Mom in PAP with me

All too soon our time in Bayonnais was over. The group was headed home after a night in PAP and mom was coming with me to HOM. She was a trooper and came to almost all of my classes. In the older classes she introduced herself and they got to ask her questions (one of their favorites being how old are you) and some classes asked about her parents, uncles, etc. My teacher classes loved meeting her. They also got to ask questions and had a pretty good conversation. In the younger classes I introduced her but then we jumped into learning colors…I think I picked too many colors to start with but we’ll see how it all goes. Sadly I think she skipped some of the quieter classes but made it for some of the really rowdy ones. We had a wonderful visit together and it will be so nice that she can picture what I’m telling her and who I’m talking about.

On Friday morning (I don’t have class) we got a taptap (not the public one that I don’t know how to use—but a private one called by HOM) and went to the Missionaries of Charity (a Mother Teresa hospital) to hold the babies and see what was going on. Other groups had been but I’d always been working so I was excited to see it. I had also thought it was an orphanage but it is more of a hospital where most of the children are malnourished and so are kept until they are healthy again. Many parents come to visit their children there during visiting hours which was so touching to see. You could see the anguish in some parents’ eyes knowing that they couldn’t take care of their own kids but also the hope in seeing them getting stronger. There is a playground where the stronger kids could be taken out to play. Mom and I sat and fed 3 little ones who didn’t have visitors and were hooked up to IVs and so couldn’t go outside anyway. They were the smallest little ones I’ve seen. The nurses all had smiles on their faces as they worked amongst the often screaming children—always ready with smiles, jokes and help. It was a beautiful morning.
It was hard to see mom go on Tuesday. Luckily the airport is close so not too much time to dwell on it. She had a safe flight home and I am so glad she came.