Asina is about seven. Her dad lives in Vila and her mom is out of the picture. Her dad sent her to Tongariki last year for school and she hasn't seen him since. He's sent a few parcels on the ship for her, but right now she doesn't have a uniform to wear to school. Luckily an older girl outgrew a blue and white checked dress that seems to be all right. This sort of family fostering out is pretty common in Vanuatu, but it can lead to the child being a bit of a burden on the relatives. She's a really really smart kid--she has her numbers and her letters down flat, in first grade--but she talks ... and she talks ... and she talks ... and she talks. She's sweet and a total chatterbox.
Cecelia is about fourteen or fifteen. I think she has cerebral palsy because she moves her arms and legs in that scissored way I've read about. She's nonverbal and can't walk or feed herself. In Vanuatu, mothers don't use baby food; they chew the food and then feed their babies with that. My host mama has been chewing Cecelia's meals for fourteen or fifteen years. Until very recently, they've had to carry her everywhere. In January the owners of the ship sent this stroller for her and now my host parents use it as a wheelchair for her. My host parents had a small party at their house to pray over the chair and say thanks to God and to the owners of the ship for their generosity.
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