Love vs. Inhaling
Helium: Valentines Day for the Eighth Grade Guys
Someone brought us one of those variety boxes of
different types of chips from the states. They were the kind of bags that you
might have put in your lunchbox when you were a kid. It was a great thrill, and
it became almost like a poker game. `I trade you two Doritos for one Cheetos.’ I think I could eat one of those bags in one gulp
when I was a kid; we lingered over our bags and our trades for almost an
hour.
Fritos can be FUN.
Each high school class works at raising money for all of
their four years to go on their senior trip, and one of the ways that sophomores
raise money is by selling helium balloons for Valentines Day. Helium is hard to find in
We noticed that there were more balloons delivered to
the dorm than one would expect-- eighth grade guys just don’t generally get lots
of stuff on Valentines Day; if they get anything, it’s from an older sister
whose motives are suspect because they know how much the guy will get teased.
But we were getting lots and lots delivered, and finally found out why: they
were buying them for themselves so they could inhale the helium and talk
funny.
Love is SUCH an eighth grade
thing.
The headmaster told me something that chilled me to the
bone. He thanked me for the books, because the library had now doubled in
size.
It is a long steep ride home, but some days it seems
steeper than others.
(From the car going back to
RVA)
We did get a report from another school that they were
now requiring students to come to classes in the afternoon because the food
enabled them to concentrate longer. Thank you for what you have done with this
program.
And, we go “live” with the computer center this month.
Sometimes things that are meaningful to me might not make sense to you because
of the context, and I risk that by telling you that we experienced a true
miracle with the computers. They got to our mission headquarters in NY on a
Monday and they were in our house in
The people who handle sending items to
In addition, I had budgeted thousands of dollars for
duty and customs, and it cost me less than the two fruitcakes a nice friend of
ours sent to us. We are truly blessed, but continue to ask for your prayers;
there is much that still needs to be worked out.
Today is a duo anniversary for us. The twins were
legally adopted a year ago today. We are making progress on all the paperwork we
need to get in order to return to the states in July, but it has proved to be as
difficult and stressful as anything we have done in
Whenever I feel stressed by it, Katie reminds me that in
Top: Stephen Wrigley Peifer Bottom:
Katie & Ben enjoying their favorite pastime—getting
dirty!
Stephen was born six years ago today. It used to be such
a hard day, but I look at the twins, and the 8000+ kids at the schools we feed,
and the amazing life we live now because of his life, and I can see him in
almost everything I do, and everything I see.
Your pal
Steve
Stateside
Address:
Phone:
011-254-20-32046-252
http://peifer.kijabe.org