Noel.
the largest orphanage in Rwanda
600 kids
ages vary from newborn to 20’s
the moment I stepped off the bus, I met my boy Evoriste. (pronounced like mount everest!)
you know how kids just find you?
he’s 16. he loves futbol, basketball & “sport” which is gymnastics basically.
he was on the team that preformed for us later in the day
{while I sat like a proud mom & video taped and cheered my heart out!}
he wants to be in construction & build houses when he gets done with school.
all day long Evoriste was right by my side. hold my hand, leading me where we were going, and asking all sorts of questions about life in America.
when I lost him, I felt panicked & sad.
I love the way I feel when I’m around him!
{does that sound weird? it’s an africa thing}
{she’s the one in the picture up top right in front of me with the blue sweatshirt!}
the other friend that greeted me at the bus was Adeline.
she’s 18 & she’s blind.
not who I was expecting at all!
she was the kindest, warmest person ever.
a very vidid moment was standing outside the bus holding her hand & her saying “I’m so happy”
I loved singing with her too!
she told me later that day that I was “a friend in her heart”, “I will never forget me”, ” I love you”
she too was with me a lot of the day!
besides E & A – I loved spending time with Justin, whom I called Justin Beiber. he’s 16 also & loved it when I videoed him singing & dancing to “baby”
John, who is a tall lanky boy with a texas belt buckle that wants to be a tour guide one day! he served as our translator most of the day 🙂
{all my pics of Arisene, pronounced Arson, are on my real camera…you’ll see him soon!}
Arisene who has the biggest cutest crooked teeth smile you’ve ever seen.
he LOVES music, and was on the drumming team! every time I saw him he would say “my friend, my friend!”
besides painting nails, jamming to beiber, getting a tour of the place & seeing so many cute babies, watching basketball game, drum show & gymnastics show and FALLING IN LOVE with my friends….I finally saw Jenn & Chris and met Alain.
I was in the big room watching the girls dance and sitting next to Adeline and I saw Jenn coming in with her 2 girls by her side. I literally got up, ran almost in the middle of the performance straight to hug Jenn. I’m not going to lie that there were some tears. We stood & embraced for what seemed to be a few minutes and cried. I am tearing up writing this. I seriously can’t believe that we are at Noel together, when they come to get Alain. I feel like I haven’t told yall the whole story & that’s for another day…but it’s been a HUGE god thing!
tonight we went to dinner with the team & Chris/Jenn/Alain and I felt like I was staring at Alain all night. He was so happy, so full of joy, so thankful to be with them. They introduced him to angry birds…and this was his face! so cute!!! he is spoiled 😉
then we went to their room & I got to watch/video/photograph them giving Alain a suitcase full of new clothes! He just kept saying, “so good”, “thank you”. THEN we made him try them on for a fashion show and what fashion show isn’t complete without a Justin Beiber dance party?! Alain would come out of the bathroom dancing to the beibs. that boy can DANCE! I got it on video….
I seriously felt like crying tears of joy ALL day.
He was once an orphan living at Noel & now he’s going to San Antonio to go to school & be a part of a family!
it’s a beautiful thing!
signing off from my crack room in Rwanda,
Wynne
WORDS from today: loved, full, thankful, joyful, nerve racking & happy
{from the girls in room 123 trying to wait up for New Years 2012!}
ps – just rang in the new year Rwanda style! i’ve never laughed so hard in a long time!
happy new year from rwanda!!!
some of the girls this morning before going to Noel!
Hey, I'm Wynne!
Hi, friend! First, I truly am so giddy that you are here. I want you to know I believe in you and all the ways you are growing towards living a more intentional life. I genuinely hope you are encouraged from our time together here.
A little about me, I’m a type 7 on the enneagram, a total extrovert + people lover, entrepreneur, connector, storyteller, people gatherer, and passionate wife, mama + friend. I feel most alive when I’m exploring new places and surrounded by people I love. Give me a day in the outdoors disconnected from wifi, and I am a happy girl. I run on oat milk lattes, Jesus, gratitude journaling and kitchen dance parties with my four kids.
Welcome, come on in!
I still can’t get over that there is an orphanage, anywhere in on planet earth, with 600 children in it.
Wynne, this is great stuff. It brings a huge smile to my face to read about the joy you, the team, and the orphans are experiencing together. Glory to God – from whom all blessings flow. Happy New Year!
I think its wonderful what you are doing. God is so good!