Jenny's Journey: November 2008

Friday, November 28, 2008

What a great Thanksgiving! Yesterday I had a wonderful day here with my choir family! We are in North Carolina at our "Base House." The Base House is called Mirembe (meaning peace) and is provided by a really great church in Raleigh. They have taken a personal interest into The ACC and have a wonderful house here for us. Our Choirs that do theater productions stay here between performances and for training. Thankfully our choir has been able to stay here while we are training for our shows with Sandi Patty and The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. We have loved being here all together. It is wonderful to just be like one great big family! The children love helping cleaning the house and preparing meals. The Aunties and Uncles love to be able to just send the kids outside to play (and often join them jumping on the trampoline or playing frisbee).

Thanksgiving became an extra special day for me when I realized that is was exactly 1 month from when the children fly back home to Uganda and Kenya. I have become even more determined to enjoy every last minute with these kids. We were invited to dinner at the home of one of the church members. They prepared a beautiful traditional Thanksgiving meal for us. Our hostess mentioned several times to us adults that we must be "lonely". I kinda just looked at the group of kids all around me and thought "nope". How could I possibly be lonely amongst so many people I love??? Although I do miss my friends and family back home their is no way I feel the least bit lonely.

I am so thankful that we have these few weeks together here at Mirembre before things get crazy with going to Baltimore. I have made so many wonderful memories I never want to forget!
*Bridget and I reading books and drinking coffee on the couch in the morning. (she would drink all of my coffee if I let her!)
*Watching the boys dressed up in the girls clothes just to be funny
*Hanging out with the Aunties and Uncles in our own kitchen and then watching movies together.
*Singing Praise and Worship songs around the bonfire on Thanksgiving
*Enjoying the warm sunshine (in November!) while playing outside with the kids.

I pray that God blessed you greatly this Thanksgiving!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Our last church concert

We had our last church concert on Nov. 16th in Virginia. All of us Westerners dressed up in African Costumes. The kids especially loved it when we joined them on stage for the last song.

Back row: Amanda, Me and David
Front row: Barb, Terese, Beth, Stacie and Vic

Auntie Jenny with Sarah, Jackie and Jane

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Yummy Chapati!

For one of our last host families 3 boys and I stayed with a family that loved to cook. The man was from Kenya and he made the boys day by letting them help him make African food. They made Chapati Bread and it was sooooo yummmy!

Ibra, Jerome, and Martin making the dough

Jerome rolls out the dough

Jerome is proud of his Chapati and can't wait to eat it!

Friday, November 14, 2008

I love them so much it hurts. Not necessarialy a "bad" hurt, but an ache. An ache that fills up my heart and overflows. An ache that longs to do something more to show my love to them. One that makes me feel full of unexpressable and unexplainable joy. A love so complete it makes me feel satisfied.

People may say, "They aren't even your children." or "You have only known them 15 months." but it doesn't matter. In the past 14 months I lived as a parent to these children. In the past couple days I have tried to be very observant of my relationship with my kids. I discovered that I knew what question Faulanta was going to ask before she spoke it because of the look on her face. I knew that Jerome has a cute little freckle on the bottom of his foot. I knew what Anna was thinking by the light in her eyes and the smile on her face. I could tell when Jackie got in a little trouble. I knew who was having a rough day and who was excited about dinner.

I am still in complete awe of the awesome task God has given me. He has placed 26 of his precious children in the care of 9 people who are not "real" parents. I can't even begin describe what a huge priveledge it is. God is so good to me.

As we begin to experience so many "lasts" of our journey together as Choir #30 I can't help but feel sadness but I also feel a huge amount of THANKFULLNESS for this amazing journey we have been on.