I was sitting there, waiting....the Tuesday we had arranged. Waiting for 45 minutes and Rachel didn't show up. I was thinking, "I don't have her number! I should have gotten her number! Maybe they are all sick, have H1N1 in hospital and here I am sitting here, I can't help...." I had made this glorious appointment with the neato African lady (Rachel, from Sudan) who had intrigued me all fall with her long stride and white on black smile when we shook hands. "Well, I'm NOT going to blog this failure" I thought miserably. So I didn't. It's now been about 4 weeks or so when I saw her last. She hasn't come down that sidewalk for that long! Did she move? Felt embarrased about not showing up and is staying away, avoiding me?
I gave up looking for her. This morning I thought I'd drift by the preschool she drops her kids at. "One less person for me to be responible for. Why do I feel like that? Does God just want me to just pray for her? " So many questions, but not as many as at first. Even if I saw her, would she be too embarrased about the missed appointment and just nod a 'hi' and move on? Oh man, there she was! I'd know those legs on any African plain, or Manitoba sidewalk!! As we came closer, I saw her smile of welcome and happiness. It's ok! "Can I come now?" was her greeting. "Of course!" was my reply. She explained she is now taking the bus because of the cold. After walking home together, we had tea, her English isn't the greatest but she isn't shy. Her dad was killed by militia in Sudan, his two wives and 7 children fled to Uganda and then Kenya. I learned more about her, she heard how we were in Burma for 6 years and the military government there. As we were chatting, it just floored me to believe she was in my home, drinking my tea....after so many weeks of praying, wondering. She asked if we could pray before she left. My whitey hands, in her dark ones. We are sisters, friends. And guess what? She invited me to her home. Cool. But I forgot to get her darn phone number again!!
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