Checkups for the Kids

Wow we are already half way through our trip. This has gone by so fast!
Today we drove almost two hours out to Quita's orphanage located in the bush (for the second time). We caught a ride with the two missionary couples; Elder+Sister Kimball and Elder+Sister Kirkham. We love them to pieces!
When we arrived all the little orphans ran outside to greet us. Inside, Quita introduced all of us to the caretakers, advisors, security and cooks. They are all very gracious and love having company. My Mom and Dad sat in one of the rooms off to the side and had all the kids line up outside the door. My parents did small head to toe checkups on each child and gave each one worming medicine and any other special medicine they needed. Us kids read to the children waiting in line. They still had all the books we gave them last time; they absolutely love them! The missionaries who came with us donated a soccer ball to the orphanage; they were busy playing catch with the kids outside. My siblings and I stayed inside to help our parents.
Dad would look in the children's eyes, mouth, and ears, and listen to their heart and lungs, while mom would look for blemishes, fungus, and rashes on their skin and heads, GG would hand the kids their pills and a cup of water, Meg would stick a sticker on their hand and Lawrence would give them a peppermint candy for a job well done. If any of the smaller children started crying or were upset M.C. would hold them until they were calm. The kids loved her! For the most part the kids looked pretty good; a few had colds and a few others had ring worm. There were also a few distended tummies probably from malnutrition.
Word that a "doctor" was in the orphanage traveled like forest fire. All the village moms and their kids tried to push into line to get checked and medicated. But because of our time constraint, we were barely able to finish the orphans. So we gave the village kids stickers and candy to make sure their feelings weren't hurt. Quita is having a difficult time right now raising enough money to buy food for these kids. She makes coal from the rubber trees and sells that for money. Everyone uses coal to cook with over here in Liberia so there is a huge market for this type of fuel. Making coal is quite a process. You have to stack the wood from the tree in a certain way and then light a fire in the middle of the pile, then you cover this huge mound with just enough dirt that you don't put out the fire yet it is hot enough to smolder and create coal. This takes around three days to complete. It is more difficult right now though because of the heavy rains.
The orphanage children and staff members eat rice three times a day. Quita told us they go through a 50 pound bag of rice in 4-5 days; she said they also feed some village schoolchildren during the school day. We have recently helped them fund a bag of rice and some extra funds to get some protein into their diet. We enjoyed being with all the children and staff at Quita's orphanage - they are cheerful and fun despite their circumstances. Please think of them in your prayers!
~Golden Kids :)