The Life & Times of Louis & Amber - Ladies Man

As one of the oldest in a large family, I quickly learned there are advantages to infant siblings. Namely, that they are a good way to get the chicks. For whatever reason O'Tool babies tend to be much more adorable when they are young, and steadily become more annoying/repulsive as they grow older. So you really need to take advantage when you're young. Unfortunately, I didn't learn this when I was still small and adorable. Fortunately my parents proved fertile enough to allow me to take advantage of the fleeting O'Tool adorableness vicariously. In other words, as a teenager, us older boys used the small ones to attract female attention.

There are few times in life when you have a camera when you need it. Today was one of those times. The sequence of photos below will tell the story. Lerato-a 2 year old girl, and Tumi-a 2 year old boy, decided to join us for homework time today. Obviously, Tumi is more intelligent than I was at his age. He's learned how to turn his own charm to his advantage, thereby eliminating the need for younger siblings. See the progression below. Ladies, you tell me if you could have resisted.





Lerato - As you can see, it's no wonder Tumi felt such attraction.











Tumi - Simply irresistible.











The idea in it's formative stages















The part where most chicken out















Paydirt
















And who hasn't been here before...um, me neither












Not sure if he's gloating, or planning for next time










A picture is worth a thousand words.

The Life & Times of Louis & Amber - Bad News/Good News

Normally on the blog I try to get a good mix of lighthearted anecdotes along with stories of the more serious aspects of our ministry. While I hate to throw such heavy reading on you twice in a row, that’s the reality of life here; you never know when you will receive news that can rock your world. Following is a story that may break your heart. I know it does mine.

The Pines capacity is currently 24 children. We had 22 until one of our boys went to live with his father in December. Some quick math will tell you this left us with 3 open spaces. This is not common, as normally we are forced to turn people away. We decided a couple weeks ago that we should pray for God to fill us to capacity while bringing just the right children whom we could serve best.

Warning: Prayer can be a dangerous thing. Within 24 hours, Lois received requests to take in 7 children. There were three children in one family, whose mother and father had both been admitted to the hospital for undisclosed care. Another set of three came from a family in Hani Park. From previous updates you may remember Hani Park as one of the roughest places to live. The mother of these children is in hospice care, meaning her outlook seems grim. The last child was needing care, but we are not sure what the reason was.

After some discussion, we determined we could handle these, as most of them would only be here on a temporary basis. That afternoon the first three arrived. These kids stayed only for a few days, when a relative from another province arrived to care for them while the parents remained hospitalized.

When the day passed without any word on the other children, Lois contacted the social worker to see why the children hadn’t arrived. Social workers here each are assigned to a zone, and then they also work a rotating schedule for “emergency” situations. Lois learned from the social worker that had initially contacted us that it had been determined that the single boy had a place to live, so by providing a food parcel, he would be cared for sufficiently.

The other three had not come because when the social workers arrived to fetch them, no one was home. Lois queried as to what would be done, as obviously the situation hadn’t just corrected itself. She was told that now another social worker was on the “emergency” list, so word would be passed along. After a couple days and additional calls, it was clear that the case was not proceeding.

Then came one of those days you wish could be forgotten. The Pines received a call from the hospice that was caring for the mother of the three children. They requested that we come help, as tragedy had struck. When Brian & Lois arrived in Hani Park, they learned that the oldest child, a 9 year old girl, had decided that life was no longer worth the struggle. She had committed suicide by laying down on the train tracks. In addition, she had tried to get her 7 year old brother to join her, even to the point of attempting to hold him on the tracks with her. He was able to struggle and escape, but her life was quickly ended.

That day Brian & Lois brought the boy-Ndephewe, along with the 15 month old sister (whose name I can neither spell or pronounce), back to The Pines for care. Thankfully, the mother was in favor of this, and seems grateful for the assistance. The Niehoff’s also assisted with the funeral plans and preparations, as funerals are, or have become, very important to this culture.
Ndephewe, as you would imagine, remains traumatized by the event, having witnessed his sister’s suicide, and having narrowly escaped himself. He is willing to talk about what occurred, which seems to be a step in the right direction. We have learned that children can be tremendously resilient, as so many of our kids have seen and experienced more than we can even imagine. He has adjusted to life at The Pines very well. Already he is enrolled in Dunamis, the Christian school our children attend, and appears to be thriving. The kids here do a wonderful job accepting and helping the new kids as they arrive, and he is already assisting in the normal mischief of the boys his age.

The baby arrived malnourished, with sores on her face and body. The sores are already healing and she is showing more strength every day. While she is almost a year and a half old, her development is similar to Drake-our 5 month old. The mothers are doing a great job caring for and nourishing her, and we are confident that God will bless and bring her to full strength quickly.



Last Saturday the funeral for the older sister was held. I attended with several of our older children and one of the mamas, who came along to care for the baby. At first, Ndephewe seemed tentative, even a bit shy. It’s hard to tell whether that was because of the somber event, or because of his return home. After a half hour or so, he warmed up and soon was running and playing with the other children. Oftentimes, funerals become a social event. It seemed as if Ndephewe forgot completely what was going on and just enjoyed being back with the children he knows. Again, tragedy and death have become such a part of the culture that it seems so commonplace. There isn’t a person here that hasn’t experienced the death of a close friend of family member.

As a member of The Pines, and possibly as the only Caucasian, I garnered more than my share of attention. While not on the program to speak, they carved out a few minutes for me to speak. I was not notified of this beforehand, but after spending almost a year here, we’ve learned to be prepared for about anything. It gave me a wonderful opportunity to share the message of salvation in Jesus Christ. I noted that life is full of news, both good and bad. While we were gathered because of bad news, God has given us the best news anyone can ever receive-assurance of eternal life in heaven. Given the impact of death on this culture, it is imperative to make a decision on your eternal destiny today. Regardless of where you live, no one is promised the next breath, let alone another day or year.

As I said, funerals are a social event. The speaking, preaching, and singing went on for several hours, and the crowd continued to grow. Soon it was time to head to the cemetery for the burial. Transportation is at a premium, and we had the biggest vehicle around. I started getting requests for a ride a good hour before we left, and by time I got back to the van, a crowd had gathered and I had to fight my way through to the door. I made sure The Pines children got in first, then there was a free for all. After we got to the cemetery about a mile away, I counted the passengers. In a 12 passenger van 28 adults had packed themselves in, along with the 8 children from The Pines.

After another hour or so of singing and speaking at the gravesite the burial started. I had wanted to get a few photos, but right as the shovels arrived the battery in my camera died. I was quickly handed a shovel and pitched in to help. No one leaves the graveside until its filled. As soon as I started to throw dirt, about 10 people rushed over with their cell phones to get a photo. Apparently it was a novelty for me to be involved in the process. I don’t write this to minimize the tragedy-throughout the whole day I couldn’t forget why we were here, and what circumstances had led us to be burying a child who should have been just starting life. One of the most poignant reminders of life in South Africa came at the gravesite; on one side – a row of empty graves waiting for the next child, on the other – a row of freshly filled graves. And during the entire graveside ceremony there were 4 guys about 50 feet away digging more graves.

For whatever reason, God blessed me and allowed me to be brought up in a loving home, a home where Christ was preached. I was raised in the richest country the world has ever known. And this girl from the day she was born barely had a chance. Our heart’s cry out to God that we can continue to reach people and restore hope to a society where it is not known. Not just reach people with food, clothing, shelter, and education, but reach them with everlasting hope-the joy of knowing Jesus Christ as a friend and Savior.



P.S. After the burial it is customary to provide a meal. Maybe that’s another reason why funerals garner such a crowd. I’ll be the first to say I was a bit tentative coming in, but was I ever wrong. While the food was definitely African, and prepared African-style over an open flame in big pots, it was delicious. I’m going to have to get the recipe from one of our mamas.

The Mpemvana Boys

In our December update we told how we were able to take many of The Pines kids back to their old neighborhoods to visit friends and family. On our blog I shared a brief story of the three boys from Phomolong, a township about 30 minutes from Welkom.
When we arrived, the three boys were greeted warmly. The oldest, Tankiso, in particular seemed to be a favorite of the entire community. Everyone who saw him had to run over and pinch his cheek or give him a big hug. I’ve never met an 11 year old that seemed to have as big a fan base as this boy.
For anyone who knows him, it is easy see why he seems to be a favorite. While only 11, he is very mature and responsible, yet still able to have fun. The three boys have two olders sisters, ages 17 and 14, who still live in Phomolong as the social workers have deemed them able to fend for themselves.
Even though he is not the oldest, it is clear Tankiso has taken it on himself to care for the younger two. Anytime someone is doling out candy, toys, clothing, etc...Tankiso makes sure his brothers are not overlooked.
While my dad was here he noticed during Bible Study that when candy was given for correct answers, Tankiso would eat one piece, then save two. It seems he was making sure to keep enough to be able to share with the two younger boys.
On our way through the township to find the boys home, we found the oldest sister. She directed us to the auntie’s house because the mother is no longer living at the same place as when we received the boys a year ago. The three boys were removed because of neglect and poor living conditions, and it seems things have only gotten worse since then.
When we reached the auntie’s house, there was a big celebration, as this was the first time any of them had seen the youngest since the boys had been removed from the home. Two aunts made a point to thank and bless my mother, whom they thought was the one who had been taking care of Tumi. Over and over they kept saying how we had “saved his life”. Of course, since the boyscame to The Pines at the end of January last year, we weren’t the ones here, but there is little doubt that if they hadn’t received the care they did, Tumi would not be alive today.
Once things calmed down just a bit, someone thought to go find the boy’s mother. While they were removed for neglect and poor living conditions, apparently things had only gotten worse, and the mother no longer lived in the same house where the boys were from. After a few minutes, while everyone else was still enjoying the reunion, the mother arrived.
It was clear from everyone’s reaction that this was not a happy home. When they realized she was there, Tshidiso (5 years) instantly broke into tears and went to the oldest sister. Tankiso moved back behind one of the aunts, almost as if he was hoping she wouldn’t notice him. Tumi was oblivious and didn’t even seem to recognize her.
The mother took Tumi and held him, but for all anyone could tell, he thought she was a stranger. Eventually, the other two boys responded to prompting and hugged her, but the awkwardness was evident to all, and the hug didn’t last long.
Tankiso quickly excused himself and asked me if he could go down the street to visit some friends. I followed along just to make sure things would be ok. Again, I was amazed at the reception. Everyone knew this guy, and everyone seemed to love him.
Eventually, we had to declare our intention to leave. A crowd had gathered of probably 75 people, and it seemed that the festivities would have lasted all day if we hadn’t insisted it was time to go. We have learned that goodbyes are a process, so you have to plan ahead and get the process started early. This time was no exception. The crowd migrated from the auntie’s yard to the road, then surrounding our car, then to a neighbor’s house, then again back to our car.
Finally, we were able to get everyone loaded up. On the way to the township, my dad had purchased a Coke for the boys. I had noticed that Tankiso wouldn’t drink, only giving it to Tshidiso and Tumi. When it was time to go, I saw him pull out the half-full bottle and give it to his older sisters. Apparently he had been rationing it so there would be enough to give to them.
Perhaps because of the uncertainty of life goodbyes have grown into such an event. We didn’t know at the time, but it would be the last time the boys were able to see their mother. We received word in mid-January that she had passed away.
Funerals are also quite an event. While our family was out of town, Brian & Lois Niehoff made sure to be involved. We learned that in this culture, if you are a twin there are special funeral customs. First, the funeral must start early - as in 4:30 am. Brian was certain that since nothing happens on time, he could arrive at 5:00 and still make it. When he got there at 5:00, everything was over and they were already serving lunch.
Culturally, it is customary for the family of the deceased to provide a meal. Since the mother was a twin, we found out they only had half a meal - dumplings and vegetables only, no meat.
Another tradition is that the surviving twin will climb into the coffin first, then climb into the open grave. I guess that is supposed to extend the life of the survivor. When we expressed to the housemothers our surprise at some of these customs, they were also surprised until learning she was a twin. Once they knew that, they responded as if all this was as it should be.
The week leading up to the funeral, the family requested that the boys stay in Phomolong. They wanted to ensure that the boys would be there for the funeral. Since these children have been entrusted to our care, we were leary of leaving them. In an effort to accommodate the family, we allowed the boys to spend the afternoon and night before with the family as long as one of the housemothers stayed with them. When Brian and several other Pines children arrived the next morning, he found the boys were still sleeping. Apparently the family had decided that 4:30 am is too early for the boys to get up, so they were allowed to sleep through the whole thing.
One blessing we experienced is that the other Pines children took the opportunity to speak to many people about their eternal destination. The 14 year old sister in particular was very concerned. She told them that she wanted to be sure she would be in Heaven, but she didn’t know how. Several of the kids shared with her that the Bible says Heaven is a free gift.
They explained that you don’t have to do anything to merit eternal life. It is simply an issue of belief. You have to admit that you are a sinner and accept that Jesus paid the punishment for your sin. Once you do that, God accepts your debt of sin as paid. The sister said she would do that, and with the kids there, she prayed, asking God for eternal life for herself. While the life these children have led is difficult, what greater blessing than to know for certain you will be in Heaven.

The Life & Times of Louis & Amber - Community Development

In December we took each of our kids back to their old neighborhoods to give them a chance to see old friends. Three of our boys come from a township called Phomolong. While things were pretty calm when we were there, Brian & Lois Niehoff, our co-workers, told us the last time they were there it was very unsettling. There were crowds of people gathered in the roads, and people were burning tires and blockading sections of streets, apparently in some sort of protest.

Brian & Lois have been in South Africa for almost 3 years, and have done much more traveling than we have. They have seen a few of the rough neighborhoods around the country. Brian in particular has seen his fair share of poverty. They said they have never felt the way they did that day. It can be a bit unnerving knowing the crime statistics, and knowing how common hi-jackings can be.

Anyway, all this to say that Phomolong is not the nicest place to be.

So this particular day we went out with the three boys to find their old home. My parents, Frank & Maggie, went along since they were visiting at the time. As we make the turn to enter the township, we see this building. For whatever reason, it struck us all as a bit ironic. From the first photo, I think it's clear that the building in question is a Community Development Center. The second photo reveals the irony. Apparently development doesn't extend to the roof.




If anyone reading this is in charge of a Community Development Committee, and you're looking to hire someone to head the project, check and see if they have Phomolong Community Development Coordinator on their resume. Because if they do, it may not be advisable to hire them. Just a suggestion.

An interesting article

The following article was sent to me by a friend of ours who was on a team here in March 2008. I found it very insightful.

As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God

Missionaries, not aid money, are the solution to Africa's biggest problem - the crushing passivity of the people's mindset

Matthew Parris
Before Christmas I returned, after 45 years, to the country that as a boy I knew as Nyasaland. Today it's Malawi, and The Times Christmas Appeal includes a small British charity working there. Pump Aid helps rural communities to install a simple pump, letting people keep their village wells sealed and clean. I went to see this work.
It inspired me, renewing my flagging faith in development charities. But travelling in Malawi refreshed another belief, too: one I've been trying to banish all my life, but an observation I've been unable to avoid since my African childhood. It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God.
Now a confirmed atheist, I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people's hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.
I used to avoid this truth by applauding - as you can - the practical work of mission churches in Africa. It's a pity, I would say, that salvation is part of the package, but Christians black and white, working in Africa, do heal the sick, do teach people to read and write; and only the severest kind of secularist could see a mission hospital or school and say the world would be better without it. I would allow that if faith was needed to motivate missionaries to help, then, fine: but what counted was the help, not the faith.
But this doesn't fit the facts. Faith does more than support the missionary; it is also transferred to his flock. This is the effect that matters so immensely, and which I cannot help observing.
First, then, the observation. We had friends who were missionaries, and as a child I stayed often with them; I also stayed, alone with my little brother, in a traditional rural African village. In the city we had working for us Africans who had converted and were strong believers. The Christians were always different. Far from having cowed or confined its converts, their faith appeared to have liberated and relaxed them. There was a liveliness, a curiosity, an engagement with the world - a directness in their dealings with others - that seemed to be missing in traditional African life. They stood tall.
At 24, travelling by land across the continent reinforced this impression. From Algiers to Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon and the Central African Republic, then right through the Congo to Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya, four student friends and I drove our old Land Rover to Nairobi.
We slept under the stars, so it was important as we reached the more populated and lawless parts of the sub-Sahara that every day we find somewhere safe by nightfall. Often near a mission.
Whenever we entered a territory worked by missionaries, we had to acknowledge that something changed in the faces of the people we passed and spoke to: something in their eyes, the way they approached you direct, man-to-man, without looking down or away. They had not become more deferential towards strangers - in some ways less so - but more open.
This time in Malawi it was the same. I met no missionaries. You do not encounter missionaries in the lobbies of expensive hotels discussing development strategy documents, as you do with the big NGOs. But instead I noticed that a handful of the most impressive African members of the Pump Aid team (largely from Zimbabwe) were, privately, strong Christians. “Privately” because the charity is entirely secular and I never heard any of its team so much as mention religion while working in the villages. But I picked up the Christian references in our conversations. One, I saw, was studying a devotional textbook in the car. One, on Sunday, went off to church at dawn for a two-hour service.
It would suit me to believe that their honesty, diligence and optimism in their work was unconnected with personal faith. Their work was secular, but surely affected by what they were. What they were was, in turn, influenced by a conception of man's place in the Universe that Christianity had taught.
There's long been a fashion among Western academic sociologists for placing tribal value systems within a ring fence, beyond critiques founded in our own culture: “theirs” and therefore best for “them”; authentic and of intrinsically equal worth to ours.
I don't follow this. I observe that tribal belief is no more peaceable than ours; and that it suppresses individuality. People think collectively; first in terms of the community, extended family and tribe. This rural-traditional mindset feeds into the “big man” and gangster politics of the African city: the exaggerated respect for a swaggering leader, and the (literal) inability to understand the whole idea of loyal opposition.
Anxiety - fear of evil spirits, of ancestors, of nature and the wild, of a tribal hierarchy, of quite everyday things - strikes deep into the whole structure of rural African thought. Every man has his place and, call it fear or respect, a great weight grinds down the individual spirit, stunting curiosity. People won't take the initiative, won't take things into their own hands or on their own shoulders.
How can I, as someone with a foot in both camps, explain? When the philosophical tourist moves from one world view to another he finds - at the very moment of passing into the new - that he loses the language to describe the landscape to the old. But let me try an example: the answer given by Sir Edmund Hillary to the question: Why climb the mountain? “Because it's there,” he said.
To the rural African mind, this is an explanation of why one would not climb the mountain. It's... well, there. Just there. Why interfere? Nothing to be done about it, or with it. Hillary's further explanation - that nobody else had climbed it - would stand as a second reason for passivity.
Christianity, post-Reformation and post-Luther, with its teaching of a direct, personal, two-way link between the individual and God, unmediated by the collective, and unsubordinate to any other human being, smashes straight through the philosphical/spiritual framework I've just described. It offers something to hold on to to those anxious to cast off a crushing tribal groupthink. That is why and how it liberates.
Those who want Africa to walk tall amid 21st-century global competition must not kid themselves that providing the material means or even the knowhow that accompanies what we call development will make the change. A whole belief system must first be supplanted.
And I'm afraid it has to be supplanted by another. Removing Christian evangelism from the African equation may leave the continent at the mercy of a malign fusion of Nike, the witch doctor, the mobile phone and the machete.



It is interesting that the author observes the change that "faith" brings about in individuals who have given their lives over to Christ. I can tell you firsthand how hopeless life in Africa can seem at times, compared to the abundance that many other places enjoy. I have wondered that the suicide rate isn't higher.

However, no matter how hopeless life may seem, for an individual who knows that life on earth lasts no longer than steam vapors, there is hope. This life is nothing compared to the awesome reality of eternity in Heaven. The Bible is clear that mankind can be assured of eternal life. It comes through salvation in Jesus Christ. The teaching that mankind can earn heaven on their own only adds to the hopelessness of life. How can one know when they've done enough? What does it take? Money, a certain church, good deeds? Is that fair to the poor, those who cannot be reached by that certain church, those incapable of certain deeds?

God, in His wisdom and love, sent Jesus Christ to suffer and die the punishment that we as sinners rightly deserve. Now that He has paid the price, God offers peace, hope, and reconcilliation as a free gift, apart from any meager payment we think we can offer. The choice is up to each individual. Am I going to release my pride and admit that eternal life can only be accepted, not earned? Have you done that? This and this alone can effect the life change observed in this article. Assurance of eternal life in Heaven will completely change your life.

The Life & Times of Louis & Amber - Feeding Time

Here is a great photo of a chicken feeding an ostrich. Check out the look on his face. Frankie, not the ostrich.

Okuhle Soyboyise

Okuhle (meaning “Beautiful” in Xhosa”) came to us initially in March 2007. She had been living with her mother, brother Mthokozisi, and sister Cebisile in Hani Park. Her mother was severely ill and unable to care for the children, so Okuhle had been functioning as the surrogate mother, even though she was only 12 at the time.

Originally from the Eastern Cape province, her mother determined she wanted to return there to die. Through Morningstar, a sister organization that we work closely with, the children came to The Pines while the mother returned to her family. Within a few weeks of returning, the mother passed away.

Initially, we had problems separating Okuhle from Cebisile, as she was the only mother the 2-year-old had ever known. Cebisile was deathly ill, and doctors only gave her a couple months to live at most. We had to force Okuhle to leave her with us for care while she went to school and returned to living as a normal 12-year-old should.

After the mother died, her family wanted to bring Okuhle and her siblings to the Eastern Cape for the funeral. It was determined that Cebisile was too ill to survive the trip so she remained at The Pines while the two older children went to the funeral. They were accompanied by Aggie, one of our housemothers here at The Pines.

Once they arrived in the Eastern Cape, it became evident that the family intended to keep them. In South Africa, if you foster a child you are eligible for a small government stipend. Unfortunately, many times people want to foster children so they can get money to spend on alcohol and other such vices. We can’t say whether this was the case in Okuhle’s situation.

After a several months of working with the various government agencies involved, it became apparent that Okuhle and Mthokozisi would stay in the Eastern Cape, while Cebisile would remain at The Pines for direct medical care from the Niehoff’s. In fact, she lived with the Niehoffs for nearly a year while recovering from her various illnesses.

In March 2008, Okuhle decided to run away from her family and return to The Pines. They sent her into town one day to purchase food and she used that money to make the day+ trip back here. She tells us that life was difficult there, as the Eastern Cape is much more rural than even here in the Free State. According to what she has said, she and her brother had to work quite hard to help the family live. While we didn’t condone her running away from her family, we did begin again to work with the social workers to determine what was in the best interest of the family.

It has been decided that it would be best for her to remain here at The Pines. When she was making plans to run away she wanted her brother to come with her, and while he wanted to leave, he was afraid she would get lost on her way back, so he refused to come along. Okuhle misses her brother more than she lets on, and we are working with the government to determine if it would be best for him to return here as well. One of the reasons Okuhle returned is because of Cebisile, and we suspect it was a bigger reason than she even realizes herself. Remember that she was the de facto head of the family for quite some time. It is our desire to keep the family together as much as possible, but the process is quite tedious, as there seems to be little motivation on the part of the social worker from the Eastern Cape.

Since coming back to The Pines, Okuhle has become one of our biggest assets. Originally she struggled with selfishness, and was always looking out for only herself – understandable since she has had to do that for years just to survive. We have seen her mature to the point where the mothers now count on her as almost an assistant mama. She is the oldest in a flat with several toddlers, and has done a great job taking on responsibility and caring for their needs before her own.

Okuhle has also blossomed in school. When she first came her motivation was non-existent, and at the end of the term she was in danger of being the only older girl here to miss honor roll. It was then that her competitiveness kicked in, and with the help of a couple that was visiting here at the time she worked non-stop the last few days of the term and received honor roll right at the end. It is encouraging that she learned from that experience and now is one of our most self-motivated children. Last term she worked so hard she had made honor roll by mid-term.

Like all the children here, Okuhle is learning about God and his gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. She understands that she is a sinner and that He died to pay for those sins. She has professed faith in Him, and as she continues to grow and learn we pray that the Holy Spirit would do a mighty work in and through her life.

The Life & Times of Louis & Amber - Broken Camera

So I was going through some old photos today while working on a project and I ran across this picture. Who is this and why was this picture on my camera? I am offering a R5.00 reward for any information relating to the identification, capture, and conviction of the culprit.

On a related note, our camera broke on Christmas Day, and we lost about 65 pictures of the kids opening presents. So if you were one of the generous people who sent money or gifts to The Pines kids for Christmas, and you were so looking forward to seeing their happy faces, I think you know who to blame.

(that's right, Jamie, we'll see who has the last laugh on this one.)

The Life & Times of Louis & Amber - Summer in South Africa

(The following is taken from an email we received from a friend of ours...)
You are a South African bush pilot. You fly in some critical medical supplies, enjoy a quick lunch at the hospital.

It's a stifling 100 degrees in the shade and you're eager to get back up to the cool, high blue yonder.

On the way back to your plane, you discover that the only bit of shade, within 1 mile, has become very popular . . You start calculating the distance to the plane door and wonder . . .
"Do I feel lucky today?"

The Life & Times of Louis & Amber - Drake's first laugh

We had the opportunity to spend some time with my family in Johannesburg when we took Frank back to the airport. It obviously hasn't taken Drake long to learn what we all know. That my brother Frankie is kind of funny (looking). In the past we have been able to coax a chuckle or two out of him, but this is the first real laugh attack that he has ever had. You can tell he is getting tired by the end of the video. He had been laughing for about 5 minutes, long enough for Chubs to run back to the room and get the camera. Chubs is pretty slow, so you can imagine how long he had been laughing. It's really no wonder that Chubs likes being in Africa more than playing basketball this year.