"Mzungu!!!!

"Mzungu!!! Mzungu!!!!! Mzungu!!!!!"

Mzungu translates to mean "white man" and for the last 4 days this has been the cry we've heard literally hundreds of times as we've traveled into villages and slums and all sorts of places. It's meant in a good way. Or maybe even in a sense of childlike shock---kind of like if you were to see Santa Claus as a child or maybe even Captain Kirk at a Star Trek convention. Little kids are simply amazed by us...and not just orphans, but allll little kids. It's kind of fun.

Stuart was talking with our driver, Dennis, about it today as we were continously greeted by children playing in their front yards while our car slowly manuevered through the dirt roads. Stuart was telling him that we've been getting that greeting a lot. Dennis responsed by saying most children in these villages have never seen a white man and so it was like they were seeing God.

There you go.

Today was our last full day meeting with orphanage directors and pastors in Africa. Tomorrow evening we will begin our journey home with one last stop before arriving back in Nashville Tuesday night. Our time here has been fruitful---thank you to those who have offered to sponsor this scouting trip.

As we were driving back from Jinja today I was reflecting back over the things we've seen. I think my heart is overwhelmed by everything it has taken in. And really.....it should be.

I have to confess that I have great guilt for how I feel when I'm looking at the children's beds. In Moldova I've sat--and even slept on-- many filthy mattresses and broken beds. However, here I can't even bring myself to put my backpack down on a mattress to get out a pen or notepad. It's embarrassing to say, but it's true. And it breaks my heart to know that precious little children have no choice but to sleep on something that I find unfit for my old backpack. What is wrong with that?

We are fortunate, now, to have an understanding for many of the things we'll experience in our work in this continent. Simple things that have to do with logistics and materials and needs. What we'll never have is an understanding of what it feels like to watch your mommy or daddy suffer and die....and be left alone. We'll never understand what it feels like to go to sleep on dirt floors or pieces of dirty foam that have been placed together to fashion a mattress. The list goes on.

One thing that we do understand is that God is bringing Sweet Sleep to the children of Kenya and Uganda and we are so eager to walk alongside you as He reveals the stories to us all.

Blog posts might be delayed for the next few days as we travel back through various time zones and places. Please do check back for more...as well as for pictures of our time here.

And, if you're not aware...you have the chance to BE A PART of bringing Sweet Sleep to a child in Moldova or Uganda in the very near future! We have a team going to Moldova March 7-15 to build beds for children in TWO orphanages (what a great way to spend Spring Break!!). We also have another team to Moldova just after our U.S. school year finishes in May. Then we're off to Uganda in July. Check our website, www.sweetsleep.org for more information.

Thanks again, friends. You are appreciated!

See you in the next blog,
Jen