Remember my friend Jade that was in Uganda for about 2/3 of my trip? She had to leave that time without her son due to all the legal guardianship wording mess, but is now back again for her visa appointment and to bring her baby boy home!!! Read about her journey here…
Looking at her pictures and reading stories of the people she’s seeing again there, it’s made me miss Uganda for the first time in the 65 days I’ve been home. Of course I have missed the babies at Sanyu, and the boys in the slums and the village. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of them.
But this is the first time in over two months that I have missed Uganda. I miss Robert, the groundskeeper at the orphanage who was ALWAYS there with a smile and a kind word. I miss Joel, the crazy and sometimes inappropriate guest house manager. I miss Lydia, Moses’ teacher and best friend’s mom, and my dear friend for life. I miss my little friend John who ran the internet cafe I frequented. I miss Amanda, who was an orphan herself, but spent countless hours every week volunteering at the orphanage. I miss the sweet mama’s who I grew to love and cherish during my time there. I miss Jessica, Brandy and Abby- the precious women who are changing the lives of hundreds of street kids every year.
I miss the opportunity to make friends from so many countries all over the world, and hearing about life outside my bubble. I miss riding boda bodas and weaving in and out of traffic. I miss riding out to the village in a crowded van full of people, listening to the chattering of all the different dialects. I miss the stillness of life in the little African village.
Don’t get me wrong. There are PLENTY of things I DO NOT miss about that place. I am so.crazy.glad to be home, and I am in NO hurry to adopt from there again anytime soon. But God planted some beautiful memories in my heart, and some amazing people in my life… For that, I am forever grateful and eternally changed.
One day my family will go there together- ALL together- and that will be a glorious day. Until that day comes, I’ll be dreaming of my sweet babies and beautiful boys, their songs and laughter dancing in my head. Thank you, Jesus, for the experience. I’ll never be the same.
Dreaming of Africa,
Meghan
