For every end, there is a beginning.

It's hard to believe that 8 weeks in Zambia, leg number 1 of this world adventure, have come and gone. I've spent the past week trying to take each day at a time which is easier said than done! It's been tough to fight the sadness that comes with leaving the girls at Heartspring who (whom?) I've come to adore while they keep asking how many more days we will be coming to play with them. Then doing my best to keep the anticipation I have for vacation in South Africa at bay as I book a hostel and research ways to spend our 5 days as tourists. Just like the other seven, the past week has been filled with wonderful memories. I realize I haven't done a very good job at sharing stories with you so here goes... On Tuesday, I was sitting on the patio at Heartspring while a few of the girls "plaited" (aka braided) my hair. They got tired of standing so Jennipher (a precious 6 year-old with no front teeth) told me to lay down and she positioned herself so my head could rest on her lap. The girls continued to plait while two others, Olice (pronounced Ol-issy because they don't understand silent "e"s) and Lumunu (the youngest one) rubbed my arms, playing with the freckles and scars that show up on my skin but not on theirs. You will be pleased to know that my hair is currently in tons of little braids and will remain so until I can't stand it anymore (per a promise to keep them as long as possible). This may sound incredibly simple and mean nothing to anyone except me and the girls but that is part of the beauty of it. Simplicity and shared experience, a lot of what this trip is about. There wasn't any pressure to explain a game easy enough for all of them to understand. I didn't have to navigate the language barrier that seems to hinder so much of our interactions. All I had to do was be with them, loving and being loved.And that was enough. I think it's almost always enough. We get so caught up in wanting results from our work and feeling useful that we forget how far those little moments go. As if that wasn't enough for one day, that night we got a call from Big David- the Grace boy whose Facebook picture I was tagged in this week for those of you who might have seen it. He just wanted to call and check on us. When I said that we missed them, he said, "We miss you more." After some chit chat and catching up he said, "Which one am I talking to?" My response, "You don't even know who I am?!| Big David: "Oh, hi Risa." I guess some things don't change even after 8 weeks in Africa. On Wednesday, I managed to cook nshima all by myself! I am not typically culinarily challenged but Zambian cooking is a whole other level. Just imagine a huge pot (we cooked for 17) on a charcoal braizer. You stir the nshima, which is the consistency of THICK mashed potatoes, with a giant wooden spoon. Nchimunya (the oldest girl) just kept adding mealie meal until it was almost impossible to stir. I had to hold the pot handle between my knees, stand up and stir with both hands. Boy was I sweating afterwards! Again, it seems simple but it's taken me two weeks of helping with lunch to get to that point and boy did it feel good! Like I said, our time in Zambia is almost up. I get the question, "When are you coming back?" a lot. I can't bear to think about not returning one day but the thing with kids is that they grow up and who knows where they will be if and when I make it back. And just like with every other transition in my life, I can't stop from thinking about what I could have done better and the liklihood that I am leaving loose ends. Honestly, I'm just glad good byes are over... On the other hand, I am excited for a week of relaxing in Cape Town- making our own schedule, letting ourselves be silly tourists, exploring a completely new city, and being in a place kind of like America. Well, we hear it's like Little London but it is pretty developed and there will be a lot of White people (aka we won't stick out) so that is close enough to the US to clear up the teensy bit of homesickness I may or may not be feeling. Thankfully, God's faithfulness is enough to cover any sadness or longing. His Plan has been perfect so far (even if it hasn't been what I expected) and I trust that His timing will continue to be just as impeccable. I've realized that He has orchestrated this whole trip so that I won't even have time to be sad about one thing ending because there is only a bus ride or a plan ride in between me and the next adventure. We left Kitwe and Dayspring for Livingstone and Heartspring. Then we are leaving Livingstone in a couple hours for Cape Town and in a week, we will be preparing to land in Cambodia for 8 weeks. I have also realized that, busy or not, I can partly control whether or not my life in Zambia stops here. I'm not a big fan of technology but it does give me the opportunity to communicate with the friends I've made and will make. I can come home and share my experiences with people and spread awareness so that the needs of the kids I've come to love can be met. I have been given a beautiful gift, of which everyone here and at home has been a part. I'm not the same Risa I was 8 weeks ago and I know that I still have a lot to learn. Thanks again to those of you who have supported me, written emails, sent packages, prayed for this trip, given me the names of contacts in the countries we are visiting, and for the countless other things I don't even know about. I am blessed that each of you is a part of my life. Cape Town.. HERE WE COME!!!