This morning we finished up our last few hours of ministry time on The World Race. It started aroud 5:15am with getting up to make a peanut butter chocolate marble cake for the kids. I had made one the other night for our end of the month get together and the kids were a bit jealous. I promised and so this morning it was an early morning to fulfill that promise.
How do you explain how your heart melts as 7 yr. old Cris snuggles in front to watch you stir the batter and brushes the powdered sugar off your shorts that you spill.
Who do I do when little Andrew cuddles up to your side to check if the cake is getting done. The shouts of excitement as the kids figured out this was going to be their cake was enough to make me wish I had baked a whole lot more for them this month. As I baked, I heard the kids sing "This is the Day that the Lord has Made" along with about 5 more songs and work on Bible memory versus. I don't know if there is much better than hearing little voices singing their hearts out to Jesus.
I finished and went to shower as we were getting picked up at 7:30am to head to the airport. About 7:15, I headed back up to see the kids one last time when the boys came running up asking to play basketball with them. Of course! We walked one last time to the court and played until the van arrived. My shower may have been pointless, but it was so worth it to laugh and play.
The race has been 11 months and now the ministry section is over. The emotions are overwhelming as I think of all the people and places I have been. My heart each month it seems was stolen by the munchkins around the world. I think of India and the little girls who sat on our laps during our vbs time. Was it Africa where they played with my hair and we laid in bed singing songs to Jesus. Maybe it was Nepal where I was able to show love to a child who may not have otherwise known it. Was it last month in Cambodia with the kids we played soccer with or the 3 kids at the Women's Home? I could go on and on. In the end, all I know is I have left a piece of my heart in countries all over the world and I am richer for having spent time with each of those children, but today I just miss them and my heart is heavy.
