I am sure our friends in the northern hemisphere are eagerly awaiting some lovely spring weather. Our cold season here is just about over as well. Now, we go into the hot season, with refreshing rain coming, we hope, in the last week or so of May.
February graced us with the arrival of volunteers and guests. My godson Mike O’Connor was here for a month with his wife Janet. Mike loves to come and repair things and stays busy. Janet works with the housemothers, helping tend to the little ones and the disabled. We also had three young ladies who are studying medicine at the University of Madison and are very knowledgeable about the treatment of our disabled babies and the teaching and care of older children. They were very generous in buying cleaning articles and bed clothes, etc., for the children. We had some Thai volunteers too, so the children didn’t lack attention, and our staff learned some valuable lessons from their teaching and example.
The repairs and renovation of all the houses and the new parking garage at Sarnelli House are winding down. The newly painted buildings look terrific. The entire expensive work is being funded by the Tom Barrow Company in Atlanta. My nephew Mike Shea and his wife Amy visited us last year and saw the condition of some of our houses, and Mike is the president of that company.
The school year is over on March 10. Then, the poor staff will have to organize work schedules together with excursions hither and yon for two months.
Here’s hoping that all are well, and God bless you.
Father Mike, children and Staff
