With Arms Wide Open

With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I’ll show you everything
With arms wide open
Now everything has changed
I’ll show you love
I’ll show you everything

Pulling away from the Children Of Kibera, after a celebratory presentation by the school to our family, waving good-bye to our friends. Our driver, George, puts on one of the CD’s that Larry burned for him. Creed’s “With Arms Wide Open.” We all sit quietly listening, reflecting over the past 4 weeks here. Sobbing on the inside, but only letting a few tears sneak to the surface, I feel such gratefulness for this experience, for all we have been able to do, for all we have learned. One last look at this neighborhood that at first was so foreign, but now so familiar, with my arms wide open.

I will miss our drives to school and enlightening George to our music.

I will miss the bustle of the streets of Kibera during the morning rush.

I will miss the staff who greet us with smiles.

I will miss Jeff’s hospitality and generosity, welcoming us always.

I will miss the walk from the office to the school with all our “ha wa you” choruses to greet us.

I will miss that moment when I cried with Saidi’s Mom and Kelvin’s Mom over their sons who now feel like mine.

I will miss Saidi’s and Iris’s shyness that reminds me so much of Alexa and Dillon when they are around adults.

I will miss watching Alexa and Dillon’s passion for teaching and playing with the young children, especially the nursery, especially Katrina.

I will miss 10:30 recess when we can’t wait for the children to come out on break and play with us.

I will miss their excitement to see us and the joy we give them when we just hold their hand.

I will miss them lining up to play dahble dahble dees dees, dahble dahble dat dat (double double this this, double double that that) with me over and over again.

I will miss how easy it is to make these underprivileged children smile and how easily they touched my heart.

I was commonly asked before our journey which place was I most looking forward to. My answer was “believe it or not, Nairobi.” So far, this has been the hardest place to leave.

Post by Kim Weinberg