I am home

It was a very emotional last day for me ( as someone who usually isn't emotional). We visited the friends of Jesus street kids at Gatenga and I was able to spend a bit more time with Claude who told me he's was coming to Scotland....on Monday lol. To be honest I could have scooped him up and brought him home with me. I feel a real attachment to Claude and knowing that being sponsored by Rachel makes a massive difference to his life is a comfort. There was a show of acrobatics with improvised equipment, a large tyre was as used as a trampet and after flipping high in the air the boys landed sometimes not so safely on the concrete floor. We had a lunch the same as the kids off rice potatoes and beans and we bid a tearful goodbye. We headed to batsinda to the new house to see how the kids had settled in. As malaria is very common David had bought mosquito nets to put up which we helped with and then all the boys retreated into one house. We weren't sure what was going on but they looked as if they were organising something. My eyes didn't stay dry for long when they each came out with a bottle of Fanta and a straw for each of us. They had been doing odd jobs around the village for a few coins each and spent it on us. There kids had nothing .....and I mean nothing, and when they had a few coins which in reality is a lot to these kids they chose to show there appreciation to us. I can cry just writing this as I remember the joy on there little faces as they handed us the drinks. We played games and the girls from Brechin high school did some highlands dancing to the great amusement of the kids. Then If was time to say good bye.....in the past 2 weeks we have seen these kids sleeping in holes in the ground, savaging for food and washing and drinking from swamp water. To see them now in clean clothes with 3 regular meals a day and a safe environment to live in is something more remarkable than I ever could have imagined I would witness on this trip. The farewell took a bit of time cuddling and shaking hands with each and every boy and there were tears from all of us, the kids tried to hide it but us adults wept freely, and then we were gone. They will be cared for by David and go to school in January when the new term starts. Life changing is often an over used choice of words but not on this occasion. I would like to thank Archie Bathgate the head teacher of Brechin high school for allowing me to tag along on his school trip and to lynsey, Gemma and the 9 school pupils who were kind, thoughtful, hard working and very appreciative of this rwandan adventure they were experiencing. They are a credit to the school and I will remember this trip always. My picture today is of the Gatenga street kids with Claude at my side.