Missing my babies

I recieved a newsletter today from one of my friends doing ministry in South Africa. Immediately my heart began to ache. I miss my African children so much. I miss their beautiful accents, their big brown eyes, their shining white smiles. I miss being greeted with them jumping into my arms. I miss feeling a little tug on my shirt by little Michelle who is extending her arms to be scooped up into the safety of my embrace. Its so hard to be here when I do not know if my children are okay there. I do not know if someone is holding them close and wiping away their tears. I do not know if they are being reminded daily of how beautiful and special they are. I want to be that person. I want to do just that, but God has called me back. He has brought me to Sheboygan and is now opening my eyes to the broken children right here. I'm excited knowing that my God has been faithful to me no matter where I am and so He will not stop being faithful.

Oaxaca Medical Outreach

Last week we had a medical outreach at the base in Oaxaca. I was amazed by the effort put in by all the people here at the mission. The just whipped up hospital rooms out of brick on the basketball courts and little wooden desks. Everyone put in more than 12 hour days and had such good attitudes through it all. The first day people began arriving by the truck load by 5:30. At times it was quite overwhelming to see hundreds of people lined up coming from up to 12 hours away and then waiting all day and even throughout the night just to be seen. My job was helping with the glasses. When patients would leave the eye doctor I would dig through the boxes of donated glasses for a perscription that somewhat matched. I must say patience and kindness did not always flow out of me as I would look and dig for a somewhat close perscription and after FINALLY finding something the person would ask for a better looking pair. Despite my little selfish breakdowns the week went great and I honestly really enjoyed it. So often I'd have little women looking for reading glasses and so when I'd hold up a book or something to look at they'd reply with a hint of embarrassment in their voices that they didn't know how to read. Most women don't need glasses to read but rather to cook and to sew so we began using the great idea my friend Elaine had, having the ladies practice threading a needle with glasses. It was so neat to see people who had once thought they'd never again be able to see, see again. The people here showed such gratitude for everything we did and I recieved many hugs and kisses on the cheek. It was a great opportunity to be a part of.

(We had a little photo shoot with the glasses)

Goodbyes

I don't know how I continually do it. Move to another location...pour out my heart and fall completely in love with the people around me only to once again leave. I feel like part of me dies everytime I have to say goodbye again. How do you spend 24hours a day, seven days a week, for 4 months with a group of people and then leave them to possibly never see them again? The way I do it is running forward and trying not too look back. God has blessed me with amazing relationships everywhere I go and although its so hard to say goodbye its "better to have loved and lost than to have never have loved at all" Sometimes crying at a goodbye and really feeling the heartache feels so good because then I know how much that person really meant to me. So these are my thoughts as I stepped out of Baja, left my girls and my dear friends.



(The kids at the daycare tied me up to a chair to keep me from leaving...in this picture they are all praying for me. I cried so hard.)