Not Goodbye....See You Later

The past two days have been so busy wrapping things up with various work projects and saying our goodbyes. I have found myself more emotional than I anticipated. Having been coming here and investing in some of the same lives for the past 4 years, I have found that many of the girls and some of the staff have become like family. It is hard not knowing when I will get to share life again. I am so incredibly proud of the Neema girls and their staff. Yesterday late afternoon, the girls had finished working but they were still here waiting for their taxi. I was just returning form town and I heard their giggles in the back yard. Penny and Hayley were playing a game with them and they were loving it.....even mama janet joined in the fun. I decided that it was time to join the fun. When leading a team I often find my time is scattered between leading, directing, overseeing....I can sometimes miss out on some of the "fun" times. We spent the next 45 minutes playing "Big Booty". While the game itself is simple and silly, I loved seeing the girls personalities coming out as they got to be girls. It is such a difference from the shy girls I met 4 years ago. They are gaining confidence and feel safe enough to have fun. I find myself going from tears to smiles when I reflect on everything that has happened the past several days.

Yesterday the team parted ways:

• AJ worked on the building project for the new NEEMA school
• Seth and Nate went out on home deliveries with Anne (the TI social worker)
• Eileen, Bob, Lori and I stayed here to work with the girls and watch the Shimo girls children
• the rest spent the morning at In-Step hanging out with Jeff and Carla and all the kiddos

It felt like a busy day. We spent the afternoon playing with the girls and their kids and then had a gathering with all the workers and paid them for their work. I was so excited to hand them the money they earned after working this week. I hope that we can somehow provide ongoing funds for these awesome girls.

Today, we headed out to the Veronica Home for one last day with Ben, Virginia, and all the children. We all took a walk up to where the school building for the Neema Project is going up. They completed so much this week. I am thrilled that the guys and some of the girls from the team got to help Adam and the Kenyan men build it. We spent alot of time raising funds for the school and now to see it with windows and doors......I can only imagine how it will feel when the classrooms are set up and the girls are sitting in their learning. We played, took photos, ate lunch, and then came more farewells. :(

We came home as the neema girls were finishing up their sewing projects. I could hardly believe everything they had gotten done. After they cleaned up I gathered them together and talked with them for a bit about how their life has changed since going through the neema project. I thanked them for all their hard work and as I went on to talk with them about how proud I am of them the tears began to fall. I am not ready to leave them so soon. Not yet, not now. Sharon (one of the girls) suggested that Rick (my husband) come here with me to buy land so that we can have a home here. She even said she would take care of our babies one day. :) Oh how I adore that fiesty gal.

I guess that's it for now. I will write more later and will be posting photos once we get home. Stay tuned for more information. We begin our journey home tomorrow morning with a drive across he country back to Nairobi. We will be back in the US, Tuesday at 7:45 and then we arrive back in West Chester around noon. We look forward to sharing so much more with you all in person.

Faith