Flight to Kinshasa

My wonderful dad and his wife drove us to the airport. My dad is a world wide traveler so he gave us so many little tid-bits of information. it was wonderful to talk with them on our way to Milwaukee.

We are now on the plane to Kinshasa. I am starting to get sick. Not because of illness but because of nerves. I kept wondering are we doing the right thing. I am getting cold feet. I am 46 years old have a 17 and 18 year old at home. Am I crazy? Do I really want this? I didn't know.Everyone may think this is terrible that I was thinking this but it is true. I always told myself that I want to be a mom forever for children that need homes and love. This is why I foster. But now this dream is coming true. The flight was terrible. Not because of the service but being on a plane like that for how many hours drives anyone crazy.

We land in Kinshasa and my stomach was so upset. My eyes were burning from being dry. We go through the passport check place and then walk into package are and see a very handsome man holding a sign saying Mr. Heidi. I tell you that was the best thing I have seen in a long time. There is someone here to greet us. He shook my hand but I wanted to give him a hug. We waited a long time for our luggage. While waiting we were getting a glimpse of the African culture. Now this is just where we were I am not judging the entire African community but what we saw today I will tell you. I am a person that uses please and thank you for everything. So if I bump into you I will say excuse me with a smile or sorry with a smile. That is not what it is like here. It is so different. Pushing and shoving and never a smile or an excuse me. People budge in line without a single thought. I sound like my classroom kids now with them yelling when someone budges. I also see lots of yelling. Everyone seems upset at someone. I don't speak French so I am not sure what they are saying but you can tell by facial expressions they aren't having a nice conversation. Also standing by our baggage claim area there was a gentleman right next to me. He kept doing the framer blow with his nose. I think then my stomach started to get very upset. He did this not once, twice but several times without thinking twice. I also see people ripping off the so called "saran wrap" from their suitcase and just leaving it there. Not even to pick it up.

Then we get in the car on our way to St. Annes. What I saw will never leave me. I am so sick tonight from the poverty and the people all over the streets. Garbage everywhere, people coming up to your car and asking you to buy something. Kids standing in the middle of a busy road like Fond du Lac Johnsons street begging you to buy a soda from them. I see mamas on the sidewalks laying down with their babies next to them. Remember it is so dirty here. There is dust blowing every where. They sell food along side the streets open and then there is a whirl of dust around everything. People have taken pictures of this before that I have seen but until you see it first hand it can't affect you like it did me today. Our drive to the monastery was about an hour but it seemed like a lifetime. I wanted to close my eyes and make it all better for everyone there. Why do they have to have a life like this? Why would God have a entire different world over here from where I live? Why is there children out there selling items when they should be in school and enjoying their life. Isn't childhood supposed to be the easiest and Innocent time of your life? Why Why Why? As we were driving all I kept thinking about is Rocky. I am doing the right thing. I realized this on our drive. We are helping this child to have a better life and to get the love and family every child deserves. I am a save the world type person. My husband always says Heidi you can't save everyone but my comment back is I can one at a time. But today I felt helpless. Yes I realize I am helping an child but as a society there is so much more that needs to be done. I think if I lived here i would feel so depressed because it is all so overwhelming. At least in Fond du Lac if a child needs my help I do everything I can. But here I wouldn't even know when or where to start. Where do you start? I know everyone says we are helping this one child but my goodness is this enough? My stomach aches today for everything I saw. I will pray and pray that there will be some hope some day for the people I saw today. But my heart tells me it won't happen in my life time. As I write this to you my heart will ache for every person I saw out there today. Here we are traveling with 4 suitcases full of goods and pockets full of money and then I see what I saw today. It doesn't seem fair. I am blessed to live in the US. I am blessed to have all the people in my life. I am blessed I have the best family in the world and this goes to my sister, bro, nieces, nephews etc. My husband and my two children have blessed my life. I hope that I can find peace and rest with everything I saw today. 

Tomorrow I will meet my son for the first time. I am so excited. Thanks for reading and until tomorrow. Love and kisses
Heidi