Gifts and Suitcases

Before the Bakhita Appreciation and Awareness event at church, we had two empty blue suitcases and many empty gift bags. But by the time we left for South Africa, all the bags had been filled by kind, generous people. Each girl at Bakhita Village will be overjoyed at receiving her wonderful gifts. Gifts have also been prepared for the Bakhita girls attending St. Brendan’s, the house mothers who care for the girls, and the Sisters who have given their whole lives to caring for the needy. More than 50 gift bags will be traveling with us to Bakhita Village.

After much preparation and planning, we are packed and ready to go. At the airport in Detroit, we breathe a sigh of relief when each of the blue suitcases weighs in at 49 lbs.

Upon arrival at the Johannesburg airport, we each take a luggage cart and collect one blue suitcase, one black suitcase of our own stuff, plus our backpacks and carry-on bags - each cart weighing about 100 lbs. Leaving the airport, Maggie gets the cart stuck on the escalator with all 100 lbs. of stuff sitting on her leg and John lets his backpack, containing our new computer, fall down a flight of escalator stairs as he held onto his 100-lb. cart. But there is no permanent damage and we’re delighted that there are no photos of these adventures.

We are deeply grateful to so many people who filled gift bags, made generous monetary donations, and blessed us with prayers and well-wishes. We feel well-loved and we’ll be sure to pass on that love to all we meet.