One thing that comes with working at a place like beautiful gate is that you have real highs and real lows. This past week has really been like that! I’ve had a lot of challenges to deal with as well as many joys. Last week I struggled with a personal issue at home which was hard as I was so far away from everyone, it also made it harder to work with the kids and help the house mothers, but they were also a good distraction and helped me deal with the issue.
Then 3 sisters from my house got their parents! This came with great joy as I got to see the overwhelming emotions from the parents, who have waited 5 years to get their children, and knowing that the 3 girls will get the precious relationship that they need in a mother and father. It also came with great sadness as I knew that I wouldn’t see these girls again and that they probably wouldn’t remember me and the life they once had at beautiful gate. We had the adoption ceremony on Monday and it was a great celebration full of singing and dancing and Basotho culture.
We also have received two new girls in our house. One is 1 week old, so tiny! And the other is 9-10months old. Again this comes with a bitter sweet, it’s great to know that these girls are in a safe place now and they will be looked after. But I can’t help but notice the condition that they arrive in to BG, some are sunburnt from being abandoned at the side of the road, some have scares and wounds where they have been mistreated before and some are so tiny and malnourished that you wonder how they managed to survive this long.
At the weekend I was very sick and threw up a lot of times! I have no idea why, I don’t think it was food poisoning but it made my restful weekend a not so restful weekend. This is something that comes with living in Africa and is something everyone has to deal with, but it did make me miss the comforts of home and having someone look after me. This was again another challenge that I had to get past and I’m glad to say that I have stopped throwing up (or spitting up as my American roommates would say)!
But in playground this afternoon it gave me a real joy. I’m really falling in love with these kids and love knowing their personalities and what makes them happy! I’m not a mother but by being here and looking after these kids, I think I’m getting a slight glimpse at what it might be like. My kids are so precious, even when they are being naughty and not sitting on their chair to eat after I say ‘lula fatse’ a million times!
Somewhere in the bible (don’t exactly know where it is) Jesus says something like this -‘everything you do for another, you do for me’. This has really helped me this week with my work and through my challenges. Every time I feed a really difficult child I do it for him. Every time I comfort a crying kid, I do it for him. Every time I change a nappy (or ‘dipper’), I do it for him. Every time I greet one of the Bo-m’me (which is really important in Basotho culture) and I’m not having a great day, I do it for him. This is definitely something I’ll take away from this week.
This is one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my life, but by far one of the greatest! I’ve nearly done 2 months which is crazy! I hope that everyone at home is doing well, thanks for checking up on what I’m doing!
E x
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