Monday evening we said good bye. We had dinner with the kids, then we all headed to the chapel. Many kids had prepared performances for us. They rocked them! It was great to watch them sing, dance, & play instruments for us. We were touched. They also surprised us with gifts: handcrafted Akha items, such as, hand stitched cloths, woven fruit baskets, fans, and rice bowls. We also received Jasmin corsages, a symbol of honor. Michelle, Connie, and myself were not permitted to stand by each other as we're the "sentimental criers" of the team, but I tell you what, it was not just us 3 with tears in our eyes. We broke into groups after that, a handful of kids to two of our team members, with good bye's said and promises of praying for each other. Relationships have been formed, bonds have been made, it was hard to let go for some. After returning to the guest house, Luka, Ghan, & girls joined us for our last team devotion. We worshipped and prayed together, and we said good night knowing the morning would bring more good bye's and tears.
Morning came, we packed the last of our things. Checked the house over twice. Loaded our bags, and prepared to say good bye's. Ghan and the girls packed us all beautiful fruit platters for our trip to the airport. So incredibly thoughtful. They included a verse they picked for each one of us. Each one different. Each one chosen for a specific person.
Man, my heart is full, humbled, and so very blessed. I can't speak for the others, though I imagine it's similar, but the verse chosen for me is a perfect fit. Completely God designed. We decided that this wasn't "good bye," it was "see you later." We will be back. Sooner rather than later. God has imprinted Luka, Ghan, their girls, AYDC, and the Akha community as a whole on our hearts, and us on their's. This is only the beginning of what is an incredibly beautiful relationship between us. So, it's not good bye, it's see you later. ❤
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