One of the hardest days of my life

After spending four weeks at rainbow house orphanage in Getti Kenya the time had come when I must leave to another area.  After spending every day with the beautiful children my heart was breaking to think that I must leave them.  I felt as if they were my own children, or own brothers and sisters.  I had grown to love them in a way I did not know was possible, and everyday I prayed that somehow I would be able to stay with them longer.  But the time had come that I must leave.  The children had known that I would be leaving and the previous days had been very gloomy at the orphanage. Every day they would beg me to stay with them, to not abandon them like everyone else in their lives had.  That friday we came to say our last goodbyes. The children had all prepared us letters and a song upon our arrival.  We cried and hugged, and I promised them no matter what I would never forget them.  As I walked away I could not control my emotion.  I was walking away from 26 beautiful children that deserved every opportunity in the world.  Somehow the cards were dealt, and they wound up with the short end of the stick.  I was walking away to all the possibilities in the world and a bright future, simply because of where I was born.  They were stuck in a never ending cycle of Choas, hunger and desperation. It broke my heart to realize that all of these beautiful, kind, and innocent children, would one day be thrown out into the realities of the African World.  The girls would most likely be destined to become manual slaves or prostitutes, and the boys would spend a life time trying to provide meager provisions for their family only to be disapointed with hunger, heartache and death. 
As I got back to my headquaters after an emotional day I sat down to read the sweet letters the children had written me.  One of the girls I was the closest with was named Monica, she was 11 years old.  Her letter said the following in her shakey english:
"I love you Rachel so Much.  I miss you so much when you are going I feel cry cry cry. I feel happy when you come again to Rainbow house children.  Dont go Rachel ok? Whe you going I am crying so much and I am a sick people.  I pray for you Rachel at Rainbow house church. I love you so much I love you so much Rachel love you and your parents and your sisters and brothers. I miss you I pray for you all the time.  You are the best player and God has blessed you so much.  When you go I sing the song: Goodbye, goodbye, oooh goodbye our friend.  God has reminded you to give a gift. 
I am fine, you are fine no problem.the problem is this one, you are going to America tomorrow is leaving me.  Rachel, Rachel, Rachel I love you.

Your friend, Monica."
Everytime I read this letter I laugh and cry and contemplate.  Monica taught me some valable life lessons.  She taught me that we should love ALL of our fellow human beings, black or white, known or unknown.  She also taught me that because God has given me so much, he has "reminded me to give a gift." I believe we all have a responsibility to give a gift, and that gift is compassionate love and service.