Bittersweet...

In my perfect world, every child would have a home with a family that loves and cares for him.  Working with kids where this isn't always a possibility really breaks me sometimes.  I know the boys I work with and think they are amazing and sometimes I don't really understand why their families never saw it.  One boy in particular, Dan, is by far one of the most amazing.  He got close to us when he was sick with malaria.  It is funny how God will use an illness to bring the kids close.  If Dan was never sick, he could still be one of the boys I just kind of know.  Instead, he is a boy I absolutely adore and his laugh is so cute and makes me laugh.  He is eternally happy and always smiling.  I love to joke around with him and he just dies if I tickle him.

Last week when I was helping at another program, I was reading through the files that they have on the boys.  When I came to his, I was shocked at what I read.  He said that he had taken some money from his mom and she found out.  He was afraid, so he ran.  He was never beaten, neglected, nothing.  He also said that he missed his family and wanted to go home but again was afraid.  After asking an uncle to follow up with him to see if the story was true, we discovered it was.  It was decided he would make the journey home on Saturday with an uncle.

I have only been involved with one other resettlement and it was an epic failure, by far one of the worst experiences of my life and even worse for the boy.  To say I am nervous for Dan is an understatement.  Any number of things could happen, and they may not be good.  If Dan was my child I would be missing him like crazy and happily welcome him home.  I am praying that is how it goes...

I am happy Dan is going home because every child belongs with their family provided that it is a safe place.  However, it is bittersweet because he is an amazing kid, I love him, and I am going to miss him.  When he leaves, I probably will never see him again.  I can't go visit and hopefully he will never be back on the streets again.  Kids come and go on the street.  Sometimes we have very little time with them.  They leave for various reasons (go back home, go to a different area, get mad and stop coming, etc.)  and I have never felt so sad over any other kid.  I don't know why it is different with him, but it is.  Maybe because I was getting to the point where it absolutely broke my heart to leave him everyday and was wondering where I could put him.  I guess I just never thought the solution would be so far away...

 Yesterday, when I saw him he was unusually quiet.  He was working on making a necklace and didn't really say much.  He said he was fine so I left him alone until he wanted to tell me what was wrong.  A while later he came with a beautiful necklace and put it on me.  I melted...

Please pray for Dan and his family.  Please pray that the uncle finds the family in good spirits and happy to have Dan home.  Please pray that Dan never has to return to the streets.

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