Thankful.

It has been a very slow yet the fastest 2 weeks of my life here in Africa!
I am enjoying it more and more each day and am finding that it will be a little bit hard to go home.
I am in love with the kids here. Today we taught at Gifted Hands, a school that EAC partners with, and I was privileged to teach the kindergartners the song "Jesus Loves Me".
The kids at Gifted Hands are very different from the other kids we do ministry with. All of the students at Gifted Hands are from the slum. I guess that's what makes them so distinct. They are much happier even though they come from a very rough background. As soon as I walked in through the metal door to the school ground a swarm of kids ran at me and literally attached themselves to me. Some took me by the hand, some held on to my purse, and of course there are always those girls who are fascinated with hair. Yes, they even clung to my hair! They are all adorable and seek only one thing: love. They want to be loved. They expect me to remember all of their names for next time. I don't know how that will go lol.
I am so thankful to God for this experience. It was really hard in the beginning, but each day gets better and better.
Yesterday I wrote in my journal a reminder that I kept hearing before this trip: You can't change Africa,  Africa will change you.
I'm finding that to be more true every day. Africa really has changed me. It is SO different from America. I will probably be saying this for the rest of my life, I never expected what I have seen, heard, and felt. It is at times unbearable and other times very exciting. I'm glad to be a part of God's plan for Kenya. He loves these people and is waiting for them to realize that.
I'm thankful that He didn't give up on me when I wanted to give up on His purpose.
I'm thankful that at the time that He chose me, He knew how I would react, and still chose me!
I'm thankful that He is good in every season.
I'm thankful that even though I feel powerless, He is able to pour His power into me.
I'm thankful that there is no one like our God.
No one else can satisfy me like He can. No one but God alone will ever know and feel every experience and struggle I've had to come through to realize what He is up to.
I'm thankful that He understands.
So thankful.