the good in goodbye

Today was the day that everyone dreads. The day we say "goodbye" and head back to America. But, before I talk about that, I want to fill you in on the past 10 days.

Our team was focused on medical and dental check-ups. So, we managed to do check-ups on all 230+ kids and the teachers. I helped with the dental side assisting the cleanings and making sure the dentists had everything written down in each person's file. We had three sessions each day, and every day those hours were filled to the brim.

These past 10 days have been filled with love, joy, and laughter. I've gotten to see my kiddos from the past two years and meet new faces. Each child holds a special place in my heart. The new, the old, all of them took my heart for the third time.

A HUGE answered prayer that happened just last night. One of the people on our team accepted Christ as her Savior. We had been praying for her this whole trip and when we heard what had happened, laughter and tears of joy came from everyone...especially our new sister in Christ!

Today when we left, we had the hug line. The line was longer than the past years because the orphanage has gotten bigger. Each year, I find it harder to leave. The relationships get deeper and the love overflows. The kids faces light up every time I see them, and their faces are even brighter when they see people return to them after a long time. 

But, when we said goodbye today, it was hard. The kids call this day a "sweet sorrow." It's a sorrow because we're leaving, but it's sweet because of the time we did have. While you're living through it, you see no sweetness in it. But, sitting in this airport, I see the sweet part. It sounds weird, but I love seeing the kids cry because it means I made a difference in their life. If they didn't care, then there would be no tears or sorrow. So, as much as it hurts, it's worth every single tear because it shows what an impact we made to them.

So, here I am heading back to America knowing that my heart is still here in Kenya. These past 12 days have been amazing, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. These kids, as usual, have made an imprint in my life and I hope I have done the same thing in their lives.