Loss of a loved one,the birth of a leader

I'm going to be honest, yesterday was a very hard day...with sprinkles of joy in it. Our dear Jaja passed away yesterday. Jaja means grandma in Swahili. She was very old and lived a very long, happy life. Sadly, toward the end she got malaria, as well just being old, so God called her home. Now she is young again and dancing with Jesus. It was the most devastating thing that I have ever seen. Jaja lived at Smile Africa, so she built a strong bond with a lot of these children. 12 boys and 12 girls have a permanent residence at Smile Africa, so their bond with Jaja was very strong. 2 of the girls in particular cooked for her every single day since Jaja was so old and could not cooke for herself. When the news reached Smile Africa about the death of Jaja the whole place went into an uproar. The 24 boys and girls that live there fell to ground kicking and screaming and crying! All the teachers were wailing falling to the ground. The other 400 children went out of control! They also started crying and throwing things. I started crying at the sight that was before me. With Bogere in my arms I went and cuddled some of the older girls that were crying. My son also went and hugged a few of the girls, but then the screaming scared him so he ran off. Imagine your toddler throwing a tantrum...then multiply that by 400. It was pure chaos. Finally the older girls calmed down a bit, so the crowd mellowed out as the children started to walk home. I kissed Bogere, told him I loved him, then sent him home. This week is going to be hard as we prepare Jaja's body for the burial that will take place on Friday. God give me strength,give me words to say,give me the wisdom to be quiet when there is no need for words. Below is a picture of Jaja,her grandson, and Pastor Ruth, the day before she passed.

Although we are mourning the death of Jaja, we are also celebrating the life of baby Joshua. Baby Joshua was born the day before Jaja died. He was the product of a rape, but born with purpose! He is going to be under my care for the next 3 months while I am here. I am going to be raising 2 day old Joshua and I am so excited! Happy Mother's day to me! hehe. Here is Joshua's story...his mom is mentally ill and cannot take care of baby Josh so the police brought him to Smile. There is a witch doctor in town that is telling men that if they sleep with a woman who is mentally ill than they will no longer live in poverty...stupid, I know. That is how my Josh came to be, but he is no accident, no mistake. Born for such a time as this, he will be a strong man for Jesus. 

God called Jaja home, but gave us baby Joshua to raise up for his kingdom, although sad, what a beautiful picture of my God.