On our last trip to South Africa, I had the chance to pick Attie up from his new school for a holiday.  The South African School for the Deaf is a boarding school about 6 hours outside of Jeffrey’s Bay…and because of this, it had been about 6 months since I had seen him last and I was missing him like crazy.

Over the past year or so, Attie has become part of our family and it is really hard to be away from him…so needless to say, I was very anxious and excited to give him a BIG hug and get to see his new (school year) home.

When we arrived, I was blown away by how beautiful the grounds were.  The grass was perfectly manicured, the buildings were well kept and the playgrounds were large full of colorful jungle gym equipment!

After arriving, I had the chance to see Attie’s dorm and meet the house mother.  She was a warm, loving woman and she spoke so highly of Attie and his leadership skills!  We then headed over the the classroom areas to pick him up from his class.

It was such a wonderful reunion when we walked in.  I couldn’t wait to meet all of Attie’s new friends and see what he had been learning.

All of the children in the class seemed to really love him, and he seemed to really love them.  It really is amazing how well he is doing and how well he is adapting to his new environment.

He was anxious to show me his latest art projects…and all of the sign language that he has been learning!!  In a few short weeks, he learned 39 new words!

His teacher was so sweet and spoke so highly of him.  It did my heart so good to get to spend time at his school, get a glimpse into his daily life, and learn how well he is doing.

Attie is learning so much, and he is so happy and free (imagine finally learning to communicate after so many years)!  I am so thankful for the chance to get to send him to such a wonderful school and so thankful to watch him grow and mature!

LUO has been able to make a difference in his story because of your donations and support.  We hope to be able to impact hundreds of children just like Attie and we hope that you will continue to partner with us in doing that.