tears.

It has been a wet day here on Beautiful Gate's campus. Wet from the crazy thunderstorm last night and wet with tears. The tears were bittersweet this morning during the adoption ceremony for a 6 year old boy who has been at Beautiful Gate since he was an infant. Before the ceremony started the bo'me were coming in the chapel and they were waving at the boy and doing their little African scream thing when they saw him. As the boy saw them come in tears started to roll down his face. He quickly tried to hide it under his yellow "Lesotho" baseball cap. His new mother noticed right away and scooped him up to comfort him and talk him through it. She was perfect. The boy was 6 years old so he understood what was happening. He understood this would probably be the last time he saw the people at Beautiful Gate, the only place he has ever known. As we all saw the tears run down their eyes as they cuddled there together, pretty much everyone else in the room lost it too. Before the boy and his mother arrived we joked around about how the boy was probably going to be all over the room playing during the ceremony because he is one of those kids that "has ants in his pants" and can never stay still. But we were wrong. He stayed on his mother's lap through most of the ceremony. They had the boy come up with the house help ladies to sing his favorite Sesotho song with them. He couldn't get a word out to sing, but he clapped his hands furiously while trying to stop the tears from running down his face. That was probably one of the coolest things ever. Every person in that room loved that boy so much. Something you should also know about this boy is that when he got here and they took him to the hospital they were told he would never walk or talk. He ended up being the fastest runner of all the kids at Beautiful Gate and spoke the best English. He is a miracle. I am so thankful and blessed to have gotten to know him. The Lord has great things in store for him and his new family and he will be one that is always in my prayers. As my tears today were sad to see him go, they were also filled with joy beyond belief.

I also found out today that a girl I went to grade school with passed away. I am not sure what else to say about that. Those tears are out of grief and sadness. My prayers are with her family and she will be greatly missed.

peace and love.