thankfully, i didn't have to. it was just like any other sunday, except more peaceful and calm than usual. the kids slowly trickled in. we had some time to sit and catch our breath. then we went outside to where the boys stood at the highest points flying their homemade kites. using only a plastic bag, sticks, and string, these ingenious little boys had fashioned amazingly successful little kites.
after a while, tatiana got bored with the kite watching and we went back inside. we sat for a while bouncing a small ball back and forth, and then i taught her how to play jacks, using the little broken crayons in her pocket. others wandered in and out, trying their hand at the game, making new kites, and coloring in the new coloring books we had brought. at one point, while i was helping tatiana color a picture, i looked up and just soaked in the sights and sounds of small groups of children coloring around the room, others outside playing soccer, and others just sitting playing with little army men. my heart, which had broken a thousand times over in the last week, filled with love for these beautiful children. and once again, i asked myself what i was doing, why was i leaving.
the day ended with the children enjoying the first donuts they had ever had...most didn't even know what a donut was! after one final group picture, three year old carolina dragged me down the mountain for the last time. and as heartbreaking as it was to pull away from the little shanty town for the last time, it had really been the perfect way to say goodbye.
You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle. Psalm 56:8
