Reassurrance

Friday 5/25 (part 2)

 

The sweet farewell song from the Mengo girls (above)

 

       We had prepared for a sad night Friday, it being the last night with the boys and girls. Though it was, laughter was also abundant because of the chickens. I am thankful for that. At the end of the night, it did come time to say goodbye, and it was sad as predicted, but it was also a great reminder of the real and sincere relationships we had made and the people we had been blessed by. They uncles opened it up to the kids to say words to us, which were very sweet, and the Mengo girls even had made up a song for us and preformed it! The words to the song were, “Farewell farewell bring me back  in your life May the Lord keep you there until we meet you once again.”
    We then had a chance to tell them just how much they meant to us and how are lives will truly never be the same because of our experiences with them. We sang together and prayed. Many hugs and tears followed, as well as “I love you’s,” smiles, and exchange of notes, drawings, and e-mail addresses. We found “See you soon” seemed to be a better alternative to “goodbye” and that we all truly hope that God brings up back to this sweet boys and girls someday, hopefully sooner rather than later. Spunky Ibra came to the van after I had gotten in and sat down with me. He was all smiles, and looked at me and said, “Don’t cry! We will be here. And you will come back!” He stated this in a very confident manner, assured that this was not goodbye, and therefor, in his mind, there were no need for tears. Just as I had dreamed before the trip of one of Katie Davis’ daughters taking my hand in reassurance in heading to Africa, Ibra now held my hand and reassured me in leaving Africa. I love putting faith in the fact that goodbye isn’t goodbye and there will be another time we meet. As Douglas, our driver put it, “Hopefully we meet again here someday soon, but if our paths do not cross again, I will see you in Heaven.”   
    On Saturday we had breakfast as a team, had some quiet time, and started packing. As we were packing someone yelled, “Visitors!” We went out to the main room to see two of the uncles and Ibra dressed very sharp, or “smart” as they would say in Africa. They had been at the wedding next store and stopped by to say hey! Though we had already said goodbye, it was good to see a few of our new friends again. We sat and talked with them for a few minutes over a shared box of frosted flakes. The uncles told us that they boys had loved their pictures! (We had taken headshots of the boys and girls, had them printed, and split them up to write notes on the back of the pictures to give to them). After a few minutes of talking, Douglas arrived and it was time to head to Entebbe. We loaded the van, and headed out.
    In Entebbe, we ate at a pizza restaurant on the “beach” of Lake Victoria! It was beautiful! We recounted funniest moments of the trip including Meleia having someone spit in her eye to “help” her, eating way to much because the food was “blessed” and we were instructed to finish it all, the chicken extravaganza and many others. We watched the sunset, consumed lots of pizza, and started raving about what a good choice the restaurant was when small white things started falling from the trees. We couldn’t figure out what they were, but as there were more of them we saw they were like small white sticks with sticky tails. They began to swarm the trees and the lights, and soon our table, and then us. It only took about thirty seconds for everyone to be up and running to the van only to leave Jake to handle the check. Of course locals were laughing, what’s new, but we didn’t care. In the van we then decided we would prefer cicadas to the white sticky swarming African bugs.
    After surviving the plague we headed to the airport and parted ways with Douglas. He hugged us all and added a few “Oh my dear’s” or “Oh sister’s,” in his true African accent, which were my favorite Douglas phrases. He then reassured us, once again, we would meet again. We then started out two day traveling journaling back to America.
    Currently I am in Newark airport, sitting at a Duncan Donuts, recharging my computer. Finishing the blog, and looking at pictures with Katie, I have just kept smiling. My nights and days are mixed up, the flights have given us lots of meals at weird times, I have passed my preferred time lapse for showering, and we are stuck in New Jersey for a six hour layover; but it’s a good day. It’s a great day. I have just experienced an incredible two and a half weeks that could not have possibly been more full. Those it was a short time, it was so full and so rich. I’ve seen new places, learned new things, and met dozens of new people. I have been forever blessed. We went to be teachers, but we were taught, We went to love, but we were loved. We went to serve, but we were served, we went to be Jesus, but others were Jesus to us. I can only hope others were blessed because of God, through us, to the measure that I was blessed. I can only hope all of the things we intended to do, were accomplished to the glory of God. Only He knows exactly what was done. However I do know that in Isaiah 55:11 it says, “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish what which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I send it.” I have faith in that. I have faith His name has been glorified. Praise to the Almighty God who, even in our failings, graciously allows us to join what He is doing, and work alongside Him.