Help

I have way too much to do today to spend this time adding a post. Ok, now that I got that off my chest...

Over the years I have had several girls come and stay with me to help aound the house or with my kids. They stay for a few months or a year or longer. O.'s sister, Martha, was the longest. She's at college now.

For anyone who has ever had someone come and live with them, you know how it is a strange transition from being just your family to having this other person there.

Yesterday, Phoebe came. She is the niece of a man who works with us. She came straight from the village. She's never lived in a city before. At her home there is no electricity, no running water, no gas stoves. So, we're starting from scratch. When Martha came to live with us she didn't even know Hindi, just her village language. Well, at least Phoebe and I can communicate. At least, I communicate. She nods. In two days I haven't heard her speak a work. Oh well, it won't be long til she's talking my ear off.

Her three sisters are in our children's home and her dad is coming to help us with our Bible College by making food for the students. Phoebe's mom died after giving birth to baby Zarina who is about 16 months old. Zarina is in our Children's Home with Asha and Keziah her sisters. Asha came when her uncle came to work for us in Dec. 2003. She had been living with his family since she was 3. Keziah came a few months after her mom died, Zarina about 10 months later and now Phoebe is at my house. (There are 2 brothers too who study in a children's home/orphanage in Rajasthan.) So I guess Phoebe and her dad should be happy here.

Her uncle came and saw me washing the dishes yesterday and said, give it to Phoebe, she'll do it. I said, we're just taking it slow. I just had her watch the girls for me last night while O. and I went to a meeting. I came home and there was red crayon scribbled all over , I mean ALL OVER, E. & C.'s bedroom. Arg. I said to Phoebe, "If she (C.) ever goes to do anything like this again, say NO and take the crayon away. She'll cry and scream and make a big scene but she's not allowed to do this." I doubt that will be the end of scribbled walls though.

She is going to be very helpful, I know. It's just going to be wonderful to not have to drag E. & C. everywhere I go. To be able to go shopping and not have to run home because we have to reach there before E. gets dropped off by the school van.

Phoebe does seem to run on village speed (slow). This morning I said to her, "This is the city. We do everything fast here." I think she caught on.

Hopefully she'll start speaking to me soon.