Last of the Summer Weekends?

Falls goes by so quickly in Minnesota where one second we are in the heavy heat of summer, and the next second its crisp and cold.  The forecast for next weekend is 48-50 degrees, but this weekend it still feels like summer!

 

One of the last soccer games ...

 

 

The leaves are starting to turn and fall ...

The path to the lake is littered with leaves ...

 

Wesley tried to collect a leaf in every color ...

 

We dusted the leaves off the paddle board and took it for a last paddle ...

 

The boat is being winterized and the cover is off the hoist leaving skeletal remains until we lug it out of the water and up onto shore.  The water at the end of the dock is crystal clear now that there is less boat traffic and we can see the bottom where the fish are lurking in the weeds.

 

 

 
Last "shower in the lake" for the season ...

These two came flying by and swooped in close so the kids waved like crazy ...

The full moon was gorgeous and reflecting off very calm water.

Maea balanced it on her fingertip.

Jayden tried to trap it between two fingers.

Emme put a heart around it.

 

Wesley pointed at it ...

 

 

And then howled at it.

 

 

Outside Looking In ...

Kind Hearts CarePoint is enrolling FIFTY more children despite the fact that our 4 tiny classrooms are already overflowing with kids! Every day, there are hundreds of kids standing on the outside looking in, watching, waiting and wishing they too could attend Kind Hearts.



Presently, the CarePoint serves 150 orphaned and destitute children providing nutritious food, clean water, medical care, clothing, Christian discipleship and education for children who would otherwise go without.

In faith, the CarePoint is going ahead with more enrollment - even though they lack the physical building, classrooms and space to help more kids. There are just too many desperately poor and malnourished children.

Somehow ... space will be made, kids will scooch a little closer in the too-crowded classrooms, and food will be shared.

Our school building fund is not fully funded yet, but rather than wait, Kind Hearts is stepping out in faith that the new school building will soon be fully funded.

Those 50 kids will need a sponsor family too! If you are interested in sponsoring a child at Kind Hearts, please email me and I will add you to our waiting list. As soon as the kids are enrolled, I will contact you to match you with a child.

Our team of volunteers will be in Ethiopia to work with the kids in November. If you are interested in sponsorship, please email me at kjwistrom@yahoo.com. Sponsorship is $34 per month and provides nutritious meals, clean water, clothing, medical care, Christian discipleship and education for one child.

If you can help fund our school building (which will accomodate another 150 kids!!), you can make a secure, tax-deductible donation here http://donate.hopechest.org/goto/karen

Below - these are just a few photos of kids around the CarePoint who are standing on the outside looking in when school starts each day and meals are served ...

Time flies .. when you're busy!

Two weeks ago, the kids started school and I'm thankful to have them back on a regular schedule.  With two parents working full-time, summer can be extremely hectic trying to get 4 kids to  their scheduled activities.

 Emme (10th grade) and Maea (9th grade)

 The high-school and middle school kids get picked up first,
then the buses return for the elementary kids.

 

 Wesley (kindergarten) and Jayden (4th grade)

 Wesley was so brave for his first day of school and was happy to be
getting on the bus with the other big kids and his brother.

 

 
Wesley was so brave for his first day of kindergarten and was all smiles and full of confidence.  He was finally getting to go on the bus with the "big" kids and his brother.  Jayden did a great job making sure Wesley felt comfortable getting off and on the bus, but it was cute to see Wesley turn back at the last minute as his confidence wavered for just a moment.

He looked over his shouder at me and said, "Mom, are you sure this is the right bus?"  Then he turned and took a few steps toward us before Jayden's arm shot out and guided him back toward the bus.  He then waved happily to us from the window as the bus headed toward school.

School soccer season is in full-swing and both girls were very happy to make their respective teams. Try-outs were tough this year and I have never seen them so stressed about the outcome.

Jayden was playing his first year of tackle football (4th grade) and was loving it ... until he broke his big toe at a neighborhood game with his buddies. He is now out for the season until it fully heals. Wow - keeping an extremely active kid out of gym, recess, sports and all activities is really tough!

 

OUCH!!!!

Little things can make a big difference ...

Last November in Ethiopia, we noticed how tattered and torn the kids' uniforms were at Kind Hearts.  Cuffs were unravelling, holes were patched (and sometimes not) and zippers were broken.  Which makes sense since they wear them almost every day and they were well over a year old.



Last November, the newest kids didn't even have uniforms yet!

So our sponsor families donated funds to provide a new school uniform for each child at Kind Hearts.

 

 

Imagine the kids' suprise and delight to start out the new school year with brand new uniforms!!  ALL 150 kids got a new school uniform in Kind Hearts colors of light blue! 

 

Thank you to all of our Kind Hearts sponsor families for faithfully supporting your sponsor child and making sure they have these important little things that mean so much and make the school year a little better!