Painting and Petroleum

Ivan, Henry (14yr. old boy from Abba Home) began the painting of the second Abba House today! Yesterday we sanded the walls and had help from half the orphanage, as well as a family with 8 kids, and Judy from Canada. It was complete chaos, to say the least :) But we did get the sanding and the undercoat finished!

Today we added another undercoat and the top coat of paint to all three bedrooms. Turns out it is going to need a second layer, so Ivan is going to finish it up for me within the next week. There is now one bright red bedroom, one lime/granny-smith apple-green, and one cappuccino brown. The kids picked the colors. . .

We were covered in bright red and the only thing to get this oil-based paint off our skin was. . .petroleum. You can imagine how much I reek even as I sit here typing. I'm hoping I don't spontaneously combust at any moment. . .

Right now I am at Brent and Virginia Earwicker's house just down the road from where I am staying. I met them the last time I was here in Uganda. They are a family from Oregon who does work on the islands here and also at a church near Entebbe. They are feeding us stale Starbucks coffee that has been hand-crushed (no grinder) thanks to Seth's bright ideas :)

This will probably be my last post before heading back to the states! On tomorrow's agenda is going to Abba Home early in the morning to bring school shoes and clothes for the children, to give them the paintings my Vista boys made for them, and to have them paint pictures for sponsors and my Vista Health 3rd-5th grade boys :)

OH! Almost forgot--we are having a pool party tomorrow! It will only be the second time EVER the kids will be going to an actual swimming pool (the first was last year when Stacie and I took them) for the day. . . all 42 of them! I have recruited Ivan, Seth (friend of Brent and Virginia's from Oregon), and Judy from Canada to be life guards for the day. Most of the children cannot swim. . . Also we were able to purchase for the kids a meal of chicken and fries which is a HUGE treat for them.

Okay. . . back to stale Starbucks. . . thanks again for reading and I'll see you on the other side!