Khayalethu was good to me. Saying goodbye was so hard. Hugging the boys goodbye tore me up inside, but I am honored to have been able to spend the last 3 weeks with these boys.
Khayalethu in Afrikaans stands for “Our Home,” and in the last 3 weeks it became my home. With 5am wake up calls of the boys yelling and running around getting ready for school. I would hear them roll over and go back to bed.
By 9am, we had to be ready to help around the home and office. Most of my days were spent in the office organizing files, shredding paper, putting old files away neatly, getting school supplies ready for the boys, and other days I’d make sandwiches with my teammates Ari and Viv. Some days we’d help Mama Jean with laundry and organizing the boys karate, swimming, soccer, outing uniforms, etc. One day I got to clean out the toy box and found myself playing with the toys. Ha.
When the boys got back from school, which was around 3pm, we’d have some time together enjoying our dinner around 3:30pm when all the boys were settled in. After dinner they’d get ready for their evening program which is suppose to be different everyday. Currently they are having a swimming pool being built and two days of the week will be used for swimming. One day is for soccer and another for community service. Tuesday’s was Karate and until the swimming pool is finished, every other day they hung outside until it was time for Homework class, which me and Ari got to help in.
Homework class is Monday-Thursday from 5-6pm, because Thursdays were our off days, we helped Monday-Wednesday. Helping those who struggled was fun, especially when you practice with them and they finally get it. The boys are so smart they just need someone to sit down with them and encourage them. I felt like a proud mom when they would get it and the next day I didn’t have to help them, because they understood it. 😀
After Homework class, it was shower time. Some of the boys had some sick Superman onesies that made me wish I’d brought my own. I loved seeing them run around in their onesies. Once all the boys showered we’d have Supper between 6:30-7pm.
During the week bedtime is at 8pm. Getting them to bed was not the easiest thing to do. Most wanted to stay up late and watch TV and listen to music. Dance parties with these boys was so crazy and fun. I’m going to miss watching them dance and chilling on beanbags with them while we watched movies was great.
Coming to this place I thought I would have a hard time connecting with the boys, but I left having like 5 boys saying I was their girlfriend, one claimed me as his wife, and one said he would marry me one day. There was never a dual moment with the boys. The moment they came home from school they had me laughing. It was hard not to smile when you are around a group of boys who so easy have stolen your heart.
There were a few boys who just melted my heart. Certain boys touched it so deeply that leaving them was truly difficult. Saying goodbye to them was the hardest, but I told myself I wouldn’t cry in front of them, but as I wrote this blog I cried thinking of them. I love these boys so much and I am really going to miss them. They are a hand full, but I’m going to miss their sweet smiles, tight hugs, and sneaky kisses on the cheek. Playing cards with them, hearing their music playing from their phones, watching them play soccer like professionals and no shoes on, and trying to be sneaky taking the butts of the bread (aka the ends.)
On our last Sunday at church, the Lord spoke to me and told me that these boys needed a spiritual father. I let our ministry host know and she has a meeting with some people at church this up coming Wednesday. I ask that y’all would partner up with me in praying for the Lord to bring an amazing spiritual father for these boys who are full of so much life and potential.
