Amazing elephants - Edie and Emily

Here is an incredible story of just how intelligent elephants are. The two mama elephants are wild living orphans rescued and brought up by the Sheldrick Trust.

When you look at the photos, remember they have been living in the wild for quite a while.


On the 18th Edie brought her calf back to the Voi Stockades, wise enough to know that she needed the assistance of her erstwhile human family to save her baby, who was growing weaker because she lacked sufficient milk to nourish it during such a difficult time. With her were Mweya, Mpala and Morani and Irima. Dairy cubes and other supplements were hurriedly sent down from Nairobi, to help Edie’s milk bar and save little Ella, who thereafter became visibly stronger by the day, her mother having enjoyed supplementary feeding.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to us and the Keepers Emily was trying to do the same, but her baby born last December, being older, was in a much more dire condition and, in fact, not far off dying. Therefore Emily’s journey from Ngutuni was painfully slow because little Eve was so weak, but finally she managed to make the Voi Safari Lodge waterhole, which is about 3 or 4 kms. from the Voi Stockades.

They immediately rushed back to the Stockades to get Keeper Mishak Nzimbi, who has known Emily since the day she came into the Nursery aged just l month. Mishak is, and always has been, the favourite Keeper of all our elephants, irrespective of age, and deeply trusted by Emily. Mishak walked straight up to Emily and her calf who was lying at her feet and was greeted by an outstretched trunk. He had come armed with the supplements provided for Edie, and when the calf managed to struggle to its feet to suckle, he and the other Keepers slowly accompanied Emily and her baby back to the stockades. It was a laborious journey that took the next 6 hours because the baby could only walk a few paces at a time and had to rest frequently, but in the end they made it.

For the next 2 days Emily remained at the Stockades, delighted to find Edie, her baby and some of the group already there, and embrace the newcomers newly arrived from the Nursery, namely Lesanju, Lempaute, Sinya, Shimba, Mzima, Wasessa, Tassia and Taveta. Mercifully, it had already rained in Voi, and the country was turning green, so fresh green grass and new shoots were also readily available. Once little Eve had regained some of her strength, being a wild baby, she took to giving the Keepers quite a run around, but soon understood that they were friends, rather than a foe. Other members of Emily’s unit have since begun to trickle in whilst yet others are still elsewhere. By month end both Emily and her baby along with Edie and hers were well on the road to recovery and were able to move further afield from the stockades.

Edie and feisty little Ella.

Emily and Eve.

Emily, with keepers Julius and Mischak working things out.

Emily following the keepers back to the stockade to bring her baby to safety.

My Elephant Herd is Growing!

My little elephant herd is growing. Times are terrible for elephants in Kenya. The drought is so hard on everyone - man and beast, and now there is horrible poaching to get ivory for the China black market.

Just in the first 3 weeks of August there were SEVEN new babies rescued. At this time, Dame Sheldrick and her staff are tending TWENTY EIGHT baby elephants (and this doesn't include the heartbreaks of the babies who couldn't survive their trauma). When we were there in Oct 06, I think there were around 12.

So as part of donating to help feed these babies, I have sponsored two more. Let me introduce them to you...

http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/asp/orphans.asp

Meet Turkwel:

The rescue of a baby elephant on the 4rd August 2009 was one of the more dramatic that has ever been undertaken. The 4 month old calf must surely rank as both the luckiest and unluckiest of elephant babies – lucky to have been found intact in the very remote and hostile region around South Turkana Reserve and unluckiest to have been born into a an area inhabited by wild and warring pastoral people of the Pokot and Turkana tribes who are constantly in conflict over the sparse resources centered around land and livestock, and have been so since time immemorial. Theirs is a forgotten Wild West frontier in Kenya where wildlife lives in a perpetual war zone, made that much worse by the fact that in this remote area almost every male tribesman now carries not a spear, or bows and arrows, but an AK47 machine gun, and uses it with impunity.

The Trust received the rescue alert from the Kenya Wildlife Service during the evening of the 3rd August, too late to initiate a rescue that day. The rescue team therefore left at 7am the following morning (4th August) and after a 2 hour plane journey landed at the Turkwel Airstrip, near the Nasalot and South Turkana National Reserves, at 9:30am where they had to await the arrival of the calf. Gunshots were heard going off in the distance while the team waited, so this delay on the ground was nerve wracking to say the least.

Even more nerve wracking was the rescue of the calf. The Deputy Warden of the Nasalot and South Turkana National Reserves Mr. Nduati James organized a very high risk and brave rescue of the little elephant, who had been spotted alone near the Wei Wei River and was heading into an extremely high conflict zone. A protected team of Rangers, escorted by armed paramilitary personnel of both the General Service Units and Police set off to retrieve the calf as it approached the Juluk area where they risked attack by armed bandits who had blocked all roads leading into the area. It took the team all morning to clear the roads of obstructions in order to get a vehicle to the calf.Unfortunately wildlife is caught in the middle of a very serious and ongoing tribal conflict for in order to access water and feeding grounds the animals have to cross the Kerio valley corridor to enter Nasalot Game Reserve from Romoi Game Reserve, where they are caught in the crossfire of the warring Pokot and Turkana people.

Elephants especially are a prime target – their tusks used as barter for guns, sold to unscrupulous middlemen of the infamous Ivory trade, their meat used to feed the rebels and others living in this impoverished region, where life on the edge is exacerbated by severe drought. It is, in fact, a miracle that any elephant still manage to exist in this conflict zone.

We named our latest little living miracle Turkwel. She is the third elephant orphan we have from the area. “Nasalot” of Yatta’s Ithumba unit being one and Ajok who came to us in 1990 the other. She is a very gently and loving little elephant who has been embraced by all at the Trust, both her little elephant peers as well as the humans.

And now meet Meibai:

On the evening of the 5th September, Samburu tribesman in the Wamba area named Leguuti at Lodingokure town in Northern Kenya, rescued a young orphaned elephant. After a struggle, they managed to overpower the two year old elephant and took it to Lodingokure school where they locked it in a classroom overnight. The elephant calf had apparently been seen alone by tribesmen in the area for several days beforehand, who had tried to monitor the baby on a daily basis, hoping that it would eventually find, and join, its mother. However, being still milk dependent, it was becoming ever weaker, and by the time it was captured it was obvious that its mother had either died or been poached somewhere in the vast and remote Northern Frontier, an area that has been hard hit by both drought and the Far Eastern demand for ivory. The calf was tall for his age, with the tusks just visible whenever the trunk was lifted, indicating that he was about 2 years old.

Most Kenyans, even those in remote areas, today look upon a Mobile Phone as a necessity so even the people of that remote region were able to alert us in the Nursery about this orphan. Robert Carr-Hartley, who is well known amongst the Samburu people of that area, took the call on his mobile, since all the landlines of the Trust were, as usual, out of order. He told them exactly what to do should they succeed in capturing the calf i.e. bind its legs together with soft cloth, but not too tight so as to restrict the flow of blood, keep the baby warm by covering it with a blanket, lay it on a mattress turning it over several times during the course of the night, and remain with it so that it is not alone, treating it gently and with genuine and caring kindness so that it will understand it is amongst friends. Finally, under no circumstances offer it cows’ milk, because this will kill it. Instead only give it water.

At first light they went to report the presence of the elephant first to the Meibai Conservancy Scouts and then to KWS and Lewa Downs Conservancy who organized that a Northern Rangelands Trust vehicle come to collect the calf and rush it to Wamba airstrip, to await a plane dispatched by The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust from Nairobi to fly the orphan to our Elephant Nursery. It so happens that one of our Elephant Keepers named Leleruk comes from that particular area, and is well known to the locals there, who are extremely supportive of the Trust and its work with the orphans. To us Leleruk is known as “Zoom Zoom” because he is such a cheerful and exuberant character. His experience with the orphaned elephants and everything that he has learnt about the nature of elephants as a result, has been relayed many times to his Samburu peers whenever he returns home, so they understand just how important to them and to Kenya generally elephants are, proving again how the orphaned elephants help get this message across the elephant/human divide.

The Rescue Plane left Nairobi at first light the following morning (6th Sept), and landed at Wamba airstrip a couple of hours later with Leleruk and Keeper Abdul aboard, armed with the usual life saving intravenous drip support as well as a milk feed. The calf was already at the airstrip, surrounded by hundreds of concerned tribes-people, who crowded around it, all anxious to see their their special elephant lifted to safety, since even the sight of an aircraft on that remote airstrip is a novelty. By then the calf was almost spent, and calm beyond caring, so as soon as it was loaded onto the plane, the intravenous drip was inserted into an ear vein as it lay with its legs bound on the rescue tarpaulin. As the plane soared into the sky, Leleruk and Abdul could see a sea of waving arms below, like the tentacles of a sea anemone as the crowd waved a fond farewell. Keeper Abdul was incredulous how cooperative and supportive the people of that area were, but Leleruk was not surprised!

The baby arrived in the Nursery still comatose and with the saline drip inserted into an ear vein. We doubted that he would ever get up again, for many others like him from the North having died soon after arrival. However, much to everyone’s surprise, he was lifted to his feet during the night once he came round, and immediately took milk and began feasting on the Grewia bicolor branches which had been sent to the Nursery from far off Ithumba – something that all elephants love and which contain all the minerals and trace elements an elephant needs to thrive. He was amazingly friendly and trusting of the two Keepers that attended him during the night and by morning, having regained some strength, he was only gently rough towards them, but soon calmed down as they offered him the bark stripped from the Grewia branches. Having spent just one day in the Taming Stockade, he was allowed out the next morning, joining the older Nursery orphans led by Kenia and Dida.

His rescuers suggested that he be named Meibai which in the Samburu dialect has a special meaning that is difficult to adequately translate into English. The best we can do is to say that it means “something extremely precious that is priceless” – a fitting name indeed for a very lucky little elephant calf who owes his life to tribesmen in a remote area of Kenya, who themselves are suffering enormous hardship during this extremely severe drought year of 2009. All credit to the 4 Samburu Warriors that captured and rescued him and thanks to the Northern Rangelands Trust for their vehicle and driver, and to Lewa Downs and the KWS officers involved, for their help, namely Driver Peter Kupis of the Northern Rangelands Trust, and Corporal Roba Kumbi and Sergeant Charles Mukabi of KWS.

Turkwel

Meibai (getting bottle)

Updates from this winter

It has been a BUSY three months! But you sure can't tell it by looking at this blog. Ouch! So, I'll get y'all updated on what's been going on and then try very hard to not let it slip again.

Himself once again is up in Alaska as medical officer on the M/V Independence. They spent this season in Akutan Bay.

I've spent this winter while Deane is gone finally going thru those boxes from the move. I have sorted...put up...Goodwilled... dumped.... more boxes then you know. But I have almost finished that huge pile in the garages. And will finish them by the time Himself gets home. And I have finished with my upstairs sorting and putting up. What a relief.

Now that spring is coming, my attention is being pulled by our yard. This year we will be doing a lot of foundational work to set up future planting and seating areas. A LOT of mulching. I have been delighted by the spring bulbs that have come up in the yard. However, most will have to be moved as they are right in the areas we are going to re-do.

To help with all our yard projects, I have started attending the Montgomery Co Master Gardeners meetings. In March I was able to take their "short course" series of classes, which gave me some basic information and lots of people to call for help.

Photography is going fairly well. I'll be very happy when I get some of this home work stuff finished so I can pay more attention to it. I've had one showing with the group and entered the KY Extension Service photo contest again (received two 3rd place ribbons). I have been shooting a LOT of photos, and that is an improvement. To help with that discipline, I've started a blog photo site. I've seen a few places where people are shooting at every day and posting one photo each day that they have taken. It's called Project 365. My site is at: http://project365-teri.blogspot.com/

In January, Brenda and I decided we needed to be doing more mission type service. So Brenda and I formed a group we call "Mission Chicks". There are six of us right now and I expect a few more will come in. We are *partnering* with our church to do missions. Kinda of an "I'll scratch your back and you scratch mine" thing. When we do partner, they basically provide us the resources of people, money or name backing and we provide them with the leg work, organization/planning and recognition. It's a win-win situation. If we come up with something they don't want to be a part of, we do it anyway ourselves.

We kicked off on the 15th with a one day collection of items for one of the Mission Chicks who is going to Nicaragua on a mission trip. We didn't do badly at all.

Now we are planning in April a month long...church wide involvement...focus on our crisis pregnancy center (Hope Pregnancy Center www.clarksvillehope.com ). We're calling it "A Month of Hope".

The director is a member of our church (it's his son that I hire to help me occasionally). Rog says the 3 things they always need are 1. disposable diapers 2. formula 3. maternity clothes. So we are organizing collections of all three! We're going to have a competition between the elementary kids (girls v boys) on who can bring in the most diapers. Winner will get something (TBD ). The adult community groups will collect formula. And we will have a hamper at church that anyone can drop off maternity clothes in. Also, the center has a deck that needs painting and landscaping to be neatened. Our youth will be doing that one Saturday.

And besides that... (as if that is not enough) we have a breakfast to host at the site of a room makeover for an ill teenager, a community Easter egg hunt and a team for the Koman Race for the Cure that will be here in Clarksville on 18 April.

In for a penny... in for a pound!!

Beginning of the year, we received notice that our first Compassion child - Sintayehu from Ethiopia - had left the program. She will turn 21 this July. She decided it was time to leave school and enter adult life. We had been her sponsors for 8 years.

Then a short time after that I received notice that my favorite Compassion "writing buddy" (a program in Compassion to write sponsored children whose sponsors - for whatever reason - will not write them) had lost his sponsor. Did I want to take him on? It didn't take long to answer that query with a "Yes!". I will post about Sundar a bit later on.

And towards the end of Jan, a girl in the Kenya's Kids In Need program needed a co-sponsor. I had wanted an older student (the other 2 we sponsor thru them are in 4th and 5th grades). Ivine is also an orphan and lives in the boarding house portion of the school. I'll write more about her later on also.

And a bit of housekeeping on some older posts...

On 7 Feb I posted about the Sheldrick Trust rescuing the tiny baby rhino "Maalim". I am happy to let you know that he is thriving and has doubled his size in that time.

11 March I posted an appeal for Compassion sponsored "Global Food Crisis Day". Compassion was hoping to raise $1M in this campaign... instead they raised $3.1M!!! Incredible!!!

OK, now that I have this done... I will really try harder to be a better blogger!

Wasessa - Another elephant child!

Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday - here's my new elephant!
Happy Birthday to me!

Meet Wasessa! Here is her story, as told by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.


During a routine surveillance patrol by our Tsavo Mobile Veterinary Unit, a lone baby elephant was spotted on the plains beyond Irima Hill in Tsavo East National Park. This was the afternoon of 22nd June 2008 and the calf, estimated to be between approximately 18 months old, still milk dependent, was completely alone with no elephants in the area other than a lone bull some distance away. The Mobile Veterinary Unit monitored the baby for some hours during which time she gravitated towards the lone bull who was passing by. However, the bull was obviously un-inclined to become encumbered by an adoptee, because he kept on pushing her gently away, although due to her persistance he decided to remain within reach. This was opportune because just 50 yards away, a pride of lions was taking great interest in events and would have taken an un-protected baby elephant in a flash had she not found him for protection.

By this time darkness was setting in, and having ascertained that the bull was unlikely to remain with the calf overnight, and that she would definitely fall prey to the pride, the Mobile Veterinary Unit alerted the Voi Elephant Keepers and mobilize a rescue to save the calf. As the men approached, the bull became more protective of his small appendage and had to be physically driven off by the vehicle, once the calf had been sedated. She was then transported to the Voi Elephant Stockades for the night, and Nairobi was alerted that a plane would be needed the following morning, since the calf was milk dependent and needed the company of other elephants to calm it down. It was extremely wild and unmanageable as it was.

Having landed at Voi our Nairobi Elephant Keepers were driven to the Voi Elephant Stockades, the team was then faced with the problem of having to overpower an extremely wild elephant, who simply wanted to kill every human in sight. This was a challenging prospect and took some doing, it being necessary to avoid sedation, due to the risk of bloat, which, in the past, has cost the life of orphans of that age immobilized for what was to be a long journey. She was, however, given a Stressnil injection, which didn’t seem to have much affect, because the calf gave the Keepers a real run around before she was overpowered, her legs tied, and lain down on the rescue tarpaulin, in order to be driven to the airfield and eventually loaded onto the plane.

She arrived in Nairobi at 6.30 p.m. and was carried recumbent into the Taming Stockade.Once the ropes that tied her legs were removed, however, she was up in a flash, and all present had to take instant evasive action in order to avoid being flattened. She was, indeed, extremely wild and extremely fierce. Even Mishak, who has been an elephant Keeper for the past 20 years, announced that she held this unenviable record, for never had there been another more so! She charged the stout iron grid entrance to her Stockade repeatedly until it buckled outwards in a half-loop, looking precariously vulnerable, that we feared it might come down completely! She charged everyone in sight, except blind Maxwell, her next door neighbour, who had four legs instead of two, and was the same colour as her elephant mother.

By the next morning she was still unmanageable but would take water and eventually some milk from a bucket. Maxwell was thrilled to have a near neighbour throughout the night, and slept pressed up against his side of the separating poles. Max loves the elephant orphans, for they come to greet him each morning with a trunk-touch on the face! The other elephants were then brought around to see her, but being older and bigger than Lesanju, and therefore a competitor for the babies, Lesanju didn’t linger long, and hurried her little troupe off again as quickly as possible, probably also sensing the aggression of the newcomer!

Taming this particular elephant is going to be difficult. She has obviously seen something terrible, probably witness to the death of her elephant mother and family, probably in a human/wildlife situation (There have been a number of reported poaching cases outside the Park) but we are sure that in the fullness of time she will become gentle, trusting and loving, because she is, after all, an elephant! We have decided to name her “Wasessa”, the name of a small hill in Tsavo East close to where she was found.

Sinya

With all the troubles going on in Kenya, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust isn’t getting any visitors. And it’s by the donations of visitors that they feed those baby elephants.

I was getting ready to make a donation when I thought, “Why not just sponsor another baby since Zurura has gone off to 'Middle School' in Ithumba?” As far as the cash goes, it’s the same difference…all the donations go to running the trust. So why not?

So --- drum roll please –-- I’d like to introduce you to Sinya.



Report from the Sheldrick Center:
On the 14th September at 8.00 am an elephant calf of approximately eight months old was discovered by Maasai boys trapped in a well dug for their livestock on the Kenyan border with Tanzania in the shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The location was not far from Amboseli National Park and close to the Sinya mines where Meerschaum is mined. There were no longer any elephants in the area, her family obviously having abandoned her having tried desperately to rescue her no doubt, but mindful too of the fact that the herd was vulnerable in an area frequented by humans. The well was not particularly deep yet the steep solid sides, with little space for maneuvering, made any hope of her getting out on her own impossible. Her head was propped against the rough side of the hole and her trunk had been chewed by Hyenas overnight or possibly in the early hours of the morning as she lay trapped yet exposed. One of the three Maasai boys who discovered her walked to the Kenyan Wildlife Service Kitirua Gate in order to send a message to the Headquarters of Amboseli National Park, while the other kids remained at the well site with the calf and their livestock. The Amboseli Trust for Elephants team received the message late morning and immediately went to the scene arriving there by midday. Due to how narrow the hole was and how steep the sides were they had difficulty in extracting the calf themselves, and had to wait for the Kenyan Wildlife Service to arrive with more hands to help.

In the meantime both Cynthia Moss, and The Kenyan Wildlife Service had alerted The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust about the plight of this poor unfortunate calf and we began with the usual preparations for a rescue. Due to the time restrictions and the fact that the rescue plane would have to take off from the Amboseli National Park airstrip no later than 6.15pm, it fast became evident that given the distances involved in this rescue coupled with the difficulty the rescue team was having in extracting her, time was running out. We made the decision to fly the Keepers to Amboseli to be dropped off in order for them to overnight with Sinya, as she was named, to give her the all important antibiotic injection, and both the milk and rehydration she would need overnight. On arrival at Amboseli our three Keepers were met by Cynthia and immediately set off for the site in order to lend a hand with the rescue proceedings. The time now was 17.30pm. In the meantime, the Kenyan Wildlife Service team had arrived and together they had managed to pull the calf out. She had scrapes on her body where she had struggled against the walls of the well, but the more serious injuries were on her trunk caused by Hyeanas. The team of Keepers and Cynthia met up with the KWS rangers at Kitirua Gate where the keepers were able take over and make the calf more comfortable. They then drove to the Amboseli main airstrip and the Keepers and calf were housed in a building under reconstruction at the airstrip so that they could be on hand for the rescue plane due in early the following morning. There were no windows or doors which clearly was going to prove challenging throughout the night for the Keepers, but thankfully Sinya was feeding well and immediately bonded with the Keepers desperate for more fluids and happy to have a finger to suck. Having been fed supper and armed with a powerful torch and hurricane lamp the three men and the calf endured a long and sometimes harrowing night. The Keepers with a calf that screamed out in anguish and hunger from time to time were mindful of how vulnerable they were from not only predators but wild elephants coming to investigate the cries. They barricaded the large entrance with a small table and a drum of diesel in an effort to keep the African night at bay but were painfully aware of what an unsatisfactory barricade it actually was. The haunting cry of Hyena echoed through the building shell, coupled with a whistling wind which picked up overnight, but fortunately for them, although they did not sleep a wink, Sinya had no intention of running off into the night, all too aware of what a threat the Hyenas could be to her and more than happy to take comfort at the side of the Keepers.

As the dawn broke over Amboseli and Mt. Kilimanjaro, Cynthia Moss and the rest of the Amboseli Elephant research team returned to the airstrip to see how everybody had fared overnight. There she found three tired men having had no sleep at all, but Sinya sound asleep. Before the rescue plane arrived the Keepers took their young charge for a walk down the airstrip and she followed them willingly, ravenous for more milk. It was not long before the plane arrived with Robert, another Keeper, armed with freshly mixed milk, and some breakfast for Stephen, Amos and Josophat, who by this stage were exhausted. Sinya was loaded into the aircraft with the help of KWS personnel and the Amboseli Elephant Research Unit and flown directly to Wilson Airport in Nairobi and once there then had to endure another short journey in the back of the pick up to The David Sheldrick Wildlifes Nairobi Nursery situated in Nairobi National Park.


On arrival at the Nursery it was evident that she had suffered not only the obvious wounds from the Hyena mauling she had endured while trapped helpless in the well, but also massive bruising and chaffing on her legs, chin and back from struggling for so long and hard in an effort to free herself. She was by now exhausted, clad in a warm blanket, she rested her head close to Amos and slept soundly until the next feed time. Her wounds were treated and a broad spectrum antibiotic administered again.

She was originally placed in the stable next to Shimba, but the following day when she met up with the three little orphans already resident at the nursery, Lempaute, Shimba and Lesanju, she became instantly hooked on Lesanju. (We had removed the stable partitions the previous day to accommodate Lempaute and Lesanju in one large stable as they had been moved from their original stable to accommodate the newcomer) Mellow Shimba didnt seem bothered either way, and Lempaute was clearly jealous as Lesanju became fixated by the newcomer. She is such a responsible little elephant Lesanju, and she shares a special bond too with Sinya, as both suffered the same fate, albeit hundreds of miles apart and from two different elephant populations in Kenya, but both fell down man made wells, and both were rescued by caring Maasai and Samburu tribesmen respectively. Sinyas first full day in the nursery began with her being placed in the big stable together with all the little orphans as it was a rainy cold morning. This provided a perfect place for them all the get to know each other, and for us to get to know her. Although mischievous little Lempaute was more interested in playing with whoever would oblige, and occasionally shoved Sinya when she thought nobody was looking. Soon the rain subsided and the rest of the day was spent outside, the little group of babies staying together for the day.

That night Sinya refused to stay in the stable next door to Shimba and was incredibly restless even becoming aggressive towards the Keepers for the first time. At first we thought it may be because of the pain from her recently dressed wounds, but it soon became evident that it was Lesanju she was after. Eventually Sinya was moved into the big stable and once she found herself back with the other two little girls, Lesanju and Lempaute, she instantly calmed down and fell asleep close to them peacefully, three elephant lumps in the hay, and three Keepers. This left Shimba alone with his Keeper with no next door neighbor but he appeared to be completely oblivious to this development, and probably was relieved to have a more peaceful night as a result. With the company of the other elephants close by Sinya each day and night her physiological wounds will heal, it will of course take time, but thanks to those that rescued her and with the love of her dedicated Keepers and the other orphans in the Nursery the memories of her terrible ordeal will fade and she has another chance of life.



http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/index.asp

My Twelve Days Of CHRISTmas

On the FIRST day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…A child free from bondage*

On the SECOND day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…Two “Pirates” plotting**
…And a child free from bondage

On THIRD the day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…A Three year old baby elephant.***
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage

On the FOURTH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…Four walls for a family in crisis*
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage

On the day FIFTH of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”**
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage

On the SIXTH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…Six shoeboxes for OCC*
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”.
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage

On the SEVENTH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…a Seven year old wishing for a Bible****
…Six shoeboxes for OCC
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”.
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage

On the EIGHTH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…Eight sponsor children*****
…a Seven year old wishing for a Bible
…Six shoeboxes for OCC
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”.
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage

On the NINETH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…A Nine yr old “Explorer” in Carolina**
…Eight sponsor children
…a Seven year old wishing for a Bible
…Six shoeboxes for OCC
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”.
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage

On the TENTH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…Ten boxes of school supplies to Afghanistan******
…A Nine yr old “Explorer” in Carolina
…Eight sponsor children
…a Seven year old wishing for a Bible
…Six shoeboxes for OCC
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”.
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage


On the ELEVENTH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…an Eleven item meal for a needy family****
…Ten boxes of school supplies to Afghanistan
…A Nine yr old “Explorer” in Carolina
…Eight sponsor children
…a Seven year old wishing for a Bible
…Six shoeboxes for OCC
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”.
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage

On the TWELFTH day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…
…Twelve writing buddies*******
…an Eleven item meal for a needy family.
…Ten boxes of school supplies to Afghanistan
…A Nine yr old “Explorer” in Carolina
…Eight sponsor children
…a Seven year old wishing for a Bible
…Six shoeboxes for OCC
…The Five from the Texan “Wild Bunch”.
…Four walls for a family in crisis.
…A Three year old baby elephant.
…Two “Pirates” plotting
…And a child free from bondage


*Samaritan’s Purse http://www.samaritanspurse.org/

**Nephews and nieces of the heart

***David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/

****Salvation Army Angel Tree child

***** Child sponsorship programs through:
Compassion International http://www.compassion.com/
Nosim Maasai Mission http://www.nosimmaasaimission.org/
Kenya Kids In Need http://www.galileeschool.org/
His Hands For Haiti http://www.hishandsforhaiti.org/

******Through Army friends sponsoring a school

*******Pen pal programs through:
Compassion International: http://www.compassion.com/
Pen Pals For Kamashi:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Penpals_For_Kamashi/
Zion Children’s Home:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/zionchildhome