Having 7 kids to call my own is a little overwhelming at times. My little Ahmesow is the hardest at this point. Try to imagine having a  new little seven year old boy, who was never expected to do anything he didn’t want to do before. He spent his time watching violent movies, eating, sleeping and playing whenever and however he wanted. Now he is yours. He has a lot of energy and enthusiasm, but he does not have the slightest inkling that you might want him to obey, and even when he understands that, he sees no reason to comply. Not only that…but he speaks ONLY Burmese! I don’t speak Burmese. Travis does not speak Burmese. Jason does not speak Burmese. Meme speaks a little Burmese, for which she is incredibly proud of herself. She has always felt that she was highly superior to everyone else anyway, so having to help me talk to Ahmesow has elevated her in her own opinion to near queenly levels. Trying to get Ahmesow to understand that he must obey whether he feels like it or not, without letting Meme sprout wings and fly away is not something that they teach in “how to be a missionary” books…if there are such things.

Hannah in the mean time is in the throes of whooping cough. She spends most of her night coughing and then throwing up. She sounds like she cannot get any air, which makes her frantic. I have to jump up, remove any bedding from the vicinity of her mouth, and then try to help her to get through her coughing and throwing up fit. This happens, maybe 20-30 times each night. In the morning, my other children, who have slept soundly through the night, are ready for action! They don’t quite understand why Mom has glassy eyes, and a fixed stare. They then go to unusual heights trying to get me to come out of my coma. When I am attempting to have my personal worship time in the morning, I have Meme on one side, commenting on everything in general, Memewah on the other side, commenting on something in particular, and Hannah, sitting on my lap trying to tell me that I am all done, and attempting to close my bible for me. While this is going on, Ahmesow will be out at the kitchen, getting into something, or being generally destructive.

Now, before you ask where in the world the boys are, and why they aren’t helping me…did I mention that there are more kids than that? These are just the youngest, who fall under my special care. Travis is taking care of the older children, and cooking, and driving people to school, picking up supplies, etc… and Jason is on an evil visa run.

What I have just described has only lasted about a week….I think…can’t quite remember how long. But, when I get overwhelmed all I have to do is sit down and actually look at these precious little ones. They are naughty…but by no fault of their own. (well, at least Ahmesow) He never had any training, and I can’t expect perfection in a couple of weeks. (I wish!) But each one of them is a gift from God, given for me to teach and train and prepare for usefulness here, and a future in heaven. God never asks us to do more than he has given us the ability to handle, in His strength. I have actually been amazed that a human being can keep going and do everything that must be done under these circumstances, but with God as my partner, I can do it. We are more than conquerors though Him who loved us, and gave himself for us.