Our Work Here is Done (for now)

Today has been really bittersweet for me. We finished the garden and have been saying our goodbyes to all of our good friends here. Everyone has been stopping by to wish us a safe journey home and to ask us to reconsider our departure. They are definitely sad to see us go and Luke and I both are sad to leave them. Although we know that we will see them again and this separation is only temporary.

We spent the hot afternoon hours packing up our things and preparing for the long journey ahead. We have a pile of things that we are leaving here for the people in need, although it is difficult to determine who we should be giving support to. We have been given about a hundred letters from the people here for the people who came on the last trip so it looks like we are going to be postmen on the way home.

The pastor had us over for a late lunch today with a few of the other leaders who have been working with us during our time here to celebrate our time here and to thank us for everything we have done for the community. It was a really heartwarming time and i was so blessed by the gratitude of the people and the community. They fed us an honorary meal of local delicacies which was interesting. Luke and I were each served a bowl full of various goat entrails; Kidneys, Liver, Intestines, Testicles, Heart and only God knows what else. We had finished our own late lunch prior to heading over there and they consider it offensive if you don't eat your entire portion. Needless to say we each had to pack it into our already full bellies. I'm always up for anything but there were several times during the meal that our faces caused the group to erupt in laughter. In hindsite we should have taken our standby bottle of Tabasco sauce with us. Ahhh good times.

Luke and i just spent the last half hour playing with the kids and it was soo much fun. They get a huge kick out of being spun around until they are dizzy and i think one of their favorite things is being chased by Luke while he growls and makes other monster noises. I'm pretty sure that you could hear the screams and laughter of the crowd of kids at least a half mile away.

So tomorrow we have to bid farewell to this wonderful village that has been our home for the past few weeks and to it's wonderful people. I'm gonna really miss all the wonderful kids over here. There are a half dozen standing at the gate yelling my name and asking "how are you?" while i write this and a few more looking over my shoulder in amazement at the computer. We have had so many incredible experiences here it is going to make life back in the states a little hard to adjust to once we are back.

But I am really looking forward to seeing my family, all of my friends and my dog....and spending some quality time with my fly rod on the stream.

Be Rich in Spirit,

Adam