Children of CHIPROM: Taiwo & Kehinde

(Kehinde, meaning: Last Born)

These two girls are twins, but I didn't even know that until a few weeks after I first got to Chiprom! They look completely different, but once you get to know them, their sisterhood becomes very evident.

(Taiwo, meaning: First Born)

These two girls have been at CHIPROM for almost 2 years, and they've gone from being shy to excited and bubbly 7 year old girls! Taiwo is a special case for praise to God. She was blind when she arrived at Chiprom, and within a few months, her sight was fully restored! God has his hand on these girls, and I feel so blessed to have known them.

Children of CHIPROM: Tayo

Tayo was so shy when I first came to Chiprom. Within the first week, she got chicken pox, and was in a lot of pain. I felt so bad for the poor girl!

But as soon as I brought my camera out, she would start dancing and posing up a storm. She's not camera shy, thats for sure! The longer I stayed, the more she warmed up to me, and finally on the last night, she started crying, saying how much she didn't want me to leave! She is a sensitive sweet heart, and I miss her a lot!

Children of CHIPROM: Seun and Saye

Just this last week, we had a pair of twins join us at Chiprom. Their names are Seun (Shay-oon) and Saye (Shay-ee) and they're 3 weeks old. They are sooooo tiny. I thought Success was small, and now he seems like the chubbiest baby ever.

(Seun)

(Saye)

These boys are so small and adorable (although they do scream a lot). I'm praying that they continue to grow healthily, and that they bond well with the other children.

Children of CHIPROM: Sunday

Sunday is so awesome. He is known around the house as the Pastor, or just plain "Pastor Sunday". He loves to burst out into prayer at random times (but everyone always stops to listen to this 5 year old, because his prayers are just the best!)

He can be a handful sometimes (I won't lie to you). But I know I'm going to miss all of his crazy antics!

Children of CHIPROM: Samuel & Elizabeth

Well, if it isn’t Little Miss Sassy and Mr. Swag in person! These 6 year olds are always a riot. 

Samuel is constantly running around, showing off his kung-fu moves, wrestling with Isaiah and the other boys on the sitting room floor, and occasionally sits still enough to watch some Power Rangers on TV. He is full of energy, thats for sure! Occasionally, he'll cuddle up to me and sit still, but it only ever lasts for a few minutes, and then he finds some new task to keep him running around.

Elizabeth, or Elli as she likes to be called, is the sassiest little girl I have ever met. I figured these kids would have sass, but I never expected this much! She loves bossing people around, dancing and just strutting her stuff in her many skirts and dresses. Anytime I try to take a picture of her, she’s always got a new pose for me! She also knows exactly what she wants to be when she grows up: a hairdresser. Several times a day, she walks up to me (struts would be a better word) and says "lemme do yo hair". She's great!

These kids make the house so loud and crazy and capital-F Fun! 

Children of CHIPROM: Dupe

This is Dupe. She is so sweet, and so cute. She is always helping the younger boys with their homework, and often helps the mommies with washing the clothes. She is such a great helper!

When I first met her, the first thing I noticed about her was her laugh. It was this high, tinselly sounding giggle. She loves laughing, and she loves laughing a LOT! She is such a joy to have around the house.

Children of CHIPROM: Favor

Hello Favor! This guy is one and a half years old, and is the sweetest thing around. He waddles around the house, following Ibukun and causing havoc. They are our resident trouble-maker buds! Sometimes he'll break away and run over to me to hug my legs. I'm really going to miss that!

He also has this habit of sucking his bottom lip like a soother. I don't think I even saw his bottom lip until the second week I was here! He is pretty darn adorable when he smiles, though.

{If you want to read other Children of CHIPROM posts, click here to go to the list of names.}

Children of CHIPROM: Isaiah and Esther

Say hello to Isaiah and Esther, the recently turned seven year old twins (on April 2nd, to be exact).

Isaiah is the oldest boy here at Chiprom currently, and he is the man of the house. I always see him separating the littler boys from fighting! And he is so cuddly, too. When he come home from school (even if he is the oldest guy around) he runs up to me and hugs me around my waist and just stares up at me. I love this guy.

Esther is such a wonderful little girl. She loves being the mom, telling other kids what to do, what not to do, where to sit, etc. She loves feeding the babies, and carrying little Success around whenever she can. She wants so badly to be a grown-up! She is super cute.

{If you want to read other Children of CHIPROM posts, click here to go to the list of names.}

Children of CHIPROM: Success

Ahhh, sweet Success. He is the newest addition to Chiprom, and he is an absolute doll.

No words. 

I mean, how perfect is that face? 

This little guy loves life. So much so that if he isn't being held by a living, breathing person while he is awake, he will scream and cry until he is. And when you are holding him, he's the happiest little guy on the planet. All the other kids love carrying him around with them, and I'm sure he loves it too.

AHH!! Cuteness overload!!!

{If you want to read the other Children of CHIPROM posts, click here to go to the list of names.}

Children of CHIPROM: Dolapo

Dolapo is an 11 year old girl with a heart of gold.
Her name means "rich woman" and although she may not be a millionaire, God has definitely blessed her with many rich and wonderful talents! She can often be heard singing around the house as she cleans up after the little ones, and also enjoys drawing and being creative. She's my artsy-soul kindred spirit :)

Right now, she is home with me while the rest of the kids are at school. She was unfortunate enough to get a bout of malaria, so she's been sleeping for most of the past two days. Pray that God will heal her up quickly, and that she can return to school soon.

{If you want to read the other Children of CHIPROM posts, click here to go to the list of names.}

Children of CHIPROM: Glory

Glory is a 12 year old girl with a heart after God, which is the most awesome thing ever. I mean, she came up to me one time and asked me if I could explain God to her. I told her I'd try to answer her questions, but I didn't have all the answers. She then asked "Well, who is God's dad? When was God born? What does heaven look like? When I die, how will it feel?" and about a million more questions similar in nature and just as hard-hitting.

She's a smart one!

I love her curiosity to know more about God, and her excitement about her questions. I often can't get all the way through my answer before she has two more questions spilling out!

She is one amazing kid. And obviously, I love her to pieces!

{If you want to read the other Children of CHIPROM posts, click here to go to the list of names.}

Children of CHIPROM: Joshua and Michael

{Michael}

Joshua and Michael are the youngest twins here at Chiprom currently.  They are 4 years old, and love to play all the time.

Michael is the sweetest little boy you will ever meet. I taught him what butterfly kisses are, and now if he's ever sitting besides me, he will lean over and give me some on my cheek. He is so gentle and kind, and it just makes everyone love him. He's always the life of the party when visitors stop by, singing "Father Abraham" at the top of his lungs while doing over-the-top actions. He's just a great kid!

Joshua is a great little protector. One of the mummies brought her baby grand daughter to the home for a few days, and Joshua loves her to pieces! Anytime she sat on the floor, Joshua was right there next to her to make sure no one accidentally stepped on her. He also loves to ride his bicycle out front and often has races with his brother and Kehinde to the bottom of the driveway. Whenever he sees me in the morning, he runs straight at me with his arms outstretched, ready for a big bear-hug.

These boys are such precious gifts from God, and I love them!

{Joshua}

{If you want to read the other Children of CHIPROM posts, click here to go to the list of names.}

Ibukun Laughing

Okay, I've fixed the problem. Enjoy!!

Children of CHIPROM: Ibukun

Say hello to Ibukun (Ee-boo-koon). His name means blessing in Yoruba, and he is the greatest little almost-2-year-old on the planet.

He doesn't go to school during the days, so I get to hang out with him and Favor until everyone else returns. He runs around, laughing and giggling, occasionally crying, and sometimes sleeping. He has chicken pox right now, so pray that he won't scratch too much and he will be healed up soon!

He is also very bow-legged. A lot of people grow out of this as they get older, but I have seen a few people walking around Ibadan with bow-legs that look very uncomfortable and noticeable. Pray that Ibukun's legs will straighten naturally, and that he will be able to run around without being hindered by his legs.

{If you want to read other Children of CHIPROM posts, click here to go to the list of names.}

Children of CHIPROM: Kehinde

Kehinde is literally the cutest thing I have ever set eyes on.

I mean, look at those lips!
Kehinde is a beautiful four year old boy who loves to cuddle me whenever I sit down, and often cries if he can't sit beside me. He has a huge gut laugh, and it often surprises me that such a jolly sound could come from such a small kid!

Kehinde also has sickle cell anemia. Whenever this guy gets sick, they have to rush him to the hospital to make sure that he is going to survive. I haven't seen this side of him during my stay, but rather the lively little boy that I know he is.

Please pray for him, and that God would miraculously heal him. And if you feel that God has placed a call on your heart to donate to CHIPROM on behalf of Kehinde, feel free to contact any of CHIPROM's offices. His medical bills can be very expensive, but CHIPROM knows that every penny is worth it for this little one's life.

{If you want to read the other Children of CHIPROM posts, click here to go to the list of names.}

Children of CHIPROM

I want to start this new (hopefully weekly) section on my blog where I write a profile on each of the kids. There are seventeen children here at CHIPROM (and there are four sets of twins). I want to profile one child (or pair of twins) each Wednesday.

The names and ages of the kids are as follows.
Success - under 0
Favor - 1
Ibukun - 2
Kehinde - 4
Michael & Joshua - 4
Elizabeth & Samuel - 6
Isaiah & Esther - 7
Taiwo & Kehinde - 8
Dupe - 9
Tayo - 9
Joy - 10
Dolapo - 11
Glory - 12
Seun - 13

Today, I want to profile Seun (Shay-oon). She is a beautiful thirteen year old girl who has been such a big help to me as I transition to living in Nigeria. Because she is the oldest in home, she is basically another mother to the children and has to help them with getting ready in the morning as well as getting herself out the door. She is a diligent worker and studies extremely hard. She often asks me several times a day to run over her studies with her so she can be ready for her exams. She is smart, she is beautiful and she has been a great friend to me. Pray that God continues to change her life, and that she continues to be a loud and proud woman of God as she grows older.