Mommy!

            Today was kind of a blur. It was a long and busy day, but it seemed to go by quickly. With 18 babies there is always something to be done. I starting walking to Smile Africa I was having so much fun. When I lived in Tororo in 2012 I would always walk from my hotel to Smile Africa. I love the atmosphere and being around the people. When I started walking I could not stop smiling. When you know you are doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing, there is a specific happiness and joy that overtakes you. That was the feeling I was having; that I was right where I was supposed to be. On my walk to the baby home I said hi to many people who I had become friends with over the many times I have been to Tororo.

           

          When I first reached Smile Africa I was instantly bombarded with dozens of children. These children did not come on the weekend, so this is the first time they have seen me for a year. I gained 100 pounds of children. They were hanging onto my arms and legs I literally could not move. I loved seeing them and their smiling faces.

Finally I reached the baby home. I went right inside and was greeting by smiling babies. When I first opened the door I heard the most amazing sound. It was baby Chris yelling, “Mommy! Mommy!”. Chris ran to me and threw his little arms around my legs. I instantly picked him up and held him tight. I loved that moment with Baby Chris, he has such a sweet heart and LOVES to smile.

Then, at about 11am, the babies go down for a nap. I helped the nannies get the babies ready for bed. While they were sleeping I went around to the classrooms at Smile Africa to say hello to some of the children that I had not seen yet. They love getting their picture taken, so we took pictures of each other for a few hours and just played around. I also got to spend some time with Flavia who has become one of my greatest friends! I love being able to see her and her classroom. 

Then before I knew it, it was time to feed the babies’ lunch. When I got to their room I picked up baby Helen, who is one of the smallest babies, to feed her a bottle. Just as I sat down to feed Helen all of the other babies started waking up one by one saying, “Mommy, mommy”. Then before I knew it, all of the older ones who can talk ALL started saying “Mommy! Mommy!”. It was a tad overwhelming, but also really amazing.  Changing 18 diapers at once is a real challenge, but it was so fun being there when the babies woke up. People often ask me if I have any children, my response now is…yes, I am a mommy to 18 babies. J

We have also started building a wall around the perimeter of City of Lights Baby Home. This is going to keep the babies safer and will prevent the spread of diseases. This wall is really going to be a game changer for us and we are so excited! Today they started digging and laying bricks down. Once the wall is up, we can start building a play ground for the babies to play on as well.  I am so excited about the amazing things that God is doing through City of Lights.

If you are interested in sponsoring a baby, please go to www.cityoflightsinternational.org/our-babies. You can also visit our Facebook page "City of Lights International" for a more updated list.A full sponsorship is $180 a month however there are different levels of sponsorship that a person can do. Anything helps. Thank you for changing the world with us, one baby at a time.