing this in a state of shock... as Matt and I were walking back from the home, we turned around to see a massive lorry loose control and swerve from one side of the road to the other, crashing into a matatu taxi full of people and then continuing to storm into all the side shops and finishing in the sewage ditch. It was literally 40m away from us.. if we would have left the home 2mins later we would have been right in the centre of the crash. People were running everywhere.. we had to dive into the nearest shop in hope that the lorry did not to continue in its rampage! It was so scary and so many people were injured. I thank God that we were alright and I phoned Redondo to double check the boys were ok and thankfully none of them were harmed. The locals are currently trying to get the people out of the cars/lorries/taxi's and rescue peoples shops/homes. Please pray for our safety. It's a different world out here!

Back to business.. we have spent the past two days getting the home sorted. We waddled through the busy market to buy food and stocked the home up for a month. We also got plates, saucepans, cups, cutlery and general toiletries.

The boys have been desperate for a TV for the past 2 years and I have always said no as I did not see it as a necessity. However, after seeing how far the boys have come in their behaviour and development I thought it would be good to reward them with a TV. The boys were sitting at home bored which caused some of them to go deep into the slums for entertainment, getting some of them in trouble, so I figured that at least if they have a TV they are more likely to spend more time in the home relaxing.

Matt also bought them cards which they love! Great when the power is not working due to thunderstorms!

We also got the outside and inside door fixed so that it is properly secure and the carpenter also made a mesh for the inside window to prevent mosquitoes coming into their bedroom.

In addition we have bought them metal boxes, which they specifically requested, which will be padlocked to keep their belongings safe.

Here is Matt using a rock as a hammer to secure the curtains which we bought curtains to maintain privacy. The place looks so cosy and homely now!

Plus, they now have a mosquito net for each triple decker bed and we also bought some nets for those who have been suffering from malaria at boarding school.

I thought that it would be lovely for the boys to design their own 'logo' for the home, to give them a sense of identity and pride. Gerald designed the writing style for the wall and got painting. He took to the project like a true artist, getting quite protective of his work if others made a mistake when painting it. As the painting developed, more and more boys came to the home and marveled at the design in pride. They all expressed their love for the home and how they feel that the house is their home and the boys are their new family. I knew they weren't just saying this because they interact with each other like brothers now and their friends even want to come to the home to hang out with them.

Solo (who helped fix the roof today!) has a younger brother, aged 9, called Francis who has been hanging out at the home a lot. Not recognising him, I asked for his story and he explained that he is living in an orpahange near the slums which does not treat him well or pay for his school fees. Solo and Francis explained that Francis has been longing to join The Mydel Boys Home. I said that if I can find him a sponsor then I will consider taking him on. If any one would like to sponsor Francis please email me: tiarna4jc@hotmail.com. It's great to hear that there are boys who are wanting to be a part of the home. I love how people want to come here and feel safe and looked after here.

We bought the home some more mattresses and some of the old ones went with the boys to boarding school. We also introduced them to airbeds! They were over the moon! Sooooo happy! They immediately jumped on the mattress, with their new blankets which were kindly donated and they laughed and joked around as they beamed with happiness! Even the neighbours peered through the windows as we were pumping the mattresses up. They have never seen airbeds before! It was so lovely to see and be a part of. The house is definitely now a home, which they love and are proud of.

Thank you so so much for your donations, we couldn't have bought any of this without your help! xxx