I fell in love one year ago today.

I fell in love with a sweet baby girl. A four day old, six pound, abandoned, perfect baby girl. My heart had never felt such pain and hope at the very same time. I held this baby in my arms because her birth mother abandoned her. I gave her a bottle, dressed her, and carried her out of the hospital because she had no one else to do so.

I don’t know if I’ll ever have the experience of having my own kids, bringing a baby home from the hospital, or choosing a baby’s name. I can’t even put into words the emotions my heart felt with this sweet baby in my arms.  My mama heart got to be a mama.

The pain my heart felt for this sweet baby’s mom who abandoned her left my eyes full of tears for hours, even days. At the same time, I knew Neema would place her in a forever home which gave my heart great hope and put the biggest smile on my face. I am so thankful for Charlee’s parents! She is in the most loving and caring home now and forever.

I left a big part of my heart in TZ that day. Charlee is one of the reasons why I am now living in TZ and doing the work I am doing here.

I play a small roll in the grand scheme of things. Really. There are two million orphans in Tanzania alone. I know I won’t be able to help them all, but I am thankful for the 43 beautiful faces I support, love, and care for everyday. Our God has a perfect plan. We just have to look past our broken humanness to see the roll which we each play.