I may have left the African continent, but my heart is still there (as usual...I know some of you are rolling your eyes right now). The funny thing is that packing was not as hard this time, it was getting on board the plane that almost knocked me out! Of course saying goodbye to the prettiest kids ON THE PLANET is never easy, and the whole time you wish your hugs could last forever. You feel tears getting pushed further and further out of your eyes with each heart-beat, and you don't want to put them down because seeing each other cry makes your heart race (and therefore your tears cascade down instead of drizzle). All the kids touched my heart, and the stories about them will go on FOREVER (pictures will also come...it's just a waste of time to gamble with African internet services so I saved those for later), but there are two little girls who just stick with me more and more. So, in addition to my ravings about Aida-bear, I will drive you all crazy with stories about Rebecca and Kazeah.
For now I will spare you, and tell you a miracle story about a wonder-boy named Bonnie (short for Boniface). Bonnie is almost 4 years old, but he looks to be about the size of a healthy 6 month old baby. When we arrived at the children's home he did not walk, he did not smile, he did not play, he did not move...except to cry because of the scary Mazungu skin. Our ROCKSTAR prayer agent, Rex, prayed over this boy, and the last few days we say him cruising around our team, the church, in service, and around his new house. What makes this a miracle and not just happy acts of joy is that Bonnie had AIDS when we arrived (which explains his reluctance to expend energy); our team issued another AIDS test a few days after Re's prayer...and the boy's test came back NEGATIVE. Read that again...N-E-G-A-T-I-V-E. It was so obvious in his behavior, his appearance, his energy, and his eyes..they gleamed the way GOD created children's eyes to gleam like sun rays.
There are many stories to tell, and I promise to post them one by one on as they lay on my heart for some time. All day today I kept thinking over our last day in Kenya (yesterday). Our team was FRANTICALLY searching all of last week for a new house to move the children into. The building they were in became known as "the cave" because of it's poor condition and hopeless energy. We came up with a handful of "hopefulls," but to our dismay the owners backed out one by one because they did not want their homes to be used for a children's home. By the last day Annette and Mike were in tears, and I could barely keep from throwing up because we so desperately had to move those kids out...you cannot grow dreams from a flower pot outside...they have to come from within. Well, in GOD's true timing, on the last day (about 10 hours before our team was to fly out) we signed the papers on a BRAND-NEW-NEVER-BEEN-LIVED-In house, and we moved the kids in. The looks on their faces puts every photo to shame because the pictures can not capture the depth of light in their eyes (even though Annette is a BRILLIANT photographer). The change was similar to Bonnie's...TOTALLY different kids. TOTALLY different kids who hugged differently, smiled differently, ran and played differently...and for the first time in their lives...FELT like they were home.
I never realized what that could mean until yesterday. I knew from personal experience that you can own a house or a home...the two are not the same. But I did not connect the dots in my head and apply them to Africa. I am still trying to wrap my head around that, and all it means. Unfortunately, our team gave a double whammy by giving them a house, and then turning around and leaving (smiles and tears).
Which leads me back to my opening point...the freaking plane! Okay...so a brain-note for all NEVER FLY VIRGIN ATLANTIC...you will regret that decision EVERYDAY. Annette and I originally had VA tickets round trip, however I got an email saying our flight was cancelled and we were automatically re booked for another VA flight the following day. I responded and said that was not okay, we needed to leave on the scheduled day. We arranged to have Annette and I put on a BA flight at no cost to us because we did not break the rules. When we arrived at the airport with our group to check in the clerk said he did not see our names in the system. SHOCKER...our eyes got big, our hearts began to race...after all the emotions surrounding the house and the kids...we now had to deal with DRAMA for the flight. On top of the that we did not have a cell phone, or internet access in order to contact VA. GOD sent HIS lovely angels, Julie and some others, who work ground crew for both VA and BA and they helped us get access to both a phone and a computer. Believe me...it was a LONG, LONG, L-O-N-G process. Eventually we got on the plane...and here we are...in London. A time to think, relax, stroll, and remember.
I know my whole team, of WONDERFUL people, misses those kids like nothing every before. Rhea, one of the sweetest ladies you could ever meet, almost cries anytime you mention the kids...you can see them sitting on her heart. What helps me, and so many other child advocates, is to think of it as though your level of "missing" them reflects your love for them. The next time you say, "I love you" to that child...it pack all the punch from all your pain. It helps me cope because I know it's sincere if it stays on my heart forever.
More stories to come, but as for now...at least you know I am giving Africa time to recoup from dealing with me...and I am messing up London now! :)
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