Weekend Getaway - Joska

This weekend was a great moment that refreshed our spirits and touched our hearts. We drove to the secondary school that MoHI started around five years ago. Joska is a little over an hour outside of Nairobi and what seems a galaxy away from the exhaust, trash, and business of the city.
Upon our arrival we ate a quick lunch and went out to the field to meet and play with the ~600 kids that attend school there (mainly grades 4-8). Some of us played soccer, others jumped rope, and a few learned new versions of Red Rover....I introduced a few kids to ultimate Frisbee:)
Though I instantly made 5 friends, the concept did not translate well, so I gave in and jumped rope until I could jump no more.
Later on I had the three girls holding my hands (Milicent, Christine, and Anne) walk me around their play area as they taught me new Swahili words and showed me some of their favorite dance moves. After a break for dinner at 7pm, we waited for the children to finish their devotion time and go to their dorms for the night so we could start our bonfire.
We had brought the makings for smores and didn't want to start them if we didn't have enough to share......we didn't wait long enough:) As soon as kids saw the fire starting we had a crowd of around 100 on our laps, braiding our hair, playing with our cameras, and asking us questions about our lives in America. It was SO much fun...I had two girls squished on my chair with me and one sitting on a rock next to me laying her head on my lap. We all sang, joked, and danced until 10pm and when the children were scooted off to bed we enjoyed smores under a star-filled sky.
The next morning we attended church at the chapel on the schools' campus and ate lunch with a team of teachers from Oregon. We then rested for a little while and said our goodbyes. I was deeply touched when Milicent and Christine came to find me, presented me with drawings and notes they made for me, and latched onto me. I sat with them, held their hands, and hugged them until we had to board the van and almost lost my composure when Milicent's eyes filled with tears. I know I will get to see these two beautiful girls once more before I leave, but at that moment I just wanted to stay and hold them until they fell into a restful sleep.
It is not always easy to see how you are helping or what God's purpose is, but moments like this weekend are precious glimpses of eternity I think He gives us in order to sustain us through the routine and the rough spots.