Calling all pictures
These blogs sure have been quiet as everyone attempts to settle in to some sense of normal activity. Would anyone be willing to share a journal entry or two so that we may reflect on what your feelings or thoughts may have been? Perhaps you have a picture that has a special memory for you that you wouldn't mind sharing; of yourself with one of the children, of an event, something you saw?
Speaking of pictures, if anyone has pictures they have up on their own sites, ie yahoo, aim, where ever, please post a link here so others may go and check them out. If you want to post them here directly, let Karen know
mailto:kberthiaume@rhodesgroup.com or me
mailto:dbrthium@comcast.net and put them up for you and provide a link to view them.
As far as posting, all of the dancers / parents / CCA folks should have received an invite, via email, to be able to post directly and not just add comments. Let me know if you didn't get it or if you need another invitation sent to you. The way this thing works is that you have to respond to an email that is sent to you. I just can't add your name to the list.
To all dancers, I'm looking for your ten best photos so I can add a special page for each of you in the Gallery on the MHDC website. Also, last call to switch out the front picture for your blog journals. I need to return the binding / hole cutting machine to where I "found it"!
Great service on Sunday with the Namibia Worship Band!
The Most Beautiful Hearts of the 2005 Namibia G.O. Team
Hey everyone
I've been thinking about Germaine's last post from Africa. The last paragraph really stuck, about leaving a piece of your heart...
Some of you may have seen this, others maybe not, but I thought it was appropriate for all you who feel you left a piece of your heart in Africa.
The Most Beautiful HeartOne day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect. There was not a mark or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen. The young man was very proud and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart.
Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said, "Why your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine."
The crowd and the young man looked at the old man's heart. It was beating strongly, but full of scars, it had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in, but they didn't fit quite right and there were several jagged edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces were missing.
The people stared -- how can he say his heart is more beautiful, they thought? The young man looked at the old man's heart and saw its state and laughed.
"You must be joking," he said. "Compare your heart with mine, mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears."
"Yes," said the old man, "Yours is perfect looking but I would never trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love - I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart, but because the pieces aren't exact, I have some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love we shared. "Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the other person hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty gouges -- giving love is taking a chance.
Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these people too, and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?"
The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart, and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with trembling hands
The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man's heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges. The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man's heart flowed into his. They embraced and walked away side by side.
Everyone is home
Everyone was up till 5 AM talking this morning. We looked at Adria's pictures and started hearing some of the great stories that Diandre and Adria had to tell. I was up at 7 AM, though, tracking down Adria, who had yet to go to sleep so I could hear more. Diandre got up from her little nap, as did Karen and once again the girls shared their stories as we asked about different things.
I'm anxious to hear more. Perhaps I need a chiminea or something to put in the back yard.
Thank you Lord, for the safe return of our enriched family members.
Almost Home
According to the Aeroseek web site, you've flown 1520 nautical miles and have 2165 to go before landing in Atlanta. After having been so far away from home, I'm wondering if you're going to be as excited as I was, on the occasions I had to travel oversees, to see the land on the horizon, knowing it's your continent. And, shortly after you pass the likes of Canada, that the land you see below you is the good ole USA.
Home...
I, know doubt, will be watching as you possibly fly directly overhead on your way to Atlanta. So close...but yet so far.
It's odd seeing
http://namibia05.blogspot.com so quiet, the quietest it has been in two weeks. Must be because everyone is planning for the big party at Logan around midnight tonight, that is of course if you leave Atlanta on time!
Every end has a beginning
Soon, our loved ones will be returning home to us. The long awaited trip to Africa finished.
Now what?
As we were leaving the church after the last team leader meeting before the trip (we were invited to pick up our emergency contacts packet), Sandi yelled over, "What are we going to do after this is over? I've grown so close to everyone."
Good question.
Many parents, relatives and friends have commented on how they became addicted to the blog. Checking in once or twice (okay, 100 or 200) times a day trying to catch a new post, see a new picture, watch a new video. Yet how often did we reread an old post, look at an old picture, watch an old video?
So I decided to keep the blog thing going a bit longer as we reestablish what normal life may be. If you would like to be able to post,
email me and I'll add you to the "after namibia" team.
I'm hoping that many of the dancers, other CCA team members, and the team leaders sign up and let us know what they are feeling. Perhaps this can be an outlet for them as they continue on with what they've experienced.
If you have pictures you would like to post, please feel free to post them, or if you're not sure how, just email them to Karen or me and we'll get them up there.
