Better to have been loved and lost then never to have been loved at all.

It is approaching July 12th now as I am getting ready to head to bed after this long day. This morning I took a trip back to the orphanage. Once again I was greeted by a stampede of toddlers all anxious to slobber on me and everything I dared to bring along. A little side not, If you ever visit St. Martin's, which I hope you do, be sure to wear a raincoat because the forecast always is as follows.... Adorable....with a 100% chance of drool.
        I am making one more trip back to the orphanage to play with the kids and say my goodbyes before I make the two drive back to Dar Es Salaam at the beginning of next week. Now that you are up to date on me I have yet another story to tell.
      Today I was playing a board game with Luka and his mother(by adoption) and I was amazed at how full of life he was, he was constantly cracking jokes, climbing on me, and never without a smile on his face. This is the same kid who just a few years ago was a mal-nurished orphan in which all Lynn wanted was to see one smile out of him before he passed away. Now she gets to wake up to the little bundle of joy everyday.
       Here's another story. Josh and Stephanie were missionaries here in West Tanzania, they too went to help out at St. Martin's. After visiting there a few times they fell in love with this little orphan girl, Jennie.They took care of her for awhile and help nurse her to good health. After a little while they decided to adopt her and give her a chance to live life to it's fullest potential. Overwhelmed with excitement to start the process of making Jennie part of there family Josh and Steph headed back to the states for a couple of weeks to get paper work taking care of with Social Services. One after noon they were sitting in there Grand Rapids home looking over some of the adoption forms when they heard a knock on their door. It was Casey Caraway, Mike and Lynn's daughter. She came in and sat down with them, after a moment of silence she told them that Jennie had passed away.
       This story has bounced around in my head every night since I've heard it. As I drift to sleep I think of all those smiling faces that come waddling towards me every time I step through the gate of St.Martin's. While I'm there I take many pictures because I never know if I will see a certain one of those smiling faces again. When a new born loses his/her chance at experiencing life it always eats away at you more than just a person passing from old age. Here, a darker cloud hangs over you when one of these orphans is taken, and that is the grief that that child never got to feel truly loved or the warmth of caring arms exclusively meant to hold him or her.