Since it was our last day, we were determined to go out with a bang! At Government Hill, we had a huge water fight with tubs of water and sponges! It was a warm day, and it definitely was a fun way to end our week!
Some of our crew had to say goodbye to some faces that they've grown really close to over the past five days, and that's where the first "tears" rolls in. This picture absolutely breaks my heart, this is a little girl that Jessica has bonded with over the past few days! The little girl was BAWLING, and her mom started crying so Jessica ended up having to walk her back home.
Another strong relationship was formed between Sam and this feisty little girl:
From Monday afternoon, they instantly clicked. She just ADORED Sam, and she loved playing games with him and chasing him around. When it was time for the van to leave, it was probably the hardest separation of the trip! She even gave him her bracelet she had made that day, which made the tears flow even more.
Just when we thought it was over, twelve of the Government Hill kids walked/biked/longboarded up to the church to eat dinner with us! The Green Team had to say goodbye... AGAIN. Another tough goodbye was with a fellow Jared and I have had the privilege of getting to know this week. He walks every day, so we've been walking with him back and forth from the park and the church. We've gotten to talk to him about all kinds of stuff, and we truly are friends. This was another tough goodbye... A.K.A. the second "tears."
But to look on the bright side, the Red Team got to have their Park Party at Russian Jack tonight! It was filled with all sorts of fun, and there were SO many people there! It's awesome to see that that amount of people will come out, which means a bigger chance for more to hear the Gospel!
Of course though, the Park Party was the last hoorah for the Red Team as well. There were so many familiar faces, and one mom even thanked Stacey for "being her friend." Here we go... The last and final "tears." It's incredible that in just FIVE days, our team can connect on such a deep level with these children; so much, that it causes our hearts to physically ache when we think about leaving. I've always looked at mission trips with all of the sappy posts when they leave and thought, "How in the world could they get so attached?" Now I know. Everyone on this trip who didn't already experience this knows, too. I can't explain it, other than using these two words: God's grace. We feel immeasurably blessed by this opportunity, and even though today was one of the toughest days ever... This week has been MORE than worth it.
P.S. Sorry it took me all day to post this... Oops!
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