6.16.13…Homeward Bound

All good things must come to an end.  Like Dr. Suess said, “Don’t cry because it’s over.  Smile because it happened.”  Yesterday was our last day in Sierra Leone.  As much as I expected to be homesick while we were there, I really wasn’t.  I forgot about my cellphone, Facebook and make-up.  I seldom thought about what I would be doing if I were at home.  I’m usually so focused on what I’m missing that sometimes I forget to enjoy where I am in the moment.  This trip was refreshingly different.

Saying goodbye was much harder than I thought it would be.  They had a farewell ceremony after breakfast on Saturday morning.  I still can’t believe how in such a short period of time you can bond and build relationships with the kids and caregivers.  Kandeh was quiet, but once we finally connected he was stuck to us like glue.  He didn’t show a lot of emotion when we were there so I was surprised to look over at him sitting on Trent’s lap during the farewell song with tears rolling down his cheeks.  Talk about ripping your heart right out of your chest.  I am guessing that this is the first time since he has been at the Raining Season that he has really connected with anyone.  I think when it was time to go Trent and I both wanted to take him and his sisters home.

Love them!

I don’t think I could love this picture any more!

Auntie Marie did all the cooking for us in the guesthouse.  My favorite was the night we had pizza and french fries!

Uncle Patrick helped us with building…

Osseh and John took us on our community outreach outings…

We spent the rest of the afternoon saying goodbye until it was time for us to leave and catch to ferry.  Throughout the week the kids were very interested in things that they noticed as different from them.  For example, Trent’s hairy arms, being able to see veins through our skin and my moles.  One of the older boys told me that if got any more “spots” I would turn into a cheetah!

Sierra Leone is a country full of beautiful people with kind hearts.  I am so thankful that God had it in His plans for us to visit.  Going into this journey was about 110% out of my comfort zone.  It was a risk that required a lot of trust and in the end, blessed me immensely.  We will have to wait and see what God has in store for us now. 

In the meantime, I am looking forward to a shower (I have not had a real one in 9 days), my own bed and sharing stories of our trip with everyone back home.  We are so very thankful for all of the love, financial support and prayers from everyone along the way.  Please continue to pray for the people of Sierra Leone and those at the Raining Season.  

You can check out The Raining Season’s website at http://www.therainingseason.org/ for more information about their organization.

Orphans won’t be orphans forever.  Psalm 10:14

{The Launes}