Like a Dream

On November 5th my day started at 6 am along with an ice cold shower and almost no water pressure. When I say ice cold I mean like so cold you cannot breathe. We didn't know that the turn off the water pump outside at night because it.... makes noise. So I am crouched in the tub, holding the shower head and scrubbing my hair and skin as quickly as possible with very...very... low water pressure. It was like showering in a drinking fountain. I died. I couldn't help but laugh at myself, it was completely hilarious and ridiculous all in the same. I had told all my friends that I was excited to stay in the guest house and not a hotel because I wanted to full experience... well I was getting it. Finally i shivered my self over to my towel and dried off. I was looking forward to blow drying my hair because I needed all the extra heat I could get. I eagerly plugged in our adapter and pulled out my blow dryer, plugged it in to the adapter flipped the switch then nothing.... again... nothing... great! No power. I ran into another family down stairs and they said " Oh, yeah it does that. It will come on in a couple of hours." WHAT?! A couple of HOURS!?! Oh Nuh Uh! I was meeting Meti (Emme) for the first time ever and I need to look my cutest. I mean you can only take these pictures and video one time. MY hair needs to look great. Right?! God please?! Well God did not turn the power on for me. I decided that it wasn't that big of a deal to have the perfect beach waves of Meti to see. She probably wouldn't appreciate them anyway. Just kidding. I felt like God was telling me to let it go. It didn't matter and it would be fine.  I was meeting my daughter. I wasn't going to let the enemy get me all flustered on this wonderful day. He was not going to distract me with bad hair. So I let it air dry and it was what it was.

We ate breakfast and our driver met us outside at 8:30. This was it! In 10 minutes I would be meeting my little lady. I was pretty silent the whole ride to the transition house. I was taking in all the sites around me. I couldn't believe that I was finally here. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I saw poverty beyond imaginable but yet joy and beauty in the people.

Poverty that you cannot fully grasp through pictures until you see it in person. It was humbling. My aired dried none beach wave hair was no longer a concern or even a thought.  I didn't feel like an outsider here. I felt a strange comfort and peace in their world. As we drove I prayed. I prayed for God to change me. These people have joy in their poverty a joy that I lack. A joy that I desire. More on that later....

As we pulled up to the gate where she lived I thought I would hyperventilate with nervousness and excitement. I was trying hard to hold back the tears and I was trembling with joy. Our driver honked the horn and the gate began to open. And there she was. Just standing there in the sea of children. With her little white shirt on and her brightly striped pants, her hello kitty sunglasses and he hair in sweet little pig tales. My time stood still.

Pause my music below before playing.



The whole first day she wore her glasses when she would get shared or nervous. It was her escape and we let her. I fell in love all over again. She is perfect in every way. Even when she is being a turd. She loves to sing and dance. She is a performer and loves to be noticed. I painted her nails the first day and she knew they were beautiful. We played dress up and play doh and we colored and just held each other. She is a little on the mean side to Phillip. She is not quite sure if she likes him or not. She will soon see and learn that daddy is very likable and she will fall head over heels in love with him.