Sweet Christmas Surprise....

(American) Christmas Day at Kolfe... 

 was a pretty fun occasion!

A few of the boys have families,

(Wouldn't it be nice if there were more?)

so Skype and email were working overtime.

Thanks to my friend Fekadu,

for playing errand boy for me.

Fekadu stopped by the mission house to pick up

some things I had sent to ET with Emily,

stopped by a lucky fruit vendor and

bought fruit for the entire orphanage,

and then took some Christmas cheer to Kolfe...

all on American Christmas morning!

The perfect day for this delivery!!!

 Our Emnatu had something up his sleeve.

I'm not known for just letting things happen,

(I am the worst kind of planner.)

so I almost spoiled it!

Christmas morning we got a Skype call from Emnatu,

he asked us to close our eyes,

he had a surprise for us,

for Christmas...

this is what we saw when we opened our eyes.

Emnatu John, AYAL John, and Mezgebu John.

Our three sons...

all together, all on skype,

This was Ayal's first time using Skype.

 - - - - -

Our sweet boy spoke right to the

♥ of my love language.

My favorite gift,

sacrifice (Ayal would be sharing a tiny bed

 with Emnatu again)

for the gift he knows his mom loves best...

T-I-M-E!

"Marry Christmass" from the Kolfe boys.

How much does it cost to get there?

A friend asked today about our travel costs.  I appreciated her suggestion on a way to trim some off of our flight costs.  If you know me well, you know I am all about spending less!  Traveling on our own actually is a savings already. Most mission trips to ET, are about $3,000-$3,500 per person.  So, it's like a coupon in use, already!!!  I love that!

It did give me a chance though, to explain some of the costs further.... so let me share some of my answer with all of you in bloggerville.

To get to Ethiopia and back, it will take:
4 plane tickets (We hope to be able to get them for under $5,000, but it takes some work... tickets for August are running about $8,000 right now.  So you have to catch them at just the right time!)
A driver (to save on costs, last time, I rode in a car, but we will happily fill up a van this time)
A translator (Not all that important at Kolfe, since most of the boys speak English, but a must outside of the orphanage.)
A salad bar full of travel shots. 
Travel visas
3 rooms at a Guest house for us and some special guests. ;o)
Meals for at least 9 (it is customary to pay for the driver and translator's meals as well)
Fruit for the orphanage
Help for our 2 oldest boys who IF they can get time off work, won't be paid...

That's the run down... hopefully our numbers will shrink some as things get firmed up.  Less spent on the "have to-s" means more available for blessing the people we come in contact with!

Journey to Ethiopia 2011

No plane tickets for the trip yet. 

We are waiting on some answers

 from John's job and the boys' schools

 as to when we can go.

We are still looking into February,

just 2 months from now.

YIKES!!!  That is fast approaching!

Our costs at this point, are somewhat estimates,

since the flights are steadily going up
 as time passes and we are still working
 on a guest house that

 will be affordable enough for
 all of us to stay at together.

We are collecting items for

another garage sale in January...
Let us know if you have anything ! 
Thanks!

Some updates...

At our garage sale a few months ago,

I met a sweet woman name Denise.

She has a love for Africa, and asked if she could

call me later to learn more about Kolfe.

I love this woman's heart...

at the end of the conversation, she said,

"Give me an assignment, what can I do?"

What a blessing it was to hear those words!

So... fast forward a few months, and Denise

called to say that she has been collecting things

for us to take in our suitcases...

She's been shopping at yard sales for clothing

for us to take for the orphanages, and 

a doctor friend of her's had given her $100

to buy cans of formula for a baby orphanage

we want to visit while in Ethiopia.

Praise God! What a huge blessing

to the workers & children at this orphanage!

We are so excited about Denise

and her partnership with us!

 - - - - - - -

One more update I am long

overdue for posting....

A sweet homeschooling friend of mine,

Juli, has been partnering with us since I

began fundraising for my first trip to Kolfe.

She has been such a blessing to us!

Juli is a major bargain hunter, in fact,

she has a fabulous website

 called Bargain Believer

that is spreading pretty fast.

In November, she showed up

at our door with these....

59 soccer shirts!

These FANTASTIC SHIRTS

were donated

to the boys by JCPENNY.

How cool is that!?!?!

I can't wait to deliver these to

 Gladney Adoption Agency

 for the orphanages they support.

(Including Kolfe)

I am going to send you to

Juli's site to read the rest of the story

(click on this link)

of how these fabulous shirts,

and a check for our trip, came to be

 in our home awaiting
their journey to Ethiopia.

While you are at it, you just might

pick up a bargain or two!

Standing Firm

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:58

Today is one of those days when I am thankful for promises like this one.  Fundraising is tough....  Getting to Africa with 4 of us in tow is expensive, and every time I get a few steps closer to the goal, something happens to make us go backwards a bit..travel shots, specific needs for one of our boys there, a fundraiser idea that goes kaput...  (Like the one I have been crafting for the past few weeks, that didn't end up happening, and I now have Jesus and Me tree ornaments a plenty!) 

But going backwards isn't always a bad thing.  Twice this month we have had offers to take our boys something with a visitor...Rather than send them Christmas gifts, we have taken the opportunity to reach out to the whole orphanage with love and send money for every boy to have fruit.  A few of you have even committed to helping us give some "sweet" love this Christmas, and we are forever grateful!

Fruit... a banana, an orange... they seem so simple and ordinary to us here in the States... BUT when you live in Ethiopia, in a Gov't run orphanage, and your very existence is essentially a version of bread and water each day ... fruit is a luxury, it is something special.  It means a rare treat, packed with vitamins.  It's what growing boys need...  so, I am thankful for the opportunity to go backwards in our fundraising... or  maybe, just maybe, that's what HE intended be done with HIS money all along....

Thankful that God's purposes are better than our requests...

My heart overflows with thankfulness...

 I stand in awe of the blessings God has given

us this past year.  A year ago, we had never

heard of Kolfe Orphanage.

A year ago, our family of 4 was "enough".

Our world was small,

and we wanted to serve the Lord,

 but we had no vision big enough

 for God's plans for us...

 Only God could give us something

 better than we knew to ask for. 

 Emnatu John, 19.

What started eight months ago as just a
penpal friendship, has blossomed
 into so much more.
God has used this sweet,
sweet young man,
our son,
 to open our eyes
to a world we never knew,
 and to become the family
we never could have dreamed of.

Mezgebu John, 15 on his "1st birthday"
later this week.

I am so thankful for our son, Mez.
He challenges me greatly,
and his journey in life means
this isn't always easy,
 but when he opens up
and shows us glimpses
 of the sweet boy inside... oh, the joy.

Ayal John, 20

What a journey God has taken

us on this past year.

Orphans are real,

they are many,

and God clearly calls us to do something,

 anything! to show them His love.  

John and I struggle with how best to use

the money God has blessed us with.

There are so many in need..

is it better to send our money

 rather than going ourselves?

It is a question we struggle with even today,

 as I make plans for another trip to Kolfe,

 and next time take John and the kids

with me.  The connection we have with

 our sons keeps smacking me in the face

 when I think of not going. 

The best I can come up with

 for now is that we do both...

we dig a little deeper,

we give up a few "wants" here

 so that we can meet some "needs" over there,

 and yes, we go.

We touch their lives in the way that

 only a physical hug,

or the action of holding their hand can do,

 and selfishly...

 well, our lives get touched,

stretched, challenged and

changed in the process.

We have had many of you question why we don't travel with a "tax deductible" charity, so that we could get people involved in helping us get there.  Truthfully, we don't do this because of the boys at Kolfe.  We could travel with an organized group, but after getting tax deductible donations, and spending so much time, money, and effort to get there... we wouldn't be able to do what we most want to do.  Spend time at Kolfe. 
 

Kolfe doesn't make it on the list of orphanages groups visit.  If we went, we would see wonderful things, (most spend time sightseeing at least a bit) meet wonderful people, share wonderful experiences... but, we would miss out on the joys of real relationships...the kind that last well beyond a whirlwind trip with makes a different stop each day.  We would miss out on the kids who ask us to pray because they are hurting over something that has happened in their life, or pray for a test that is coming up in school.  We would miss out on... family.  That's why we will go, and that's our main priority.  Yes, we are collecting baby clothes, formula, and children's clothing for a couple of other orphanages that we hope to visit, but our reasons for going are deeper than a quick 1-2 hour guided tour stop.

 -- - - - - - --

On a side note...

I got a phone call this week,

from a visitor to Kolfe.

Her words, and later, her photos,

 made me smile.

"I just LOVE your son!"

"There is something so special about him."

"He is such a sweet young man."

"I had so much fun spending time with him."

Me too, my friend, me too...

God has blessed us abundantly!

Our Response to the Israelites (Parts 2 and 3)

Want to know more about any of the groups
 I mention here?  I have got the links to
 their websites built in,
so click away, friends, click away!
 - - - - - - -

I love Thanksgiving week.  It's an opportunity to stop and think about all of the ways God has blessed us.  Stop and think about your finances today.  I know times are tough...trust me... the hubs took a 35% cut in pay this summer in order to have a life again.  Times are tough, money is tight... and yet... God has so incredibly blessed our family!  We have all we need, and the blessing of being able to share... How great is our God!

Today's response to the Israelites is two-fold...  One of our family's favorite radio stations, Air1 is raising money today for a great organization.  ICM's Church Builders in Africa.  It's a chance to build a church and an orphanage in one.  A chance to meet the physical AND spiritual needs of children who need to know that someone cares. 

But wait!!!  There's more...  KLOVE,  Air1's sister station usually does a fundraiser on Thanksgiving week for the Phoenix Rescue Mission.  This year, they aren't... so that's where we come in. 

Are you eating Thursday?  How about ensuring that someone local can eat too.  Without KLOVE's support, I know they will be hurting.  http://www.phoenixrescuemission.com/

Our first response to the Israelites...

If you haven't read the previous post about the Israelites, then encourage you to

read read it here... and see how the Israelites got something right...

I told you I would post some ideas of things

 you could to make a difference this Christmas Season.  Here's the first one.

Feed My Starving Children is a great organization that needs our help.  Go HERE to read my post about FMSC, and be sure to watch the videos at the bottom to see the fabulous work they are doing in so many countries overseas.

http://www.fmsc.org/

You have already given more than enough....

***Warning!  This may be long, and I am not a gifted writer, but hang with me... there's a gold mine at the end... I hope!
 - - - - - -

In homeschool this week, we are continuing our study on the Israelites.  We are up to the point where Moses is leading the construction of the Tabernacle.  Obviously along the way on this study, we have leaned countless time of the the Israelites sins, and short comings.  And while, there are lessons to be gleaned from the failures of others, sometimes you just want to see someone get it RIGHT.

Scenes like this are all too common with the Israelites.

It came so quick, and was so shortly documented that we almost missed it.  ALMOST!

Exodus 35:4-9 is a good place to begin.  Moses is telling the people what the Lord has commanded. "Everyone is invited to bring these offerings to the Lord: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn, fine linen; goat hair for cloth; tanned ram skins...."  the list goes on and on.  Basically, God is commanding them to "dig deep" and to offer to the building of the Tabernacle, the best of what they possess.

This is a tall order, no doubt.  They were no different from us, I presume.  Most of us, when we have something of value, tend to think of KEEPING it, rather than GIVING it away.  So you might expect that the pledge drive for Tabernacle materials would drag on for a while.  How many of us tire of KLOVE's pledge drive?  When will this be OVER? 

Don't they have enough, yet??

Exodus 35:20-21 Then the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses’ presence, and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments.   Okay, I'm mildly impressed.  just as with us, it appears that there were some who were moved to give.  No biggie, right?  We do that. 

It's what we read next that stopped me in my tracks, and made me wish I was an Israelite for just this one time... Here it goes... don't miss this!  Exodus 36:2-7  Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work.  They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning.  So all the skilled workers who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left what they were doing  and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done.” Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.

Did you catch that?  There was a need in God's Kingdom.  God commanded his people to fulfill that need.... and then... and THEN...  They gave so much to the need that they had to be TOLD to stop giving.  There was more than enough!  Wow... this makes me want to hang my head and ask forgiveness of the one who gave it all to me in the first place... How about you??

Christmas is just around the corner,

and the dreaded questions

have already begun ...

"What do you want for Christmas?"

Sometimes, I just want to shout...

"I want the hungry fed,

the orphans clothed,

the love of Jesus shared,

and... NOTHING for myself."

 -- -- --

What do you really NEED this Christmas?

Please check back, because I think we can take our love of giving gifts, and we CAN BE like the Israelites.  I've got some ideas that I will share with you soon.  

I think we can give a gift of hope, a gift of education, a gift of HIS love this season, and you just might find that it was better than another gift you really didn't need in the first place.  You just might find that in it's place is a much better gift... the gift of JOY that comes from

giving gifts that really matter!

A heart that hurts, and yet hopes in the One who can help...

I had a long talk with our far away son today.  When I asked some probing questions, his answers broke my heart.  He has a job, and that is a huge blessing in his country.  It gives him a sense of accomplishment (most of his peers are still looking)  He feels it is worth it each morning as he heads off to work before the rest of the orphanage has even had a chance to wake.  The taxi ride to work takes the better part of an hour.

It gives him experience in the working world.  He gets to work on some pretty cool things while there... parts for bone mills, honey compresses, soil block machines, car parts... the list goes on.  What it doesn't give him makes me very sad.

It doesn't give him the ability to earn a living.  We were excited to hear his salary at first.  (He makes twice that of his older brother.)  Then today, we learned the truth.  It's not enough.  It's not even close to enough to make it on his own, once he leaves the orphanage.

He spends 62% of his income just paying to get TO and FROM the job and for lunch. After working 160 hours last month, and buying himself a pair of pants, he had just 47 birr left to last him another month before he is paid again.  To put that in perspective...  my one dinner at the restaurant in Addis cost me roughly 80 birr.  Clearly 47 birr will not go far, not even far enough to pay for his transportation for the next month until payday.  He knows it... and he is scared.  Rent and food will soon need to be paid for, but how???

Please pray for John and I as we walk with our boys through this.  We want them to be independent.  They need to feel like they can provide for themselves... but right now, both work so very hard, and yet they don't earn enough to survive on their own.

There is peace in knowing that God already knows the struggle.  He already knows our son's fears.  I believe he orchestrated today's conversation as part of the solution.  Just maybe that is why these sweet young men are now our sons, and bear my husband's name as their own.  For such a time as this... so that we can step in as Mom and Dad, to help.

And yet, still we pray...

Heavenly Father, if it be Your will, give our children better paying jobs.  Provide for our boys in a way that only You can.  Give them Your peace about their circumstances.  Just as You gave the Israelites manna in the wilderness, feed our sons and keep them safe and in Your care. May Your name be praised and glorified in and through their lives..... Amen.

  - - - -

Psalm 59:16 ~ But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.

Orphan Sunday, November 7th...

Tomorrow is Orphan Sunday.

A day to think and pray about what

role each of us will play in

the calling God has given us

 to look after those who need us

 to be His hands and His feet. 

That looks different for each of us I think...

whether it is physical adoption,

spiritual adoption,

foster care,  sponsorship...

the list of ways God is calling us,

are endless...

but they need us...

all of us...

Why Love Orphans? from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

Speak up for those who

 cannot speak for themselves,

 for the rights of all who are destitute.

Speak up and judge fairly;

defend the rights of the poor and needy.

 ~ Proverbs 31:8-9

Learn to do right! Seek justice,

encourage the oppressed.

Defend the cause of the fatherless,

plead the case of the widow.

 ~ Isaiah 1:17-18

The Africa Cookie Cutters are here....

Our Africa cookie cutters are approximately

4 1/2" x  4"

and made of stainless steel.

Cleaning instructions: hand wash, towel dry. 

Buy your Africa cookie cutter today!

$11.55 (free U.S. Shipping)

Profits from this sale will go towards

our my trips to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,

and our precious boys at Kolfe.

(Buying them from us here, will save us a few dollars in e*bay fees...)

We can take Paypal!

And so we pray...

It's long past time to pray for Kolfe.
PLEASE join us...
Matthew 18:20
"For where two or three have gathered
together in My name,
 I am there in their midst."

They are okay, but they are in need

of something bigger than a fix
for their broken and bruised bodies.
They are in need of answers, and only a few
of them know what that answer is.
Below are some excerpts from some
of the messages flying their way.
~.~.~.~.~.

Believe the impossible,
God-sized dreams today.

This could be the very day

one of them becomes a reality!

Believing anything less than the impossible

 is an insult to God!

He wants to be the Hero

and the only one getting the glory!

1 John 1:5-10

This is the message we have heard
from him and declare to you:
God is light;
in him there is no darkness at all.

If we claim to have fellowship with
 him yet walk in the darkness,

 we lie and do not live by the truth.
But if we walk in the light,

 as he is in the light, we have
 fellowship with one another,

 and the blood of Jesus, his Son,
purifies us from all sin.

If we claim to be without sin,
we deceive ourselves

and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins,

he is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins

 and purify us from all unrighteousness.

If we claim we have not sinned,
we make him out to be

a liar and his word has
no place in our lives.

~ So today, my God-sized dream

 is that the veil of sin

would be lifted from Kolfe.

And that the boys and men there

would repent of their sin,

 and ask Christ to be Lord of their lives.

That He in HIS glory would be

 the only one people

 could point to when they

see the change at Kolfe,

and that He would place His

angels around all of you

 to protect you from further harm. ~

A time of prayer and fasting for Kolfe....

Sticks and stones
may break my bones,

but words will never hurt me...

This phrase has been running
around in my mind all day.

The fact is that STICKS, STONES,
 and hurtful WORDS have

completely hurt 165 of the boys

 I love this week.

This photo could be the scene

any day of the week,

when the Kolfe boys travel outside

of their orphanage.

They are not accepted in their society.

And the "authorities" who are supposed

 to protect them,

turned on them last night.

Many were hurt physically, its safe to say

ALL were effected emotionally,

and it's not over yet.

Obviously there are many details

 I CAN'T share here,

but what I can do is tell you

that these boys need to

know the reality of this next photo...

~ that HIS hands are big enough to

 hold the world in HIS palm.

~ That HIS heart is broken for what has

happened to them this week.

~ That HIS Son came to Earth for

each and every one of them.

 - - -

They need a miracle,

and they need it NOW.

If you feel so lead,

join 20 or so of us who will

be fasting and praying beginning Wednesday

for the Boys of Kolfe.

Contact me if you need more specifics

than I can provide here.

 - - -

We will pray for...

Physical healing for those hurt.

Peace to reign in the midst of turmoil.

Fears to be turned to the only one

 who can conquer them.

Release for those still held.

Forgiveness of those who strive against them.

Repentance of those who have wronged others.

and mostly...

 that each and every boy and the boys

who stone them and harass them...

would find the answer

to all of their needs...

HIS name... J-E-S-U-S!

The Starfish Story...

This has been one of those weeks, filled with challenges and heartache. Loving orphans is not an easy calling. They have faced things and endured things that we can't even fathom. I am guilty of wanting them to act "normal" when this is not even possible given their life's experiences...

So, I am learning that sometimes you just have to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and keep walking.... We do, because there is at least one "starfish" over there that is flourishing after being thrown back into the ocean.... and we pray that our other starfish will feel the cool, refreshing water of God's love and our family, and flourish as well... until then... well, we just march on.

There are no words...

to describe how much I love these kids.

I have been home for 35 days,

and keep thinking the ache in my heart

will go away.

It's hasn't.  It won't.

Ever...

61 people being His Hands and His Feet at Korah and Kolfe...

My travelmate, Cherrie (the mom), is back in Ethiopia as of last week.  Yes, that is just about 3 weeks after she got home.  She will be in Ethiopia for the next 6 weeks.  I love this woman, and her passion for Korah.  She is there to do God's work, and she is there to fill that spot in her heart that is only filled when she is back among the people of Korah.  I get this 100%, because there is a hole in my heart that is only filled with contact from Kolfe.  I encourage you to read this post from the Project 61 BLOG.  A team of 60 people traveled to Ethiopia to do dental work on these precious people.  Tuesday they were at Korah with Cherrie, Thursday they were at Kolfe. (where the electricity was out)

Just know that while reading the Korah blog post is important, because so much can happen when we get on our knees and pray for the people of Ethiopia... there are parts of this post that you may not want to share with your kiddos.  Tuesday at Korah was filled with so much JOY, and yet... so much SORROW.

Hallelujah and Amen is the same in any language...

Sunday morning in Addis Ababa.

I thought I was getting a van so

that we could fit more kids on the

way to church Sunday morning,

but as it turned out

I ended up with two cars.

The first car picked me up,

and the second headed for Kolfe.

  So, getting to Fekadu

and Kibret's church was like

unwrapping your Christmas presents...

What's inside? 

I was anxious to figure out which

boys had decided to venture out

to the Protestant church,

instead of their usual Orthodox worship.

Biniyam, Mezgebu, Ayal,

Emnatu and Gizachew

We have had so many talks about faith,

 including a few days before

when one of the boys asked me

to share my faith with the group

of boys sitting around the dorm room,

but it is a different thing to

venture out to a church

 you know will be different

from what you are used to.

We ended up being late for church,

not a big deal unless you have

7 people who hoped to sit together.

The boys were visibly scared
heading into church,

 this was made worse when
we were seated in at least

4 or 5 different spots
throughout the congregation.

I had to laugh when
1/2 way through the service,

Fekadu got a text message.
I am not a texter, so I said,

"Really?  You're texting
during the service?"

Turns out, it was Gizachew letting
me know they were all okay.

Loved the chance to hold my driver,
Kibret's son, he was adorable!

 If you have been to Africa,

you know the drill...

A white woman shows up at church,

and as much as she really, really wants

 to sit in the back (with her kids)

she gets seated waaaaay up front 

in the second row.

(Funny, Kyle, Kristelle, Lana and I were in the

 2nd row of the Burundi Church in July)

So, Fekadu and I squeezed into a row that

had two women and a man in it, and really

would only fit one more person comfortably.

 - - - - -

Gradually over the next 20 mins or so,

little boys began squeezing

their way into our row.

First, the man was forced

to move to another seat.

Then, his wife.

The last woman hung on

for as long as she could,

but by the time Fekadu

and I had 5 little boys,

and one itty bitty toddler with us 

(ha, no idea WHO he belonged to)

the woman knew there was nothing

that could be done, but to move.

All of the boys wanted to touch my

white skin and my hair,

and I said "Adelum" (no) more times

 than I can remember to stop them

 from fighting over me.

 - - - - - - -

Amongst all of this commotion,

were the beautiful sounds of

African voices singing praises to our God.

The very first song the choir sang,

was one that I knew well, only,

I didn't know the Amharic words,

so I sang out with gusto in English.

What a blessing to start

with something familiar.

 

Before heading back to Kolfe,

we stopped by an

Italian Restaurant for lunch.

I now wish I had done this more...

Only Gizachew had been out to eat before.

Emnatu, Mezgebu, Biniyam, and even Ayal

(who has been out on his own for 3 years)

had never been to a restaurant.

 - - -

Emnatu was so nervous,

he didn't want to order.

"Mom, can you order for me?"

Why did I not take this

kid out to eat sooner??

Above, at the bottom of this photo....

You can see Emnatu's plate,

he and Biniyam were

the only ones who ventured

out to get something

other than a traditional Ethiopian dish.

Both boys ordered chicken.

I asked them both if they had

ever used a fork and knife before.

It was so cute, they both said no,

and proceeded to eat very carefully.

Neither one wanting to mess up.

After they had finished, they wanted me to

judge their plates to see who had

done a better job with the utensils.

Emnatu won... there is no meat

 left on that chicken bone!

Kibret on the left, Fekadu on the right...

I had to laugh,

when I got ready to eat my first bite,

I noticed there were 7 pairs of eyes on me.

"What??  Why are you all looking at me?"

They laughed and said,

"We never see you eat!"

Very true, very true...

 - - - - - - -

John loves this photo, because he thinks

Kibret looks like TC from one of

his favorite 80s shows,  Ma*gnum PI.