Evangeline Lamara Part one <3

Oh How He loves us. =]]

Africa Day Nine::
Sunday::

Ok, so this is literally going to be my journal entry from the day i met Evangeline Lamara (Evi). It's one of the only days i actually recorded my thoughts, because i wanted to get down the raw emotions of that day. Every other day was just bulletnotes in my notebook. haha.
I think i'm only gonna have the one day. Because it's such a big day. and then i'll do the next day like, tomorrow. (since i don't work.) And it'll be great. I just think that these are two very very big days, they each deserve their own entry. =]

Today was a crazy day...a very crazy day in Africa.
We went to a church in a stinking thatched roof cottage!! It was pretty amazing. But a little confusing because i didn't quite understand everything that they said, even in English. ha. They had such thick accents. When we got to the church there were a bunch of children jumping around and singing "hallelujah Amen" It was honestly, wonderful. The children were kindof scared of us...But i sat in the middle of them and two of them latched onto my hand. It was super precious. One of the girls was holding my hand, and then this other girl next to her started to make fun of her and tease her and she stoppedholding my hand for awhile. The church service was so long...like you don't even understand. It went from like 10-1:30 or so. maybe even before 10..i don't really remember. I was so hungry by the time we left...then we went to a restaraunt and ate some ok food.
THEN we went to this orphanage calle Gukipa. (this is where it gets really good) And i saw this darling baby. I whispered to Macy, "dibs on the baby in pink." When i went over to take her, she was getting a bath, i helped the lady give her a bath then i dressed her and held her. She cuddled up against me and this wave of love washed over me like nothing i've ever felt before. [[for those of you that are Moms, i imagine it was something like the first time you hold your child...]] I didn't really know how to react, i wanted to cry, laugh and just take her home with me....because never wanted to leave her again. i never wanted to have to spend a day without being with her. I started singing Lead Me To The Cross and she laid her head down and fell asleep against me. I rocked her back and forth and fell in love so quickly. We had an instant connection, Clarissa said she felt the connection between us too. The other kids danced for us and the others in my group did stomp for the children, while i sat with Evi in my lap asleep. I was in heaven. I would have brought her back to the school if Rodney had let me, but he said it wasn't safe and i understand that. So i had to leave her. It was the hardest thing i'd ever done...
Taylor wanted to hold her for a bit so i was gonna let her.and as i was leaning down to hand Evi to her, she got a death grip on my arm, but i gave her to Taylor still. When i took her back, she clung to me.
I went to talk to Phillip. Because i really wanted this poor baby as my own. Phillip said that the adoption would be a long process because i'm single. yeah, like that's gonna discourage me. ha. But he also said that it will be cheaper and easier becausei'm going to stay in the country with her for awhile (several years) but that once the papers are signed she'll be mine (she already is in my heart) I've never felt so strongly about anything in my life. i've never felt so much love for a single child in my life. It was almost scary...
Anyway, so Parker came and said he wanted to hold her, and she was about to cry when i handed her to him. So i took her back. Then macy came and took her and she held my arm so tightly and looked at Macy like she was about to cry. Sp Macy gave her back and Evi just cuddled up against me and sighed. She had her arms around my neck. It was precious.
Then Rodney came over and was like "I wanna hold her" and he reached for her and she turned away from him, so he went around to the other side and did the same thing, and she turned away again, whimpering. He gave up. =]
I held her the rest of the time. phillip talked to his mom, who runs Gukipa, about me adopting Evi and she was all for it. Although she thought that i was taking her that night... which i wanted to. So badly.
When it was time to go I waited so i was the last one on the van so that i could hold Evi as long as i could. When i walked over to give her back Phillip said "Today, she is a new mother" and the 4 ladies smiled and clapped. And then i had to hand her back, Evi started crying. I was about to cry so i handed her over and said "i love you" and phillip said "you're mommy is coming back tomorrow." and i walked away, tears rolling down my cheeks. i got in the car and laid my head on Macy's shoulder, and just cried. Phillip came over and said, "please don't cry. You will see her again tomorrow." Ha, yeah, i cried the whole way home.
later Lacey told me that as i walked away, Evi was reaching for me over Phillips' Mothers' shoulder. I cried all night. Literally. I just cried.
Clarissa said that this is the reason i came to Africa. This was the reason i waited 5 years before getting to come. because i'm supposed to save Evi.

The end for today. Hopefully i'll get the next day down sometime soon. I'm not sure when, i work a lot now.

~~Katelyn~~