On the plane from Durban.
Yesterday was a good day, but I was NOT ready for this week to end. Rehoboth in the morning was like the other, which was good not to have an ominous feeling over the day. Jacob Way told the salvation story and a few of the older kids were very very attentive. And it was so cute, while we were singing Jesus Loves Me, there was these two little ones about 3 yrs old I think, and they were just screaming at the top of there lungs, "JEEESSSUUUUUSSSS LOOOOOOVVVEEEESSS MEEEEEEE!!!" while the other were singing normally..It was so cute, we were all cracking up. Then for the craft we made those salvation bracelets with the 5 colored beads on them and they liked it alright. Not to into it.
The rest of our time was spent playing and laughing and loving as it should be. I know I've said it over and over again but these children are just so happy and healthy and full of love you would NEVER know they are HIV+. Kind of heart breaking, but so encouraging that they're in a place where they can be children and grow up normally.
Saying goodbye was hard. As expected. We had just finished face painting and cleaned everything up and I knew it was coming. But the strange thing was, the kids knew as well as we did. Usually things like this end with us saying goodbye to the kids and they say goodbye all happy like they'll see us tomorrow or something, while we're all crying and sad. But there was a few, like Siya, Samke, and Mpilo who were as sad as we were, and they are like 5 and 7 years old. They knew we weren't going to be coming back for a long time. I didn't feel like crying until my favorite little boy, Mpilo, came up to hug me goodbye and I sat down on the ground to hold him and he said in his ute little British and South African accent, "You mustn't go Auntie Katy.." Oh man... I just hugged him close and cried a little for a good while. He was such a sweetheart the whole week. And he would dance sooo cute-ly when they'd sing their beautiful songs in the morning. It looked like he was marching around..
After regaining some composure, we all said goodbye to the kids one last time, and walked over to the office with Alfons to drop of clothes and toys and things we were leaving there. He thanked us so much and said what a blessing we were and to come back as soon as we could. Then he prayed over us a very sincere and honest prayer. All the people here pray so passionately and honestly... I wish I could be more like that.
We ate lunch at Leopard Rock again, then went back to the church around 4 or so. There they gave us the option of going back to the hospice or staying in the church for the next hour and a half, cause they knew some of us had a really hard time with it. Needless to say I was very torn..I knew that I myself did not want to go at all, but there was a part of me that knew I needed to go back.. So I said "ok God..I'll go for like 20 minutes" I can do 20 minutes.. I just would go straight to Ruth, the woman I had connected with the first time. So we walked over there. Janine Dillow had brought a suitcase full of beautiful head scarves to give to the nurses and patients, so we grabbed a bunch of those and started to hand them out to the ladies, and they all just smiled so big and looked like they felt like the prettiest woman in the world. It was a blessing to be able to bring them some happiness. Then me and Lauren walked over to Ruth's bed and when she picked out her scarf she was so happy, but more happy that we'd come back to see her. We talked to her about her kids (they had called to talk the day before) and how they were coming to visit her on thursday, and about how awful the soap operas were, and just small talk really. She said she was feeling a bit better today than even the day before, so that was good. Then Lauren came back from handing out the rest of her scarves and had an extra one. So she gave it to Ruth saying that she should give it to her daughter when she comes. That was huge. That she would have something to offer her daughter was a big deal and she was just smiling and saying thank you thank you over and over. Then she said "I wish I had something to give my son, I guess I'll just give him some candy" Right as she was saying that I put my hand in my pocket for some reason and felt an aswered prayer. That morning at rehoboth when we had been making the bracelets, I had been handing out beads so I had a bunh of extras in my pocket. Not onlythat, but I had an extra bracelet already made too! So I took it out and said, "Here! give this to him. And let me tell you what the beads mean so you can tell your son! and here's more beads so you can make more!" (One of the things the center does with the women is beadwork once or twice a week...crazy). I told her what they stood for and she lit up when I said that the Gold one stood for heaven where we'll be with Jesus forever. What an incredible God-coincidence that was. Then we prayed over her for a long time, said goodbye and walked out feeling so very blessed and encouraged and satisfied that God had used me when I knew that it was impossible on my own yet again. I looked at the clock and I had been in there for 1 and a half hours... The Joy of Obedience
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It's 9:00 pm now and we're sitting on the 747 airplane about to leave for London after a lovely 8 hours in the Joburg Airport. We played spaids for a while and shopped and such. I'm pretty excited. I decided that I absolutely love long plane rides. I love airplane food and the cute lil trays it comes on, the socks and eye mask they give you, the blankets, the pillows, the tvs, the long playlists on you iPod, although Ive had no good ones lately....everything. Except when you someone asks you to switch seats and the seat you end up in has 5 kids ages 5 and under sitting right in front of you stomping around and peeking over the seat for 9 hours...but! hey..it's ok
See you on the other side.. Can't say I'm just pumped about going home, but I'll love getting to see you all. I know you'll be reading these like days after I get back, but know that all of your prayers, support and thoughts that were with us this wee were sucha huge blessing, and it would've been impossible without you guys' obedience as well as ours. Hope you had a wonderful week, I know I have.
I also know I'll be coming back here...soon :)
over and out
Katy
