Africa, I will be back...

I cannot believe that the day of my departure is really almost here... It feels like I was just saying ‘Im leaving next year’ then, ‘I’m leaving in 2 months’ and now ‘goodbye. I’m leaving on thursday’... The last few weeks have been crazy! that’s pretty much the only way to describe it. Amongst all the terrible goodbye’s, there have also been some great times. great times with friends, with family, and my Grace Youth family. I’m so grateful for those moments! I guess it starting to hit me. I am going... forever. or for now?

I'm sure you saw my last post about the Watoto Choir. (pronounced. wa-toe-toe. not why-toe-toe, or wa-tooo-tooo! ha!) So since I wrote that post, I got connected with the organizers of the tour. Totally a God thing. And basically I said to the ladies in charge that I will do everything and anything they need me to do- JUST to be near these choir and spend some time with them. I started off by being a security guard at a merchandise table! Me? security guard? I know, right!

I was honestly like a star stuttered fan who would do anything just to be near the kids. I would offer to carry boxes to the bus, in a hope that I would have to put the box IN the bus, and thus getting to see the kids... Eventually, I didn’t have to celebrity stalk them anymore- I got to meet all of them! listen to their stories, play games, drive them around and just be in their presence. If I wrote all that is on my mind about these kids, you would be here reading this for days. no kidding. every little moment has become a story, every funny line from one of the little guys is worth a long laugh, and every cute smile from a favourite kid is a paragraph. I am now known as 'uncle jorda' (apparently there is no 'n' in my name) who is the brother of 'Aunty Carita' (because we have the same kind of hair!)

This is about to get very deep and soppy [I apologise]... I’ve seen a glimpse of Jesus in these kids and the adults around them. I have experienced love from them that I don’t think they themselves know that they are capable of giving! They have affected me in the deepest places in my heart. Kids who may have had no parents, no hope and nothing to give, have given me everything.

It’s really hard to explain what has changed in me, but one thing I can explain: My passion for Africa, and for kids- has been renewed, revived, revitalized, resurrected, reinvigorated (I can't pick one). Even though I wish I could move to Uganda right now to be with these kids and others like them, I understand that going to the US is what I believe God’s calling is for me right now. and the great thing is that I know I will be back! The passion for Africa and the unloved has grown in me HUGELY over the past 2 weeks, and I thank these incredible kids for the role they played!

Saying goodbye to them was heart-breaking. I honestly don’t know if I will ever see them again. But I know that God has put them in my life over the last few weeks for a reason, and that is: to remind me why I love Africa, and to help me never forget that Africa is my home, and that God-willing... I WILL be back!