Day 752. Last night it was just before 12:30 am, when I went to bed. Tonight it's that same time and I have a hard time keeping my eyes open. It was 7:20 this morning, when Emmy joined us in bed, later than usual. It wasn't long before we got up to have breakfast. Then we dressed them and left the house at 9 am.
By 9:30 we were at the big playground right by lake Wörthersee. We thought there were water features there, but it turned out there was just one little thing, so it wasn't worth putting their swim diapers on. Instead they started exploring the huge playground and had lots of fun. We stayed there for 90 minutes. One Mom talked to us, and her friend had a dog. When Emmy and Tammy came up to it, and we asked if we could pet him, she wouldn't let them do so, saying she feared any trouble she could get into.
It was nearly 11 am, when we left to drive back to the church apartment, where we're staying. Especially Emmy was pretty tired. I warmed up some ready to eat meals and split them between the five of us. I also got out some little fruit puddings for them that they've loved since they first got them at the beginning of this trip. Something they'll certainly continue eating at home. Then it was bed time. By about 11:45 they were all laying down on their mattresses, and I was working hard on getting them to sleep, moving from baby to baby. Sammy has enjoyed the freedom to leave his bed, and in a way it's as if he's leaving his bed just because he can. I don't know how many times I had to put him back into his bed before he finally fell asleep. After some time Randy came to help, lying down with Tammy, while I was lying by Emmy, and in the end we all fell asleep. I didn't sleep for long though, even though I was pretty tired. I still had some stuff to do for the meeting tonight, and I wanted to spend some time with God in preparation, but I didn't get far.
Sammy was the first one up again, waking his brother up. At least he had slept longer, an hour 15 minutes, than he had yesterday. Emmy was still very tired and really wanted to continue sleeping, but he just did not get a chance. And then Randy brought Sammy into the bedroom to change him, which also woke the girl up. I had hoped they'd get more sleep today in light of the long evening. The hours that followed were quite challenging. It was as if they were acting out as much as they could before the evening meeting, and it took our patience to its limits. And kept me from having quality time with Him. I only had a few minutes communing with my Lord and Savior, and then I just kept praying with them around me. Randy took them downstairs to the garden one time, but it ended up being pretty short, as Tammy wanted her Mommy.
We already sat down for dinner at 4:45 pm, eating bread with cream cheese, salami, and fresh corn on the cob which they loved. And of course they had their puddings again. I cleaned them up and put their Malian clothes on. I don't know where the time went and was glad we had eaten that early. It was 6:15, when we left the house to drive to the other church location, and it only took us a few minutes to get there.
The church stayed empty until just before the beginning of the meeting. I sat up our table, while the kids were still a little shy in the new location with the new people. There was a baby room, and someone brought a whole box of toys there for them to play with. When the service started, we were all up front in the first row. It was 7 pm. At first the kids were quiet and stayed with us, taking it all in. They wanted to be held a lot; it was their bed time after all. But the last 10 minutes of worship they got pretty active and bold. At first they were running around in the front, going up all the way to the stage and watching the worship team. But then they started going on stage, as it was only a small step. I still stayed laid back and just kept them from taking anything they shouldn't but as they got bolder I started taking them off stage again, which they didn't like at all. I held one, and Randy tried to hold another, and the lady behind us tried to help too by holding one. Then I took them to the bathroom with me.
When we returned, the pastor was already talking about us. I had told Emmy that he could say hello to everyone, and all day long he had been talking about it. As the pastor was talking with the microphone, Emmy who I was holding kept saying hello, like he wanted to do it right now and not later. When the pastor arrived at us having children, I went up with Emmy saying that he's been wanting to say something, and Emmy said "hallo" into the microphone. With that he was satisfied.
Then they played our 4-minute video presentation, which Tammy and Emmy watched intently. Sammy was standing by a box of toys someone had brought. When we all went forward after the video, he was very upset being pulled away from the toy box. I spoke a few minutes giving an update on the work in Mali, and let them go before I was done, as they were antsy to move. They all went to the baby room together. I finished the update, prayed, and started preaching.
In the course of my message, Tammy and Emmy came a few times, I picked them up and continued speaking and put them back down, when they wanted to. I never let them interrupt my sermon. A lady was with them and for a while at least one of them was playing on the ground next to me. I was blending it all out to not be distracted. But the message was not going as well as expected and not as well as at the last church, though that is not reflected in the feedback I got from people.
I finished, prayed, and asked people to let Randy know to return with the children so we could pray for people. Most of the time I had Emmy on my arm, but also Tammy a few times, and they would put their hands on people, as we prayed for them. Tammy wasn't much in a mood to pray. Emmy more so, but he also removed his hand after a while. God was moving again touching his people, and also using the little ones.
After a while I left the front, where Randy continued praying, and went to our table in the back so I could sell some books and CDs and talk to people. I ended up praying for more people there. The triplets were obviously very popular with the people, and Tammy and Emmy came by a lot, and were held by quite a few people. One couple had a cute, little dog with them, and they got to pet it quite a bit. We stood for for quite a while talking, and some people were amazed that they were still awake and doing so well. It was nearly 10 pm, when we left there, drove the few minutes back to the apartment, and by 10:30 they were in bed. Tammy needed a little while to fall asleep. Then I got something to eat and started working on the pictures and update. Now it's 1:15 am, and I really need to go to bed.
