A good visitor.

“We are all just visitors here on earth. And JoJo was a good visitor,” she said in her heavy Ugandan accent as she stood during our last minute morning memorial service on the porch.

We were all there, crammed on the front porch...kids, staff, and friends....celebrating the life that had been taken away early that morning under the cool breeze.

“We are all visitors.” 

She sighs. clasps her hands together. and looks down.

“And JoJo was a good visitor.”

She sits as we soak in silence the words she just spoke. Words smothered in grace that came at just the perfect time, perfectly in tune with the heart of God.

We sang one last song as we stared at the tiny coffin before us. Still in shock of the morning events.

I was on the couch all night with another little man who’s been real sick. He was asleep and I was just drifting off into sleep at around 5 am.

And then I awoke to one of the night workers.

“Auntie. Auntie.”

They seemed calm but urgent at the same time. 

All three of the night workers, standing over me all in a blurr due to my sleepy eyes.

I sit up.

“Yes? What is it?”

“JoJo, he has died.”

Sure that they were just confused on their english, I asked them to repeat what they had just said. I had been in that bedroom just two hours before and JoJo was there completely fine and healthy and cute as ever.

He was totally okay. and alive.

They repeated, “JoJo, he has passed away. I am sorry.”

I stumbled into the bedroom he was in and the breath was taken away from me. My legs fell weak and were shaking.

To see a child and wait for him to breathe, and then he doesn’t.

The stillness quite surreal.

Not knowing what to do, and unable to make out any words, I ran to get Emily. 

And it went from there.

A life, taken away from the earth just like that.

With no sickness or warning sign.

She said there was no struggle, that it was almost as if the breath was literally peacefully taken from him. 

We sat in the room where he was prepared, and glanced over his still body in a coffin that seemed to small to be real.

We sat there while worship music literally blasted from our speakers.

There we were, those who have all loved JoJo as their own, singing and grieving over the loss of this guy.

Not sure of how to handle the shock, we just sang.

The sadness of it was looming over the house all morning.

And then she spoke, 

“JoJo was a good visitor.”

The words kept ringing in my head.

It’s almost as if the breeze was singing these words into my ears.

Into my soul.

“We are all visitors. And JoJo was a good visitor.”

And that just made perfect sense.

We can mourn death.

But we can’t rest in the sadness if we truly believe that we are but visitors here.

But how often do i hold SO tightly to the things on earth?

How often to i claim that I am in control?

Way too often.

And it was a blow to the face.

A humbling one, that I have no control over people’s days they are given to live.

JoJo could have been me.

Alive two hours before, and just like that, gone.

At first, it began to terrify me how fleeting it all is.

And to be honest, it still does.

But it challenged me.

How am i living my days and moments?

How am i loving others?

How am i choosing to live?

You see, JoJo chose to live simply.

He was given to this earth to remind us all of the beauty of living simply.

To simply love.

To simply live.

He never needed much, or asked for much except for a good hug.

He never really complained.

He always embraced who he was.

And he was gifted with his disabilities, I believe, to remind me of the simple.

So i encourage you to learn from this.

To not just be saddened, but encouraged and challenged.

To love.

To LIVE.

and to never forget the simple.

Days are fleeting.

And life is short.

So, what are you living for? Really....

What am I living for?

Because our time too, will soon be out.

And i too, desire for it to be said that I was a good visitor.

And i think that deep down, we all do.

“We are all just visitors here on earth.

And JoJo was a good visitor.”

Perfectly. Said.

Props to you little man for the time you spent here.

And thanks to God, for gifting the earth with Him.

And for giving me the past year to spend with him.

And thanks to God for his perfect timing. For his master plan, even amidst the ugliness of the world.

There is always thankfulness to be had.

And there is always a plan. Always.

So lets go for it.

One day at a time, be a good visitor.

http://vimeo.com/32978797 (copy this link into a browser to see a pretty amazing video made about JoJo about a year ago...)

much love :)

Waking up and playing.

So far on my trip.

After an eight hour flight me and dad checked into 24 hours in Amsterdam.

I've never visited a city more beautiful and horrible at the same time.

Then after a night at the hotel, we had an amazing breakfast (one reason i love hotels) and headed on our walk towards the airport.

2 mcdonalds fries and 1 latte later we were on the plane.

Dad caught up on all of his movies.

I read a whole book.

We saw the most beautiful sunset we have ever seen from thousands of feet in the air.

I never knew a shade of orange like the one we saw even existed.

Then we landed.

And the smells of Africa in all of its glory hit me immediately.

There's not much better than the smell of that fresh air.

Then we made our ways to get visas, luggage, and found our friend Job who was taking us home.

I talked on the way home while dad snored and slept talked in the back seat.

We arrived at the house at around 1 in the morning.

It was quiet which was a bit strange.

Dad went to sleep. And i stayed up until 5.

And then fell asleep on the couch.

And woke up an hour later at 6, covered in mosquito bites and freshly woken up kids.

Then we played all morning.

Then i went back to sleep.

Then woke back up and played some more.

Dad woke up at two :) 

Got him all settled into his hotel,

drove back to the house,

and caught up with all of my best friends here.

And then i took a cold shower, but quickly decided to not wash my hair.

Because well, i forgot how much of an inconvenience washing my hair can be sometimes.

And then we went out to dinner and ate....

chinese food.

And then the car broke.

And dad fixed it.

And then we came home and watched our cat play around with mice in the kitchen.

And then we all went to sleep.

And woke up again to a house of 23 kids beckoning for help that they cannot offer themselves.

And so the day continued.

And we healed some scraped toes with band aids.

Healed some busted lips from some wrestling matches.

And put kids in time out for throwing fits.

We played frisbee.

And soccer.

Went around town and ran into about 3847928374 people it seemed like who wanted to catch up.

Then we went to the market.

Got some vegetables and chicken.

And made dinner for everyone.

And then ate some ice cream while watching some movies in the quietness of all of the kids being asleep.

And now here i am, sprawled out on the couch typing this out.

To hope to give you a glimpse that life is all about what you make it.

And the way you decide to tell your stories.

Because some days will consist of just waking up and playing.

And that is so okay.

Because its all about how you see it.

"Light is sweet,
    and it pleases the eyes to see the sun. 
⁸ However many years anyone may live,
    let them enjoy them all." Eccl.11

much love :)

On the road again.....

Well its time to head off to Uganda again!!
Yep, for the third time I am setting off to one of my very favorite places on earth.
Eating breakfast in an amsterdam hotel, and waiting to leave for the short walk to the airport towards my final flight.
And my oh my, I must say that Amsterdam food is delicious and they know how to make some darn good (and darn strong) coffee. Hallelujah for that -- thanks to glorious jet lag.
Anyways, a special guest has chosen to join me this time, and yes it is the one and only Brad Akins!
I'm so pumped to have my dad come out with me again for a week. He was so incredibly amazing down there last time he came to visit, and I know the exact same thing will happen this time and he will continue to be a blessing to everyone that he meets and encounters in Uganda.
SO with not much time to say much, I will say that I am very excited and thankful for this upcoming trip. It came at a perfect time and I'll keep ya posted on life to come.
Thank you everyone for your humble support and prayers.
They mean more than I can express, really.

Toodle-loo!
      and
Much love