Oh, my child.

I've officially been in the real world for 2 1/2 months now. On one hand it seems like the summer flew by, but on the other hand it feels like years ago that I was in school. I think since I moved up to Dallas right after I graduated and started work, I was forced to change my mindset as a college student to real world very quickly.

But let me tell you, my real world is incredible. In my world, I get to stare at the faces I fell in love with in Zambia everyday. In my world, I get to help them get sponsored. In my world, I get to work with people who actually understand where my heart is, because their hearts are there too.

Finally, Africa isn't just a summer trip. I don't have to think about homework, tests, meetings and papers first. Africa is now first. Joseph, Gracious, Steven, Brian, Lyson, Blessings, Peter, Chrispin, James, Matthew, Alick, Alex, Francis, Smart and Anold are first. The children at the Tree of Life Village are first. The Community Resource Centers are first. Christ at the center of all of these things is first.

On the last day of camp my baby boy, Joseph, looked at me with all the longing in the world. He said, "Please, Auntie Kailee, promise me that you won't forget about me." Oh my child, how could you not know that I think about you everyday? How could you not know that I love you with every ounce of me? Don't you know that you mean everything to me? Don't you know that I will NEVER forget you?

But then that made me think. We're all a little like Joseph. Daily, the Lord pours His love out on us and yet we question whether or not He will remember us tomorrow. I didn't understand how Joseph could doubt my devotion toward him, but it became an all too familiar feeling when I later asked God the same question. He answered me, "Oh my child, how could you not know that I think about you everyday? How could you not know that I love you with every ounce of me? Don't you know that you mean everything to me? Don't you know that I will NEVER forget you?"


"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, nor angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39