This is Arthur in our car, pausing to look cute en route from his aunt's Christ School apartment (where he and his mom Juliet have been staying for the week after he was born) to his home, the house that we helped Ndyezika build for his new family. We gathered their bags and sundries (including a live chicken and a hefty stalk of matoke) and drove up the road, then unloaded and walked down the path, escorted by my kids and an ever-growing number of curious onlookers. When we entered the compound, a little island of grass and order in the dust, I almost cried. Ndyezika had put balloons and a sign on the door: Welcome home Arthur, we love you, to God be the Glory, love, Mum and Dad. There were two Bible verses as well. I wanted to cry, because it was such a poignant moment. This is exactly the sort of thing MY parents would have done. And because of them, it is the sort of thing we have done. And because of us, it is now the sort of thing that occurs to Ndyezika to do. It made me homesick for my parents and yet at home in the extension of their love down to a new generation in a new continent, all mixed together.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Welcome Home, Arthur!
This is Arthur in our car, pausing to look cute en route from his aunt's Christ School apartment (where he and his mom Juliet have been staying for the week after he was born) to his home, the house that we helped Ndyezika build for his new family. We gathered their bags and sundries (including a live chicken and a hefty stalk of matoke) and drove up the road, then unloaded and walked down the path, escorted by my kids and an ever-growing number of curious onlookers. When we entered the compound, a little island of grass and order in the dust, I almost cried. Ndyezika had put balloons and a sign on the door: Welcome home Arthur, we love you, to God be the Glory, love, Mum and Dad. There were two Bible verses as well. I wanted to cry, because it was such a poignant moment. This is exactly the sort of thing MY parents would have done. And because of them, it is the sort of thing we have done. And because of us, it is now the sort of thing that occurs to Ndyezika to do. It made me homesick for my parents and yet at home in the extension of their love down to a new generation in a new continent, all mixed together.
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3 comments:
awesome!
What a beautiful baby! Congratulations to Juliet and Ndyezika and thanks be to God for a healthy delivery!
Charlotte
we are friends of travis and amy (heather and ryan thompson are our names), and i've been reading (well, skimming some) your blog and looking at some of your beautiful pictures since they left for uganda, and this short little post is so precious and made me cry. what a great testimony to the goodness of our God who uses people to spread His Name and Good News! my parents were missionaries in the bush in benin for a few years, and the thought of a welcome home sign like that for a little african baby brings tears to my eyes! thank you for writing these things for others to read, and we look forward to hopefully getting more acquainted with you guys in the future! you look like you have a really fun family, and we have heard great things about you!
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