Hanging curtains

My mom left yesterday. It was such a beautiful time with her. Long conversations. Times of laughter. Honesty. Just hearing her heart.  She got to witness all that God has done here in the two years since she last came. It was sweet, sweet time.

I tried to remember the last time that we had a whole week to ourselves before. I can't even remember a time since I was just a child.

It was like a little treasure, poured out just for us to take and hold onto and call sacred.

Life carried on as usual. I had school, so there were times when my mom had time to herself. She worked with Impact One to do a training on foster parenting, a program we would love to see get moving in this area. She also worked a little each day, when we had power, on sewing curtains for my apartment. 

It was supposed to be a water week, but for some reason, we had extremely irregular electricity and water the entire week.  Ute it seemed part of the adventure.

And Saturday, my friends here in Ghana came to visit her. I watched as we ate pizza at a super long table, the kids running around, dancing and laughing. I watched as everyone came over to explore my new apartment after Uncle Odion spent the day hanging things up on the walls. I felt the gaps...missing our beloved Beebe's and Och's...but in that moment, as I talked and laughed with friends, my mom getting to know those that are in my community here, it felt like home, perhaps in a way it hadn't felt like before.

Yesterday, Sunday, we worshipped together in the morning, the kids and staff dancing with such joy. And after I led our usual worship time, Aaron asked if he could lead us in worship and the Spirit of God fell on us in such a sweet and powerful way as he spoke the truth out over us, as every voice cried out to our Great God. And we didn't want that moment to end. Because God's presence was so thick. And because Aaron was so anointed.

At the end of the service, everyone gathered around my mom, arms reaching out to touch her, Edwin on her hip, voices being raised up in prayer. Her third trip here and she is SO loved by our kids, by our staff. I was blessed simply because she has blessed them.

The goodbyes last night were tear filled, but I was so extremely grateful for her sacrifice (and my dad's as he had kid stuff all by himself) in coming. How I longed for just one more day, but I also know that she needed to get home to the kids, to my dad.

Today, I spent the majority of the day finishing up the curtains for my apartment, sewing and hanging curtains. Kids were in and out. Ajata helped me clean my windows. And, as I sewed, I just reflected on the beauty of this past week. 

As I hung up my new curtains, lovingly sewn by my mom, I missed her. But, her presence won't be forgotten. It is in each seam now gracing my every window. It is in the flowers she planted outside my door. It is in the kid's faithful call for "Grandma Patti". 

So, tonight, as I look at my new curtains, I am simply...grateful. 

Love you mama! Thank you for coming and investing and loving on all of us here.