One for the moms

I'm officially moved into my new apartment on campus at Gordon! It was a really fun and thought-provoking move. I moved onto campus for the last time. I'm a Senior. What does the rest of my life hold for me? One thing that I could not stop thinking about was how thankful I am for such a wonderful mother. Sure, we have our disagreements, but we are so similar that we usually seem to know what each other is thinking before she says it. I'm thankful for my mom especially since I got back from Bulembu and this is why:

I remember our first Sunday in Bulembu as clearly as if it were yesterday. Walking in to the large one-room structure with a half-built brick wall. They were creating a more sturdy and lasting structure and that was their church. I remember looking at the stage and singing songs, all while being aware of the 300+ orphans sitting behind our team. We hadn't met our families yet, so we sat separate from the kids and Aunties. I'm listening to the children sing songs in siSwati with gusto like I've never heard before. I close my eyes and soak in every sound my ears will hear. I open my eyes and fixate them on the cross behind the worship band. I thank God silently for this amazing opportunity and for these kids. Chelsea and I had volunteered to help with the kid's Sunday School that first week, so we left before the offering to lead the kids over to another building. As we walk out of the building, kids are running by. Some glance our way, but most know they need to get to children's church. All of the sudden, I feel this little hand inside mine. I look down and there is this little girl walking beside me with her hand in mine. She gazes up at me and smiles all while singing the song, Somlandela (I'll post the words to it below). It gave me chills to hear this precious child singing a song about following God wherever He may lead. Another thought struck me as we were walking. The thought that these kids are orphans. I think that word scared me. What does it mean to truly be an orphan? Some may have families outside of Bulembu, some may not. Some may have miraculous stories of being rescued, and some may be in Bulembu for the chance at a better life. Either way, these kids were here without their parents. Some had siblings in Bulembu which was such a blessing! As I contemplated what it meant to truly be an orphan, I was struck by another thought. These kids may be orphans in the technical sense, but they aren't orphans in God's eyes. They have the most amazing Father looking down on them and showering them with the greatest love. They are loved by the Aunties and a family is truly created in the houses. The night we stayed for dinner, some of the older kids and I got to talking about families and after I talked about my family, they shared some of their own personal lives and stories of their families. Timmy came and sat on my lap and I turned to him and asked him if he had any family. He looks at me with a look of genuine confusion and says, "Uh yeah, you know all of them." He meant the family that was in the room with us. Those kids became his family. The Aunties and Timmy's friends became his family. That completely changed the way I thought about family. There are blood relatives which are so great! There are close friends who know you almost as well as relatives. The list goes on and on. Either way, there's more than one way to define a family. When I left Bulembu, I left with 2 more families: my team and my Swazi family.

You may be wondering what this has to do with my own mother. Well, as you know, in the houses there are Aunties. I couldn't help but think that my mom would love being an Auntie in one of the houses.They pour themselves so selflessly into those kids and do so willingingly. Sure, there are some conflicts, but they handle them with grace and look to Christ for guidance. My mother has done that my entire life, but most notably the last few weeks. I worked a little bit this summer to make some money, but for most of it I was catching up on dentist and doctor appointments. They were much needed and this was the first time in years I'd taken the time to do them. When I found out I had to have my wisdom teeth out, I knew it had to be at least 2 weeks before the insanity of Orientation began so I scheduled an appointment and got all 4 of them out! (They were all impacted and had extra roots!) It was really painful after my surgery and I was out of it for a few days because of it. Through all of it, my mom was so patient and caring and selfless and it meant so much to me. As a college student, I sometimes think that I can do everything myself and that I can take care of myself always. That's just not true. By nature, we have a need for other people. Whether that is a parent, friend, or significant other. Isolation leads to madness. So thank you mom, for refreshing the fact that I need people and that I need you. <3

Auntie Freda-i miss you terribly, but i know that you're being the most amazing mother to those kids who so desperately need you. <3