45 minutes, Take 1:
Earlier this year, we met a family who was preparing to travel to Uganda to adopt two children from Suma's babies' home. Their babies were two that we held and snuggled while we were there, and two that Suma especially prayed for since she's been home. They were finally able to go over there this summer, and after God working out a few snags, were able to come home this week!
Suma was so excited to see her friend. This little girl slept in the bed next to Suma's. She was our constant companion while we were there, and the little girls adored each other. So you can imagine how excited our little girl was to finally, after 10 months, get to see her friend again! Both of our kids, remembering how tired and hungry they were when we got home, wanted to take snacks to our friends. So we loaded up on some Goldfish, Mario gummies and Capri Suns, made a "Welcome Home!" banner and headed to the airport.
I wasn't sure quite how to prepare Suma to meet her friend. It had been 10 months since the girls saw each other, and while we've looked at pictures of friends and talked about them together, I knew that our little friend hadn't had the same opportunity. 10 months is a long time when you're a toddler, and with so many children coming in and out of their home, I wondered if her friend would remember Suma. I wondered how it would be for friends to meet and no longer speak the same language (or have very few words in common).
We arrived a few minutes before their plan landed and waited with other friends to meet them at baggage claim. They came down the elevator and were met with cheers and hugs and flags and signs and happy tears. Suma, feeling suddenly shy, gave her friend a wave. In the midst of the craziness, the girls kept looking at each other, and I could tell that her friend recognized Suma and was trying to place her. Suma, on the other hand, felt all the joy and excitement in seeing her friend again, sharing snacks with her and giving her a hug before we left. What a treasure!
If this had been the only excitement this week, that would have been enough...but wait! There's more!
45 minutes, Take 2:
Since we've been home, Ibra has talked specifically about two friends from his home in Uganda, and he has missed them terribly. One of the boys is much older, and he is still in Uganda. But the other one, only 2 years older, came home to America just two weeks before we arrived in Uganda to meet Ibra. Ibra has told us how he and his friend would walk to get water and how his friend laughed all the time - I know he's missed him a lot!
A few months ago, as I was looking through pictures from his children's home, I saw that we'd been tagged in a few photos. When I called Ibra over to see them, he pointed his friend out to me. As it turns out, his parents were also tagged in the photo! We were able to get in touch with them over Facebook, and the boys got to talk on the phone this weekend!
Ibra's face glowed as soon as he heard his friend's voice on the phone! They could have talked forever, and hearing them ask each other questions was precious. They giggled when they found out that they both have cars at home (the kind to play with in the kitchen and the kind that sits in the garage), they can both ride their bikes without training wheels, they both have sisters, they both remember Uganda, they both love to swim and play outside, they both have bananas at home. "Whatever you have, I have it too!" they couldn't get over it, they thought it was so funny.
What joy, what balm to lonely hearts to hear the voice of a friend! I am so thankful that both of our kids had such a precious time with friends this week. Thank you, Lord, for these 90 minutes!
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