Restoration

I took this during the safari.

Day 20 - June 27, 2009 – Saturday

Words. I am at a loss for words and then again I have thousands running through my head trying to describe today, and Africa, and the children, and how God is working His amazing abundance here. Here, smack dab in the middle and entirety of my heart.
This morning we all arose bright and early (headed to the orphanage by 8:30) and Chelsey and I headed to the orphanage to grab some soda crates that were empty for our friends and piki-piki drivers (a piki-piki is a small motorcycle) Kennedy and Paul to be traded with full soda bottles for the day at Gamasara. After we sent them on their way Nicole showed up with a surprise breakfast! Chapatti for me – yum!

It took about an hour before we left the orphanage for Gamasara as today was a special day! The board locally at the orphanage decided to get the relatives of the children involved in their life (their guardians) and invited them out there for the day. They had a program where the children sang and some adults explained the rules or ‘laws’ of the orphanage and how this would help to keep them safe to the guardians. The meeting took a lot longer than they meant it to. Many of the relatives hadn’t seen the children for years, wow.

Even through that the day was amazing! All of us young people sat on a tarp on the floor in what is going to be the dining room of the new orphanage – Gamasara. It was neat to see everyone in that great hall, even without windows or tables or anything else but us. Gamasara = home. It has meant home to me since I laid eyes and foot on it. Well, four hours after the meeting started we switched into lunch. We had sweet bread and a soda which was extremely satisfying. I ate lunch with a few of the little ones outside and Chelsey and I sat on the swing while eating which was extremely relaxing. Before too long I was swinging with a child by my side. Not long after that many children came out of the meeting hall and were everywhere. The tickle wars began.
It was perfect. “It” meaning everything. God’s little piece of Heaven here already on Earth. (Deep Sigh) I have fallen in love. With God. With each and every child. With Gamasara and the hope it brings for these angels. The connection with these children is divine. We have spent two weeks with them. Two weeks. Two weeks of time. There is no way that the time here is Earthly time, it is most certainly God’s time. I would not change it for anything. I wish this was my life forever, here, and now, and with these children.
I bonded with the children today more than ever before. Not just one or a few, but many. God has bonded our hearts to these children. I shine here and I cannot imagine myself anywhere better in the universe. I am in the center of God’s will. His will!!! I am so thankful for what He has done, is doing and will do!

I bonded with Angel more than before. I bonded with Joseph Charles like I have known him my entire life. I bonded with Sampson and William and Robert and and and. I bonded with Nosi and Salomi and Rhobi. The truth of all of this is that it isn’t “I” who is bonding with any of these amazing souls…God is bonding the “I.” He is using me here to connect with these people, with the lives here.

No amount of words can describe what God is doing in this life He has created for me.
Restoration. Chelsey shared with me a song by ihop TheOneThing 2006 Live called “Restoration” and it has touched my soul.

“You bring restoration. You bring restoration.” Restoration is exactly what I have been feeling here.

Kate shared with us the other night about something she had heard from a friend. The African life is simple but hard while the American life is complex but easy. Try and wrap your minds around that, I will give you some time to think about it before I explain.
For now, time for some more restoration at the orphanage.