This week has been an extremely emotional week. I started getting things together for the kids christmas bags and goodbye cards. I’ve been finding pictures I’ve taken of them that are good quality and getting them together to print in town on Thursday. Just the fact that I’ve started on that shows me daily that my time left here is very short. I’m torn over that. Obviously I’m very excited about coming home and seeing family, my friends, and fellowshipping in good church with right doctrine. But, I’m so upset already about saying goodbye to the people I’ve grown to love here. My 17 children, Sarah, Monica and Titus, Jane, Rosemary and many more little children that come to our children’s church each week.
On top of that, the Medlin’s leave on Sunday. I’ve cried over this many tears already and as the week keeps going I cry more. I love these people. They are my family, period. I feel like I’ve known them my whole life. I love these 4 crazy hairbrained children. Michael’s goofy personality. And the sweetest, most friendly, loveable woman I’ve met in my life thus far – hands down. She’s helped me through 4 months of crazy, getting adjusted here, she’s been involved in my life, in my family back home, she has helped me pray through MANY decisions and continues to do so. These next 5 weeks are going to be hard without them here. But I know God is doing this to continue to draw me closer to Him.
I hit the 30something day countdown to go back home. That is insane. Have I really been here 127 days already??! Where has the time gone? I feel like I was just packing and on the one week countdown to when I was coming. I’m not going to lie, there have been some hard days. I’ve cried a lot more than I normally do. I’ve been so happy I’ve cried until I feel wack in the head. I’ve been so homesick I’ve called mom and just sat on the phone crying for an hour. I’ve been sick, and sick and more sick – which is so unlike me. Ask my family at home, I’m doing good to get sick twice a year. I’ve woke up and hated this hotel, this culture – I’ve ashamedly yelled at Kenyan’s for constantly staring at me and talking about me. Um hello, I know what Muzungu means, and sometimes I’m able to pick out exactly what they are saying. Does that make me not called to this mission field? Who knows. I’ve also sat in a group of people that I cannot understand a word they are saying and just laughed with them. Smiled with them. Instantly loved them. Prayed with and for them, and gotten involved in their life. I have 38 days left here with these people until I’m on a plane coming back home. And to be honest, I’m scared. I don’t know who I am or what I’m doing, but being here in this crazy, emotional state just feels right. I cannot even explain it.
This week I also started moving all my belongings over to the kids home. David (the orphanage director) sent Michael an email late last week saying that he was not very comfortable with me staying in the hotel by my own and asked if I would move into the kids home after the Medlin’s leave. Honestly I did not have anything wrong with that option, I just didn’t want to be the one to make the final decision. I know, I’m a coward. There were lots of reasons to stay at the hotel AND at the home floating through my head. I seemed to be having a really hard time making a final decision, and my parents put in their 2 cents but let me be the one to make the decision. I’m very thankful that God made that decision clear through the opinion of David. So slowly every day I’ve been taking small egg boxes full of my things over and locking my bedroom up until I move in for good on Sunday.
On that same note, I’m not sure if I will be able to charge my computer often at the shop down the street (Since the home doesn’t have electricity this is my only option) so I’m not sure how often I will be able to get on the internet. So this will probably be my last handwritten blog post. The plan if I cannot use the net is to call mom each week since we are still meeting to talk about our bible study, and give her a little information and prayer requests to put on the blog. I don’t plan on leaving you guys hanging these next 5 weeks!! I’m so thankful and shocked really, that you even read this blog and pray for me daily and weekly. Thank you so much!
Prayer Requests:
- The 6 Medlin’s (Michael, Kellie, Gabe, Christina, Jacob and Abigail) as they leave sunday afternoon (or sunday morning our time for back home) and travel to Nairobi to fly back home to the states. They leave Monday morning at 4am (Sunday at 8pm at home), please pray for patience, for travel safeties, and for all their things to show up with them when they get home to North Carolina to visit family.
- Please pray for them as they travel for about 2 months visiting people, visiting their old church and for them as they try to find a place to call home and settle relatively soon. Pray that Michael will find a job quick, and that it is one that he may enjoy. Pray that God will show them daily that He is in charge and that He will give them all they need.
- Pray for me as I move to the home and settle in quickly. Please pray that I will make the most of my last 38 days here. Pray that I will be fearless to love these children and talk to them about Christ while I’m still here.
- Please pray with me as I continue to pray about possibly working in Ecuador, and that I will be patient as I wait back for information.
- Pray for the children at the home as they transition with the Medlin’s leaving, David (A manager who is taking Michael’s place) moving into the home and having some authority over things going on at the home. Please pray that the children will be excited when David and Laurel move here, whenever that may be.
a journey to Eldoret 