a letter to their parents

I don't even know what to write. I don't know how to process this being the last month of tour. I don't know how to process that in 27 short days I will be dropping these children off at the airport. I only imagine how that moment will look. I know it will be one of the hardest things I will ever do, ever. I will be placing them on a plane never seeing them all in one place at the same time again, well until heaven. I have been thinking a lot about their return home and how happy their families will be to see them, how pure that moment will be. I only wish I could be a fly on the wall when their parents embrace their children for the first time in months. Some being much taller than they were the last time they hugged them.

The other night our host took us to a ballgame. I have this thing where I buy ball caps at every baseball game I attend. This night I had to buy one because I had not bought on in 3 years. I took three kids with me to the little souvenir shop. I made them hold hands and I watched them like a hawk as we walked. When we got inside a man was chasing his crying child around the store-- while my three stood there watching them in amazement. Of course they helped me pick out a hat, we checked out and as we walked back to our seats, I noticed the head turns as I was holding hands with three african children. What could their thoughts have been, I will never know. However, I do know that the moment was one of my favorites. I actually felt like those kids were mine for just those few minutes.

I've had a sense of parenthood while on this trip, Ive cried when they've cried. Ive laughed when they've laughed. I have smiled when they have smiled and while walking around the game that night,  I realized that I would never be their actual parents, but that I was so thankful for their parents. With that being said, I have been writing this letter in my head for some time now. Here is the letter to their parents:

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Thank you.
Thank you for trusting Jesus, first and for most. Thank you for trusting me, a muzungu with your child. Thank you for allowing me to tuck them in at night, to make sure they shower in the mornings and brush their teeth twice a day. Thank you for trusting that they are being lead to Jesus daily, even though I think they teach me more about Jesus than I could ever teach them. Thank you for letting me watch them literally grow in front of my eyes and for allowing me to be a part of their life. I feel like I know you just by the stories they tell me of you. Thank you for trusting that they will return home to you safe and sound. Thank you for letting your children teach me new things daily.

I taught them the macarena, I hope that is okay. I also burned the Frozen albums for the vans- that's why they are walking around your home singing 'Let It Go' -- I am also the reason for them singing  'We are the World.'  and Roll Tide-- I'm sorry. I did let them convince me to stay up past bedtime here and I took their plates to the sink for them sometimes, instead of them doing it for me. I spoiled them sometimes. I let them braid my hair more than once. I let them sit in the front seat when they could. I also babied them when they were sick, whether that be with a headache, a stomach ache or just tired. I kissed their heads a hundred times day. I iced their sore muscles and I massaged their backs as they fell asleep some nights. I wrote them letters and let them write our host letters.

But, most importantly I prayed for them. I prayed for them before bed after I made them tell me their favorite thing from the day. I prayed for them when they were sick, when there was an issue with another child or when they just needed prayer. But, they also prayed for me. They prayed for me for my future plans, but instead of praying for answers in things they just prayed that I would follow Jesus and serve him for forever.

Your children truly changed my life. I will never be the same since meeting them.  From the bottom of my heart thank you. I will miss them, but I know that they have missed you.

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