Welcomed Home

So, I think I scared some of you away with that last post. :) I've had more than one friend say they hesitated to call me after that. Oops.

I didn't mean to scare you off! I really am much better now. And, the parts of me that aren't better, I hope never are better. (Did you get that?!)

Every single day, the kids in Ghana are in my head and heart...we literally talk about them non-stop. This morning, I was laying in bed, thinking about how to fit our next trip in with some other things we have planned for the fall.

I thought I was the only one awake, until Mark rolled over and said "I have a new idea for Ghana. I dreamed about it last night."

I started laughing, because it's obvious that these kids and the work being done in Ghana are both just constantly in our thoughts.

BUT...that doesn't mean I'm not ready to be friends again, y'all! :) I truly appreciate so many of you who commented, emailed, or talked to me about your own experiences and feelings after returning home from a trip like this one. It's good to know that there is a BIG group of people who have also been gloriously ruined in many other countries around the world.

Today, I was reading the end of the book, Fields of the Fatherless, by Tom Davis. A couple of things he said rang true for me: He says that he realized two truths as he first began working with orphans in Russia. “The first truth was how deeply in love God is with the poor and the outcast. I didn’t just learn this truth intellectually, I felt it. Throughout my stay, I sensed God loving these kids directly through me. The second truth was how much God blessed me—how much joy He desired to give me—when I participated with Him in doing something that mattered so much!

That is so true! It was that deep joy that I experienced while loving these kids, that I craved when I got home. It's a joy I can't describe. And, it can only be from Him. I left part of my heart there, but I'm so thankful for that!

Tom Davis also says this: "There is a price to pay for being obedient to God's call to care for the fatherless. The price is your heart. The heart that was once mine no longer belongs to me. It belongs to the children whom God has graciously shared with me, and to every orphan in the world. What an honor to be able to be used by God to let these children know that they no longer need to fear because their heavenly Father has them in the palm of His hand!"

So, there you go. THAT'S what I was feeling and couldn't express. I was so blessed to love on these kids, and I guess I never realized how healing it would be and how great it would really feel. So, when we came home, there was such a noticeable void!

But, I am enjoying loving on my little ones here too, and am also enjoying catching up with friends again, now that we've had some adjustment time.

Tonight, our sweet friends, Terry and Nicole, hosted a dinner with friends, so we could share our stories and catch up with everyone.

And, in Nicole's usual fashion, she was the best hostess ever, and even decorated for the occasion. :)

The boys and girls split up for dinner, and Mark and I both got to share so much about the trip and the plans going forward. It was also good to hear how everyone else was doing and what was going on in everyone's lives!

Even the kids had SO much fun being together. It was pure sadness when it was time to say goodbye. It's never long enough. :)

Thank you, friends, for a wonderful night, and for your amazing friendships. We feel so "welcomed home", and are truly blessed beyond measure.