“I want you to adopt one of my children.”
That’s the question Meg asked me yesterday, and she was SO serious.
Yesterday we went to the hospital and I got to hang out with my normal favorites Edmon, Soloman, and Sam. I sat under a tree with them for a while playing cards, and drawing. But none of them speak English so there is only so much we can do. After doing that for about an hour (plus the other hours I’ve spent doing that the other times I’ve gone there) I decided I was going to leave them under the tree for a minute and help the ladies cook in the kitchen. When I got there I was soooo excited because a lady spoke good English to me! Hallelujah. Seriously. I was so excited. Her name is Meg. She’s fantastic. And a powerful woman of God. Meg is HIV positive but is so happy because she knows the Lord has a plan for her life and that He is faithful! Meg has 4 children and is also a widow. She lost her husband while they were running from the LRA rebels. He got shot in the leg, and she had to run off without him for the children’s sake. Holy. Heck. That’s the first time Meg broke my heart. She asked if widows were common in America, and I got to share my story with her about my Aunt. The compassion and sorrow that she felt FOR ME was crazy. She prayed over MY family. She was so sorry and so compassionate about what had happened and that’s why she broke my heart a second time. After about an hour of cooking, talking, and spending quality time with each other, she turned to me and with the most serious face looked at me and said, “I want you to adopt one of my children. Please. I’m living positively and I don’t think I will able to provide for them anymore. You can care for them, you can love them. You love well. Please. Adopt one.”
Okay, thanks, stab through the heart. Third times the charm. My heart was officially broken into bits. I then had to explain to her that I’m only 18 years old, and I’m not ready to take on a child.
This is real life Africa. Meg asked me to share her story with people back home, so that’s one of the reasons I wrote this blog. There is so much more going on here than people imagine. The hospital is a perfect place to see that. And I’m so honored to be given the opportunity to see all the hurt going on around me, so that I can bring light into it and share it with everyone in America.
36 days till I see ya’lls beautiful faces!
Madison
