Home??

Hello everyone! I arrived home this morning after a very good flight into Gatwick from Harare Airport.

I have to admit I shed a few tears last night on the plane while taking off. It was a sad moment for me! My African mum, african sister and African Aunt all came with me to the airport - probably making it even harder for me to leave without tears.

I won't miss having to buy bread for the little street children. However, I will miss the feeling I got when I handed a loaf over to them and seeing them so thankful.

I won't miss the smell of Penhalonga orphanage. However, I will miss the excited little children who pulled, poked and pushed me around. I will miss hearing their laughter against the background of poverty in that place.

I won't miss not having electricity constantly. However, I will miss the way that living without it brought everyone together.

I won't miss the long walks to and from the shops and town. However, I will miss all the people we met along the way.

I won't miss the constant hastle from the market holders to buy their goods every time we walked past. However, I will miss knowing they are desperate for a $. I will miss the guilt of just walking by.

Strangely, I will miss Africa and everything it brought to me. I am thankful for Africa and ask God to always bless her. Africa has changed my life. I think now I am actually a 'nice' person. Before I could walk past the homeless without caring. Now, at least I think twice. Being in Africa makes you look so much more harder about the story behind the face - it makes you love people for who they are. I now wouldn't hesitate to buy the Big Issue or a coffee for a homeless person, even if it meant I would go with out. One thing I will miss from Zimbabwe is buying numerous loaves of bread in the supermarket, expecting to see street children. At Penhalonga I gave my last $5 to a girl who couldn't pay her school fees. I had nothing left, in fact Meredith would have had to pay the bus fare home for me.

Africa has taught me about myself and about life. I so often think the world should change. Of course, we want poverty eradicated, but is it really ever going to happen? Probably not!! In fact, the world doesn't need to change - we need to change and the world changes with us.

Learning to love is a painful step, as I have found out so clearly in Africa. Zimbabwe's children have broke my heart, the street kids have made me cry, the poor and sick who don't have access to the basics in life have broken me. It is only now, probably for the first time REALLY in my life, that Jesus has been able to REALLY come in and get involved with my life. Only TODAY have I felt Jesus like never before.

God Bless Africa, Guard her children, Guide her leaders, and give her peace. Amen.

I will keep updating my blog to let you know how my time at Mirfield and in Africa is effecting my life here, now.