Getting' Outta the Funk

This year has really been one for the books. Seriously. The amount of time and energy myself and my team have put into things that are not very rewarding has been the single most frustrating part of it all. I feel like I’m definitely stuck in a rut, in a funk.

We’ve spent a lot of time, energy and money fixing our car. We’ve focused a lot of time and attention on paperwork, procedures, and how to make sure we are doing alllll the things that will give our kids & communities that we work with the BEST of what we can offer.

Somehow, in all the planning, running around and pushing to make sure things run smoothly, the very essence of WHY I love working in this beautiful country gets pushed to the back burner or completely lost. And it breaks my heart.

I often see posts on social media about how it’s okay for us to grieve the life we THOUGHT would be, and then we have to get up, wipe away the tears, and jump back into the life we DO have. For me, that has really hit me hard this week.

 

The sweetest little reasons to slow down

Being a “director” is so unglamorous and nothing like I had thought many, many years ago. I never wanted a glamorous job but I simply want to do one thing: make a difference. I want the kids we serve and the communities where we work to be empowered, inspired and motivated to overcome even the most unthinkable challenges.

I know that difficulties and unforeseen junk can throw us off track, so I guess I’m glad it’s bothered me so much lately because I can now DO something to fix this. I wanna do homework with the kids, teach them how to wash dishes, play outside with them, and pour into them so they know how loved & valued they truly are.

I also know this isn’t a one man (or lady) show and I’ve got to rely on those around me that I trust. So I’m learning to loosen the reigns so that I can be able to take a break when needed, and I can train & give more responsibilities to my team.

I’m far from being a great director. I’m more like a zoo keeper who lost her monkeys but hey, I haven’t misplaced any kids so I think I’m doing okay?

Keep me in your thoughts & prayers as I learn to balance it all and get outta the funk!

Hugs,

Laura and the munchkins

A Day in the Life...

“5am alarm. But my eyes have been open for at least 20 minutes – planning, thinking, praying, preparing.

6am kids are out the door and I’m close behind. After a quick cup of coffee, running shoes and my water, it’s time to get going.

7am My run is winding down and the real work begins. Quick shower and grab something on the go – banana, hard boiled egg, or more often than not, just a 2^nd cup of coffee.

8am and I’m out the door again. Walking to the closest spot to grab a bus into town. After waiting way too long, cuz I’m really not as patient as I look, I just start walking.

8:30am and I’m already on round 2 of errands. The bank opens at 9:30am so instead of wasting that precious hour, I head out to the mechanic to find out what parts I need to get the car back up & running.

9am and the mechanic has me worried about parts…again. Now I’m walking, talking on the phone, and trying to catch a bus all at the same time. It’s taking too long so I end up taking a motor bike and heading back to the bank.

9:15am and the bank is getting ready to open and I’m calling & chatting with friends in the capital city and in South Africa to find out WHERE I can find these parts for the car.

9:45am and the bank manager calls me over and tells me not to wait in line – “Just come see me!” She takes my deposits and my check and takes care of everything. I’m in and out in about 15 minutes.

10:15am and the kids’ school is calling me saying Milenea isn’t feeling well, and I need to come get her. I’m lucky to see a bus coming right at me so I jump in and make it to the school in a record 20 minutes.

10:40am and I’ve got Milenea in my arms and she’s hot. Definitely not malaria but she’s coughing and saying her head hurts. We’ve been passing this nasty junk around for at least a month, so I’m almost positive that’s all it is.

Throw back to when the car was a beast & Jo was a teeny little thing!

11:30am and I’ve now got all the kids and we’re piling into a taxi to ride close to home so Milenea doesn’t have to walk.

12pm and we’re home, helping Tia Amina finish up lunch. Milenea goes to lay down and I bring her some water. The kids change out of their uniforms and the house is full of noise once again – laughing, playing, arguing – the best kind of noise!

By now, I have 2 options: the lunch hour closures are winding down so should I head back to town and try  to get a few more things finished, or should I take a quick power nap and do some office work and try again tomorrow?

It’s already Thursday by this time…I better get back to town so I can talk to a few people at different offices about paperwork, car parts, get a second or third opinion on the car, etc. It’s almost impossible to do it on a Friday so I better get it done today.

3pm and I’ve finished my few office-type of errands I needed to do and I grab some bread, eggs, and jump in a taxi so I can pass by the open market on the way home & buy some veggies for the house.

4pm and I’m finally done for the day. I carry everything down the back entrance to the house as taxis will charge an outrageous amount if I ask them to take me all the way home. With arms full, I make it in the back gate just in time. I almost drop the eggs but pin them up against the gate so I can drop everything else and catch them.

5:30pm Now homework, bath time, dinnertime, and evening cleanup & prayers takes over the rest of the day. By 8pm, I happily jump into bed until I remember I’m on day 10 of a grumpy JoJo who is cutting a billion teeth at once and she has a hard time if I put her to sleep.

I pass her off to Auntie Beth or Uncle Gildo and they get her to sleep. I am grateful for their help or she cries and carries on for so long that almost the whole neighbor can hear her! I feel for that sweet girl – being a baby is not easy.

I take Jo into bed with me and finally settle in for the night. The dogs bark through out the night and I get up at least once to see what they’re making noise about. When I climb back into bed it’s almost time to get up and do it all again.”