Ntokozo Update

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to pop in with an update on our newest family member, Ntokozo.  Okay, so everyone, her name is pronounced En-tah-koh-zoh.  Does that help?? :)  She was brought to us by the woman that ministers to her through Baby Safe, Danielle, on Friday afternoon, and this new chapter has begun!  What is so interesting to me (among like a MILLION other things), is that just having Ntokozo brings so many different thoughts and feelings and questions into my mind.  It makes you think about every little step you do in your house, and if it honors or offends someone who has been brought up with so much less.  We live our lives just how we want to, and rarely honestly think about how others would think about it; but we no longer have that luxury.  I wonder how Ntokozo feels about our guest bed?  Is our food too 'white'?  How is Kieren raised in comparison to kids she is around?  Wow, Kieren has a little too many toys, right?  I'm going to grab my sunglasses, does she even own sunglasses? And the list goes on....  But underneath the questions, is the reality of this new world and I think overall it's going well.  It is obvious to me that Ntokozo is pretty overwhelmed by it all, but I don't think she hates it, it's just very foreign.  We had dinner plans last night so we took Kieren to a baby-sitter and left her home alone.  She worked on homework and I think she welcomed some space of quiet in the midst of a lot of change.  This morning we had a slow wake up and made lunch for a day at the beach.  We took a long route on the coast to Camp's Bay, which is a beautiful, tourist beach near the city.  There we met a group of people from Hillsong for a beach party and hung out all day in the beautiful Cape Town sun.  Michael Jenkins and Casey played volleyball while we hung out with some others.  It was relaxing and gorgeous and almost felt like we were on vacation.  Ntokozo was very quiet all day but seemed to enjoy the new scenery.  We came home and rested and then had our Hillsong friends Brad and Kate over with their daughter (and Kieren's new bestie) Bailey.  We had dinner and hung out watching rugby and the girls playing. Again, Ntokozo was quiet, and would talk a bit when we asked her questions, but just seemed to take it all in.  Then she just went to bed pretty early, around 9pm.  So that is that, our the end of our first day with our new family member, Ntokozo.

Thoughts?  I don't know, it's hard for me being so umm... verbal (really??) and then living with someone so quiet.  It's hard to 'read' her and know how she is feeling about all this; I wish I could just get in her head for a minute.  It must be SO MUCH to take in, and when I did ask her some questions, she is feeling many things, as she is missing her family a bit, but also glad to be away because they are abusive (which she spoke a bit about).  So complex, so painful, and so BIG.  That, I think, is where she is.  WE, the Prince's, are at peace, just knowing that we have been obedient to God, and knowing that only God can really make this work anyways.  She needs healing, love, security, and lots of God.  We pray she can find all those things while living in our home.

Major prayers still needed!  Keep them coming!!

Love you,
Sarah