Day 38

This morning I woke up early to take George (the housekeeper) to the church. He needed to drop off some speakers for his son’s wedding tomorrow. When we came back home, Bobby and Lisa were there to pick me up. Today is there day to say goodbye to everyone before they go on their 6 month leave to the states. We drove to their two centers so they could see everyone one last time.

First, we arrived in Bomani. All the students came into the church building and sat down. The staff and faculty followed. Bobby brought a huge kids book to read a story to the children. The pictures captured the children’s attention as they listened intently to the story. When the story ended, Bobby said goodbye to the children. They went back to their classes.

Bobby ended by having a meeting with the staff. He told them how much they are valued and necessary for the school to function. He told them the vision of the school and feeding center is to share the Love of God with the children and their families. Bobby said he thinks each person there was placed there by God and they all have a special meaning there. He told them that they now have the money to build a new building. The foundation will hold four rooms and have capacity to build a second level on it. They were happy to hear the encouraging words and exciting news. As Bobby closed the meeting he could not contain his tears and asked Pastor Allen to say a prayer.

After Bomani we went off to Injili. This center was started before Bomani. They are also in construction putting up a new building that will be a high school. When we arrived at Injili we had a warm welcome from the teachers. Bobby, Lisa, Allen and I went into a room where all the children were sitting. Bobby did the same lesson there as he did in Bomani. The children were very receptive. The staff meeting went well too. I could tell that it’s hard for the staff to see Bobby and Lisa go. One of the staff member said that before working at Injili, she was depressed and had a difficult life. Now that she is working there, her life has improved in a huge way and she is happy. She gave Bobby and Lisa a special appreciation for how much they mean to her and the rest of the staff. Then she gave them a present from the staff and students. It was a very special moment and hard for me not to cry… so I did. Bobby and Lisa were both crying too.

These goodbyes were very special and very difficult for Bobby and Lisa. They had such a good year at the centers. They said they really struggle saying bye to everyone. As we were leaving Injili we heard the children thanking their teachers, pastors, and supporters for their education. They repeat their gratitude before each prayer. I love seeing the grateful hearts they have. The children do not take their education and care for granted. It’s the sweetest thing.

When we returned from the centers, I took George to run more errands for the wedding. When we went to pick up the soda a boy was standing outside the vehicle with a bucket. He just stood there and stared at me. He wanted money. George knew the fella and said that he does that to get drug money. It’s hard to think of a teenage boy living in Africa going from car to car in hopes for money that he will use on drugs. I wonder how he came to that point in his life. Did he have a hard childhood? What are his parents like? Did his friends influence him in a negative way? What could he be doing with his life if he chose differently? Will he change? What would make him consider change? What would motivate him to live a better life? Will he continue this cycle until he is old?