This Just in from South Africa… :)

Hi all what a blessing it is to get to write again so soon. Mom thank you so much for checking into my account mix up i am doing fine but needless to say i am Mad at them ha …………Today we visited an orphanage and played with the children and sang with them and hugged them, and loved them. Afterwards we went to the store and bought so much food for there orphan center and brought it back to them and it was so amazing. Seriously these children are so cute and love to be love it breaks my heart and i will forever have the images of there faces burned into my mind forever. I can not imagine loosing my parents especially to such a devastating disease. Today i found out tht the government nationally and worldly claims that there are only 25% of the population infected with HIV AIDs but in fact more than 50% is. That is so wierd for me to think that everyonther person i see has AIDs and that more than half the population will be extinct in five years statistically. This country is so sad and so badly needs help…it is hard to stay hopeful for me because it is hard for me to think that anything could ever even get better and how in the world can just a few people save an entire nation from such horrible things….the reality is it can’t and no one can….God covers all of this and he is capable of reviving this place. I am so glad and privileged to be working along side these wonderful people and this wonderful organization of people who work so hard and do so much good everyday all day every year! I have met so many wonderful people over here and really enjoyed being submersed into the culture…Even though these people have very little and live in such horrible conditions they have such a joy Us Americans i truley believe will never experience! Seriously the less you have the more you have and that theme is so strong over here. I actually find myself envying them in someways…i feel such a sense of errie peace over here and know this will not be my last time here…THIS IS AFRICA this is amazing God is here and the simplicity here makes it so easy to find him. The devastation and the HIV aids epidemic is so hard to see and face each day as we visit these orphanages and HIV aids hospices and Schools but i have not been desensitized to this so the degree is much much harder for me than for the locals. I think that is why they are able to find joy in things much eaiser than i sure have…This is the hardest thing i have ever had to experience and face but it has been so good…seriously i am comming home so different i can already feel the renovation and as hard as it has been its the best thing in the world. Again i have so much to tell and so little time to write…. I hope you are all well Hi Mommy i love you thank you for being my mom and supporting me through this and everything and helping me with these stupid quirks with my accounts and such! daddy good to talk to you and hear your voice i love you very much Ty thanks for your encouragment and your wonderful gentle spirt towards me i enjoyed speaking with you yesterday…Deb thanks for the comments i love them and they are so uplifting and encouraging…. Hi sissy hope your well i love you and am proud of you! DAD please tell grandma i love her and give her a hug and reassure her i am ok! And please tell Pa thank you for falling and taking some of the attention of worry off me ha tell him i love him too…. please continue to pray for us it is so Thick over here and each day is so emotionally and physically draining. and keep the comments coming thank you Lawrence and hill for your encouraging words. miss you all oh and check scaredthread.org there are some fun pictures up! much Love.

Amy