Dinner with the Scarborough's

Anke, the maintenance manager, and Kevyn, spent the morning surveying, designing, and doing the bearers and some floorboards on an accommodation bungalow, whilst Andrew was doing sport and maths for the grade threes.  

Nathalie and Lisa took the pre school and grade one class.  Because the room is near the wifi, Lisa was face booking and the comment was along the lines  that it was terrifying and they ( the children) were in full control.  That pretty much sums it up. It just so happens that Peter(the director) was checking his FB at the same time, and ran to the rescue.

You can feel the fear.

 Fortunately the letter of the day was "e', so the residual videos and photographs of the Sri Lankan elephants tied up 10 minutes of the lesson. 

After lunch, of chicken and rice, and a sort of sweet potato, Andrew returned with Kevyn and Anke and was swinging a hammer, belting,  nails in.

The building renovations. Anke (right)' Andrew doorway, Kevyn, Lisa and a glimpse of Esther. Two little souls in the middle were also helping.

Nathalie was in touring mode with Lisa, leaving their post at the  hospital and wandered down to check out the workers, visited the directors home and  Esther invited Andrew and Nathalie for dinner...pizza. 

Anyone who has been at  Caulfield Christmas dinner can begin to appreciate dinner with Peter, Esther, John, Christy, Molens, Theresa, Anna, Lillian, Lee, Daniel, Jasmine,  Victor, and several others  who make up grandchildren, adopted and non adopted children.    

The dinner table at the home of  Peter and Esther Scarborough.  The blond chick is the odd one out. We think there were 11 children.

 For example, John, the child this side of Nathalie was malnourished when brought to the hospital, (other siblings had died from malnourishment) and left there, his mother giving him up as dead. He was so sick Esther believed for quite a while that he was still going to die.  Each of the children at this table have what we would consider to be horriffic stories.  Parents deceased, mothers who were prostitutes, lepers(cured) , sexually abusive and physically abusive, step fathers who have killed mothers, and it goes on.  What is certain,  is the unconditional love, and feeling of family that is here for all these little souls.  Maybe they need to barcode the children, to keep track.

We were all then invited for brownies and chocolate pudding.  Esther doing a million things, was making the pudding based on Nathalies memory, and questioned if the baking powder was 'off', it felt looked and smelt not quite right.

The baking powder looks very similar to the garlic powder

It wasa lovely evening, seeing the love in action, and the length to which Peter's and Esther's words and actions meet a  practical and full on commitment would be hard to imagine.

The 'Dementors'

For those of you who are familiar with the Harry Potter series of films, would be aware of the dementors.

Practice for when they go back to Eastern Health, for entering the NUM's office, with a request.  Or yoga practice.

The beach

Our first day off was designated to be a visit to a beach about 20 ks south of Kusuri. 

The Scarborough family were our hosts. 

Nathalie and Lisa.with transport to the beach.... there were three others in the cabin and one in our car.

Three degrees north of the equator has to be quite warm, and it was.  White coral sand, a reef 100 or so metres off shore with many colourful fish and coral.  It was lovely, and we think there were 10 children there. 

 

And we had telephone reception for the first time in a week.The phone signal elsewhere has only been strong enough for SMS at best.

And John, dressed for the occasion.