Getting Our Local Girls Surfing!!!!!

One of my close friends, Sharmely, is now surfing with me. I was so amped that the girls surf contest got her itching to surf again. She had tried it before in the past, and with her brother being the #1 National surfer, I knew she had it in her. She loves it! We've been going together as much as time allows and I am so happy for her to get out of the monotony of a Sri Lankan woman's daily life which consists of cleaning, washing clothes, cooking and more cleaning. There's not a whole lot of fun activity for the women, so I'm stoked for her to have some. Its so fun to have a girl to paddle out with me and I look forward to every time we get to surf together. Her sister Inoka has also now picked up the interest and is starting to come out. My next door neighbor Anu is also becoming interested. If I can get these girls really surfing, they can actually become Sri Lanka's first girl surfers. When (or I should say if- its never a definite) the ASP girls contest comes back, there's usually a wild card. I told the girls that we have to get them practiced up :) The one rule about the girls surfing, is that their brother Asanka told them that they could only surf with me. I love it! Its great time for me with my OIKOS girls.

Something To Lift One's Spirits

While we were in California, this young boy named Ajaiy experienced something tragic that will change his life forever. Ajaiy's father took his own life by hanging himself after fighting with his wife. When we returned, Ajaiy began coming around our house a lot. He also became very interested in surfing. Cody started teaching him how to surf and he picked it up pretty quickly.

Surfing has become a great tool for Cody to use to reach this boy; a little love and a little surf.

Sri Lankan Pro Surf Contest 2011

ASP and Sri Lankan Airlines hosted the second year surf contest at Arugam Bay

ASP donated 3 surfboards to leave to our local Surf Club boys. They were stoked!!!!!

We had the privilege of meeting and hanging out with some of the pro surfers, including the winner Courtney Connelly and runner-up Lakey Petersen.

Some of the Surf Club boys with winner Dwayne Desoto and runner-up Taylor Jensen

Some of the girls watching the heats

The boys with some of the pro surfer girls from France

It was a great time of connecting our local surfers with pro's from around the world.

Dickson's 13th Birthday Party

We found out that it was our neighbor (Dickson's) birthday. His parents weren't going to be giving him a party, so we decided to. It was a fun-filled day.

Cody made him a cake

The whole family: George, Agenta, Ab, Dickson, Salagen, and or course Kenai

Cody painted all the kids faces

I taught the kids how to play twister. They were a little confused still :)

We had a water balloon toss contest and relay races

All the kids got little masks

And we finished the night off with some Wii dancing

Not just the kids ;) The big kids too!

My Dad's Battle with Cancer

If you haven't been following with my dad's battle, please find the attached blog to find out how he is doing. He continues to battle the cancer and will now be treated at City of Hope. Please pray for my family.