An INCREDIBLE Adventure

All I can say at this moment is what an adventure God took us on! He sure rocked my world, in more than one way! Africa is a beautiful continent! The people I met in Botswana and South Africa had some of the nicest, most caring people I have ever met! These people were beautiful, loving and caring people to our group! I have never felt more accepted than in Old Naledi.

It is Monday afternoon here, and 6:57 PM Monday evening in Gaborone, Botswana (The G sounds like an H in Gaborone). I am having so many mixed feelings right now. I am very happy to be home, but I am missing the people and relationships we made in Africa. I miss the beautiful children, our brothers and sisters in Christ we got to know, and just in general I am really missing Botswana right now.

Part of my heart was left in Old Naledi, the village we worked at each day. It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do by leaving our friends on Friday evening. A lot of us were having a very hard time keeping our tears back when it was time to load up and head back to the hotel.

I made a very special bond with a couple of children from the very beginning. One being a little girl about 4 years old. Her name is Nelly and she lives a few houses down from the church. What a beautiful little girl, with skin as soft as butter. On Friday, for some reason, I was so tired I fell asleep inside the church with my head on the table. I guess I slept an hour or so, and Mama Maurita (the Pastor's wife) woke me up and told me that everyone was outside getting ready to leave.

I went outside where our group was, along with all the children and the church family of Old Naledi. As I listened to the Pastor, Maurita James tell us all how much they appreciated our help, he then called each of us up to the front to present us with a small token of appreciation from the ladies of their church. They had made each one of us a card and had used the craft items we brought over to decorate the cards. What a beautiful gift! One I will treasure forever.

When this was over, our team went back into the church to gather our things and a team member and good friend now, Toni, told me to look out the window. I saw little Nelly walking down the street. Toni pointed out to me that she had put new shoes on Nelly. Toni also had made a special bond with Nelly. I told Toni then that those were the shoes I had brought over for the children. I went outside with my camera to take a picture of Nelly. I found her, and she gave me a hug and I told told her that I would see her soon. I took a picture of my precious Nelly in those shoes.

I can't write down right now all of what we experienced, as I would be here for days. I am still trying to process it. I had so much fun. God really moved me and broke down some walls in my life that I had been building for years and years. Thank you Kristi and Toni for that night of talking and encouragement. It was all a God thing!

Thank you God for allowing me to go to Africa for this trip! I can't wait to go back to Old Naledi one day soon! I would do it tomorrow if I could. Please be praying for our whole team as we get back to the hustle and bustle of our lives. If everyone is going through the culture shock being back in the United States as I am, then I am not the only one trying to process this whole trip!

Thank you to all of you who helped me financialy and by your prayers to go to Africa. It was a life changing trip for me and I will never be the same again! I just pray that God will help me to remember all that I saw and all that HE taught me on this trip!

MUCH more of my toughts to come soon so stay tuned!

In His Steps,
Kim Wright


P.S. This is a picture of me and my beautiful Nelly. What a beautiful smile she has! I miss her so much already!