Here's a picture of the Grobler family. I am just writing an entry about a day in the life of Ruth in a wee bit of detail. It is hard to understand how much she has sacrificed unless you have been here personally to see her work towards her passion.
These last couple weeks have been very trying for Mel and I. We live with the family 24/7 and one day off that consists of three hours to the mall or to the beach. Space is limited and I find myself going outside at night after the children are asleep to take a breath of air. But what I have experienced this last month is absolutely nothing compared to what Ruth has been experiencing for the last 4 years.
Around 5:30 I will insert my foam earplugs to muffle out the waking of the house. First Ruth is awake and Jake is soon to follow. You can hear him with his high pitched voice calling out, “mommy, mommy may I have some tea?” Not too soon after is Mary. She’s relatively quite. But once 6 am comes around Siyabonga needs to be woken up to take his anti-rets, Jake joining him for his morning cocktail. By this time the earplugs don’t do much because now I can hear teenage voices yelling every demand to their mother. Ruth relentlessly gives in. With the chaos of getting the kids dressed, hair done, lunches done, breakfast and not forgetting herself, I finally stagger out of bed (readint this back I should actaully get up and help!) to drive Ruth and the kids to work. If it is raining, Jay will need a ride to school because he has been in two accidents driving his bike in the rain.
Many of you know I am not a morning person. I have to endure four children and two screaming teenagers at 7am. I look forward to dropping off the last of them so I can have peace and quite with Ruth. It takes about another half hour to drive Ruth to work. I drop her off and turn up the music for my 30/45 minute journey back to 2 Wager Ave. From 8:30 to around 1 pm the house is nice and quite. Just Mel, Thandi (the maid) and moi. Unless it’s a holiday in which the kids will stay at home and a 6 hour day turns to a 12 hours day. The last two weeks have been a holiday and as of now the car is broken so the wee ones can’t get to school, therefore they are at home.
12:30 comes around and I have to go fetch the wee ones from school. They usually fall asleep by the time I get back home, very nice! They nap till around 3, maybe a wee bit earlier. When 3 hits that’s where I have to be creative to keep them busy. I am seriously lacking in productivity when it comes to keeping them occupied. When Mel and I first came we were all gung ho and ready to play sport with them, colour, you name it. One month here and all interest in activity is gone.
So we try to keep them entertained till around 4/4:30 then send them off to the bath. Believe it or not I actually have been cooking dinner each night. While they are bathing I cook dinner for them and Mel keeps an eye on them so they don’t get the floors completely wet, wee in a cup or on the floor (boys will be boys!!!), or stop them from fighting. They usually stay in the tub till around 5 and usually dinner is ready by then. If not I will just turn the television on to keep them from running the house down. Usually works for only Simon and sometimes Jake. I finally get dinner ready and they’re usually very good at the table while they eat. 6 o’clock comes around and it’s time again for Siya and Jakes cocktails. Ruth will usually walk in around that time.
So she’s already had a 12 hour day and I promise you as soon as she steps into the house all the kids, including the teenagers, latch on to her like a bee to honey. Something triggers in Jake and he starts to wine. Justin and Taz are demanding something. Simon starts to wine. Yhew!! I thought the mornings were bad! So she tries her hardest to give attention to her 6 children and relax from her long day. I don’t think she ever has time to relax!
7 pm comes around and it’s bedtime for the wee ones. They have to make a wee before they go to bed and that can be a challenge sometimes. Their bedroom is one big bedroom that they share with their mother. Ruth will usually settle them in with a book. You will hear little whispers and sometimes yelling for about an hour until silence comes across. Ahhhhh!!! So it’s usually about 8 pm. Finally things start to settle in the house. The teenagers are winding down and Ruth will usually spend time with them till around 9. After 9 sometimes 10 she will get her laptop and do Sinakekele business. It is the only time that she get check her e-mails, check property, banking, all the things that one would do during the day or on the weekend. Around 11/12 she crawls into bed with Mary and catches about 5/6 hours of sleep till she starts her day again.
Her weekends consists of trying to organize the house and catch up on things that she has left for so long. With the kids running around it’s hard to get things done because they get into everything!!
If you don’t know the house that Ruth is renting out right now has been put up for sale so she’s on the look out to purchase property. If that doesn’t work out, she’s got to rent another house. One Sunday after a two day weekend to herself, she came back home to some problems. The same day she had to look at property and then return home to a barking teenager. I have never seen her break down, but that day she broke down.
For four years now this is what Ruth has been dealing with. No breaks in sight, no long term support in her grasp. I’ve convinced myself if this was anyone else they would’ve quit by now. I know I would’ve. I know I’m already considered it and I’ve only been here for less than a month. But I have to go back and remember why I’m here and why she’s doing what she’s doing.
Ruth was telling me that we have to put our heads together to get some funding in. I mentioned to her the only way you’re going to start getting regular support is to start taking in babies in again and adopting them out internationally. TLC (a home for abandoned babies in Johannesburg) gets about %80 of their funds internationally, most of it being from families that have adopted from TLC. So I’m thinking that would be the best thing to do to get regular funding. No response.
The next morning while driving to work she said she needs to start taking in babies again! Yes!! So she now has set goals. She needs to get a bigger space. A house for her family and a flat for the volunteers. Next goal is to have at least two babies at Sinakekele by August.
Now is the time to move. She’s ready to move. We’re all eager to get going!!!!! I’m feeling very optimistic, anxious, excited and again, very eager!! I’m sure the next few months will be full of big changes for me, Mel and Sinakekele. Keep us all in your thoughts and especially your prayers!! Till next time!
These last couple weeks have been very trying for Mel and I. We live with the family 24/7 and one day off that consists of three hours to the mall or to the beach. Space is limited and I find myself going outside at night after the children are asleep to take a breath of air. But what I have experienced this last month is absolutely nothing compared to what Ruth has been experiencing for the last 4 years.
Around 5:30 I will insert my foam earplugs to muffle out the waking of the house. First Ruth is awake and Jake is soon to follow. You can hear him with his high pitched voice calling out, “mommy, mommy may I have some tea?” Not too soon after is Mary. She’s relatively quite. But once 6 am comes around Siyabonga needs to be woken up to take his anti-rets, Jake joining him for his morning cocktail. By this time the earplugs don’t do much because now I can hear teenage voices yelling every demand to their mother. Ruth relentlessly gives in. With the chaos of getting the kids dressed, hair done, lunches done, breakfast and not forgetting herself, I finally stagger out of bed (readint this back I should actaully get up and help!) to drive Ruth and the kids to work. If it is raining, Jay will need a ride to school because he has been in two accidents driving his bike in the rain.
Many of you know I am not a morning person. I have to endure four children and two screaming teenagers at 7am. I look forward to dropping off the last of them so I can have peace and quite with Ruth. It takes about another half hour to drive Ruth to work. I drop her off and turn up the music for my 30/45 minute journey back to 2 Wager Ave. From 8:30 to around 1 pm the house is nice and quite. Just Mel, Thandi (the maid) and moi. Unless it’s a holiday in which the kids will stay at home and a 6 hour day turns to a 12 hours day. The last two weeks have been a holiday and as of now the car is broken so the wee ones can’t get to school, therefore they are at home.
12:30 comes around and I have to go fetch the wee ones from school. They usually fall asleep by the time I get back home, very nice! They nap till around 3, maybe a wee bit earlier. When 3 hits that’s where I have to be creative to keep them busy. I am seriously lacking in productivity when it comes to keeping them occupied. When Mel and I first came we were all gung ho and ready to play sport with them, colour, you name it. One month here and all interest in activity is gone.
So we try to keep them entertained till around 4/4:30 then send them off to the bath. Believe it or not I actually have been cooking dinner each night. While they are bathing I cook dinner for them and Mel keeps an eye on them so they don’t get the floors completely wet, wee in a cup or on the floor (boys will be boys!!!), or stop them from fighting. They usually stay in the tub till around 5 and usually dinner is ready by then. If not I will just turn the television on to keep them from running the house down. Usually works for only Simon and sometimes Jake. I finally get dinner ready and they’re usually very good at the table while they eat. 6 o’clock comes around and it’s time again for Siya and Jakes cocktails. Ruth will usually walk in around that time.
So she’s already had a 12 hour day and I promise you as soon as she steps into the house all the kids, including the teenagers, latch on to her like a bee to honey. Something triggers in Jake and he starts to wine. Justin and Taz are demanding something. Simon starts to wine. Yhew!! I thought the mornings were bad! So she tries her hardest to give attention to her 6 children and relax from her long day. I don’t think she ever has time to relax!
7 pm comes around and it’s bedtime for the wee ones. They have to make a wee before they go to bed and that can be a challenge sometimes. Their bedroom is one big bedroom that they share with their mother. Ruth will usually settle them in with a book. You will hear little whispers and sometimes yelling for about an hour until silence comes across. Ahhhhh!!! So it’s usually about 8 pm. Finally things start to settle in the house. The teenagers are winding down and Ruth will usually spend time with them till around 9. After 9 sometimes 10 she will get her laptop and do Sinakekele business. It is the only time that she get check her e-mails, check property, banking, all the things that one would do during the day or on the weekend. Around 11/12 she crawls into bed with Mary and catches about 5/6 hours of sleep till she starts her day again.
Her weekends consists of trying to organize the house and catch up on things that she has left for so long. With the kids running around it’s hard to get things done because they get into everything!!
If you don’t know the house that Ruth is renting out right now has been put up for sale so she’s on the look out to purchase property. If that doesn’t work out, she’s got to rent another house. One Sunday after a two day weekend to herself, she came back home to some problems. The same day she had to look at property and then return home to a barking teenager. I have never seen her break down, but that day she broke down.
For four years now this is what Ruth has been dealing with. No breaks in sight, no long term support in her grasp. I’ve convinced myself if this was anyone else they would’ve quit by now. I know I would’ve. I know I’m already considered it and I’ve only been here for less than a month. But I have to go back and remember why I’m here and why she’s doing what she’s doing.
Ruth was telling me that we have to put our heads together to get some funding in. I mentioned to her the only way you’re going to start getting regular support is to start taking in babies in again and adopting them out internationally. TLC (a home for abandoned babies in Johannesburg) gets about %80 of their funds internationally, most of it being from families that have adopted from TLC. So I’m thinking that would be the best thing to do to get regular funding. No response.
The next morning while driving to work she said she needs to start taking in babies again! Yes!! So she now has set goals. She needs to get a bigger space. A house for her family and a flat for the volunteers. Next goal is to have at least two babies at Sinakekele by August.
Now is the time to move. She’s ready to move. We’re all eager to get going!!!!! I’m feeling very optimistic, anxious, excited and again, very eager!! I’m sure the next few months will be full of big changes for me, Mel and Sinakekele. Keep us all in your thoughts and especially your prayers!! Till next time!
1 comment:
Hey Cindee dear! Thanks again for these news...its so good to know what is actually going on with you, Mel, Ruth and Sinakekele...I'm so glad you're there with her...And I'll be praying for an extra dose of patience for you guys, you probably need it! ;)
I hope that getting that second car will relieve you from quite a bit of stress and tough organizing...
Give my love to Ruth!
xoxoxoxoxo
Post a Comment