Thinking about Heather

 Disclaimer:  We feel safe where we live, and we actually live in a very quiet neighborhood. Sometimes, I don't know how much to share.  I don't want people to worry about us.

Heather is 12 years old, and will be 13 in 3 months.  This is very shocking to me!  I worry that she is isolated.  Besides her brother, father and me, there are very few other people for her to talk to that speak English.  She talks to her sister on the phone once a week and her grandparents when they call.  She is friendly with our friends and their babies.  There is one girl her age that lives here in a yacht in the port.  They get along well enough, but we don't see them very often.

I feel like we are in the Little House in the Prairie book... living out in the middle of nowhere, alone.

But, we aren't alone.  In fact, our neighborhood has had several incidents.  Right outside of our gate, a thief was stoned by the neighbors, and although we stopped it and called the police and he was taken to the hospital, we do not believe he survived.

Just around the corner from our house, our office that we share with another NGO was robbed, and the guard was slashed on his arms. The thieves got away with a cooking gas canister and some rakes.

And, a block away, friends of ours were caught up in a flash mob when they pulled over to help students that had been hit by a motorcycle. When they stopped to help, people assaulted their employees who were with them, tried breaking the windows of their car, and tried to steal their computers out of their car.

Because of these things, we do not allow Heather to go out alone.  She likes to bike ride alone around the block but I will go out and walk on the street to keep an eye out.  The house next to ours is owned by the government and is called State House.  While Heather and I were out a few days ago, State House had incarcerated men clearing their lawn. They were wearing orange jump suits and had an armed guard watching them.

So, as you can see, we are not really "alone".

Heather has asked for me to apply for her to go to RVA, the same boarding school as her sister. She wants to go when she is in 9th grade, which is two years from now.  It was so hard for me to do, but I sent her application in.  

I know it's what's best for Heather, but I will miss her, like I do Katrina.  And, it will be so quiet at home with just Jonathan here with us.

Update: While we were at our retreat in Kenya, Heather was a part of an MK teen girls' support group with about 5 other teen girls that were at the retreat. (Katrina was not a part as she had homework to do.)  She developed some good friendships, and they are going to keep in touch by writing and emailing. I'm so glad she had that opportunity.