Catch up

Where to start? So much to say since I last really posted. First a few updates...

The Gate Kids
After posting about the gate kids a few weeks ago, I e-mailed Berkley and Charlotte Hackett who I worked for in Nairobi those two summers so long ago. The Hacketts quickly became two of my favorite people during my first trip to Kenya. I'm not sure what I thought the "missionary type" was when I arrived in Nairobi, but Berkley was not at all what I envisioned a missionary to be. Berkley is bigger than life in some respects. The things God has accomplished through the Hacketts work in Nairobi over the last 30 years is just astounding.

Berkley And Charlotte Hackett

The Hacketts have braved revolutions, uprisings, government sanctions, and many, many legal an political storms over the years. Their work has produced an amazing church and technical college just a mile or so away from one of the worlds largest slums.. Mathari Valley. Their work has not always gone with out controversy. They have ruffled some feathers in Africa and the US. Berkley is a rebel in some ways, but not one with out a cause. Make no mistake, Berkley Hackett's heart is consumed with a God given love for the people, particularly the young people, of Nairobi. He and Charlotte may not be your typical missionaries, but through Christ they have dedicated their lives to the salvation and betterment of their adopted family in Kenya.

Not your typical Missionary
It took about a week or so, but I heard from Berkley. Here is an excerpt from his e-mail:

Njeri is now a senior in high school and Wachira is a sophomore. They haven't had overseas support to help them in over ten years. If you find someone to help these kids it would be great. Charlotte and I have done
what we could but with so much to do we can't do much. In fact we lost a good deal of our support in 2003 and are yet to gain it back. I could, of course, go back to the States for a few months, visit lots of people
and churches and rebuild the support base but we're no longer comfortable leaving the work and the people who depend on us for an extended period. So instead of that we go along the best we can, cutting good works that deserve to be supported. Right now Wachira has a $350.00 debt at the high school and is in danger of being expelled. Njeri is only $200.00 behind.

Eastleigh C of C in Nairobi and the KCITI Campus

I am very happy and a bit relieved to hear that the kids are OK and still in school. Even if they don't get to finish, having some high school education will give them a great advantage over many in Nairobi. Still, I hope they are able to finish school and really rise above their circumstances. It really saddens me to know that Berkley and Charlotte have had to cut good programs and not been able to give aid to the people they have loved and stayed with for so long because of whatever happened in 2003. I'm not sure what all happened in 2003. From the tidbits I have heard, it was an ugly church split that happened between the missionaries in Kenya. Missionaries are not immune to church politics and splits. I hope to find out more and perhaps start actively seeking aid for my precious African kids! E-mail me if you have any thoughts or insights in to this situation.

On the home front

Back here in Texas, things have been busy, as usual. There has been one thing on my heart and mind for the last few months that I have not been comfortable blogging about until now. I am just now to the point I don''t get all weepy when talking about it. It seems that Kolby may be dyslexic. She has not been formally diagnosed but, we are currently going through that process. Her teacher and I know that something is wrong and she shows many signs of dyslexia. There is a big discrepancy between Kolby's intellect and reading level.

It has been a heart breaking thing to watch unfold. I hate watching my sweet, bright, social, sensitive little girl struggle so hard. It kills me to hear her say that she is "reading dumb" and to painfully help her through her homework, AR books, and spelling words each night. I hate to see the gap widening between where she is and where she needs to be. I hate that her incredible little self-confidence has taken some very hard hits. BUT we still have much to be grateful for, even in this difficult situation.

As her wonderfully sweet teacher has told me time and again, Kolby is very, very bright. Socially and orally she is way ahead of the average first grader. She loves school. She wants to learn and she knows that she is smart even though she doesn't understand why she can't read as fast and easily as her classmates. Incredibly, Kolby has made mostly A's with just a few B's this year. That speaks to her ability to adapt and the coping skills she has developed on her own. But the time has come for her to get some help dealing with this... and we will get her that help! Because she is only seven, there is a great chance that she will be able to fully compensate for this reading disorder, once she is taught the right skills and techniques.

Finding help, the exact right help for Kolby, has become my focus for the last few weeks. It isn't as clear cut and easy as it may sound. We have talked to many, many wise and wonderful people who deal with this sort of thing professionally everyday. Most of them have very different views on what is best for Kolby. We are having to educate ourselves very quickly, and try to weed out what is truly best for our little girl.

Everyone agrees that we must do something now and that this summer will be crucial if we hope to close the gap and get Kolby where she needs to be to start second grade. Because she has done well in school and has no "educational need" everything we are doing, or will do, will have to be done privately and outside of the school system for now. I'm actually very grateful for this as I do not want Kolby labeled or singled out if it can be avoided.

Of course the downside to that is that we will have to pay or find funding for any programs, camps, tutors or evaluations that need to be done. All these things can be rather pricey. For example I have about $2000 dollars worth of options right now just for this summer. We can not afford all of these, and Kolby could not possibly participate in every one of these things as there are only so many hours in the day! So I am trying to find what will help her the most and give us the most "bang" for the buck. I really covet your prayers for this process.

In the mean time, we really have to work with Kolby with her homework. Spelling is a nightly chore. Unlike her classmates who just look over the list a few minutes the night before, (or so their mothers say) Kolby has to go over and over the words and sentences every night to be able to get a B on her Friday test. It really frustrates her. Last week after an especially frustrating time with spelling and reading homework, Kolby crawled in my lap and sobbed "I don't want you to be my teacher, I just want you to be my Mommy." It broke my heart. I so just wish she was three again and school was just her beloved preschool "turtle" class. My spunky three year old toddler somehow turned into a seven year old school girl. It happened so very, very fast! I look at my two years left before Rhett starts school with new eyes. I want to make the most of it!

Kolby's dsylexia came as quite a shock to my motherly pride. Up until this year, everything has come easily for Kolby. Starting at age two, every year her teachers have told me that she was one of the brightest kids in class. I never thought she would have problems reading, in fact, I thought I had done everything to instill a life long love of reading. But more than our parental pride has taken a hit as we have run the gamut of emotion during all this. There has been regret, wondering if something could have been done to prevent this. There has been guilt, thinking that I saw the signs and ignored them for months. I have been angry because my little girl has to deal with this. I have felt cheated as all this seems so unfair to her. I have stressed and worried about what this would mean for Kolby's future. I have cried at seeing her feel broken and defeated when unable to read as fast and as accurately as she wants to. Now I am at a point of acceptance and my focus has shifted to coping and making the best of this.

I truly believe that Kolby can and will overcome dyslexia and be a better person for it! Rob and I will do what ever it takes to get her the help she needs. We have all of our family backing and supporting us. I know that every person must struggle. Struggling is part of life, every life, even my little girl's life. I firmly believe that the God who blessed us with this wonderful little girl will help her and us through this latest challenge. I pray we all learn from this and further appreciate our God given blessings and abilities. I know there are much, much worse things that could happen. Dyslexia is not something that has to ruin a life. And it really helps to know that God has our back! So even if I mess up, God loves Kolby and Rhett more than I ever could and he will not abandon them. I always thought having children would bring me closer to God...I just had no idea how close.

So that's the update. Seems my heart and mind are consumed with my kids..both here and abroad. This post is so long it will take a few days to read. I'll check back in around Wednesday! I have missed getting to "chat" regularly with my blog world friends. I really appreciate the e-mails from those making sure we were still here and OK. We are! Now I am off to surf my blog list to see what the rest of you have been up to. See you soon in blog world! : )