Today was our final day in Cite Soleil painting. It has been a stretch of mural painting, and I have to be honest and say I am ready to paint a 16x20 INCH painting :).

But you know that really really tired feeling when you have worked so hard and accomplished something really really good too? That is how I feel. And its not just about the painting. Its mostly about being where we were with the people we were with and knowing God's appointed time was now and was fulfilled to be with them. Today we probably had a 5 minute photo shoot with all our workers, wanting to take pictures with us alone and together. It was hilarious. They are ridiculous.

The hardest thing anytime we leave is people asking for things. Everyone's plea is a form of desperation, the circumstances different yet somehow the same too. The reality is we can't help everyone, and we have to tell them so.

The reality too is people seeing you and loving you for what you have. Many use God, knowing we love him, to try and get things from us, claiming they are praying for us, that they love the Lord, etc.

So that is all to say, leaving is bitter sweet. But mostly sweet. 'Cause can I blame them? I have no idea what it is like to be stuck. Where there REALLY is not opportunity. We are opportunity, a way to progress. I would love me for what I have too.

Today as our car drove away, I could not help but smile inside and out as I watched out the back window a slew of small children run after our vehicle. And that smile held a bit of sadness too knowing all the suffering we leave behind and all the things we can't do for those we really love.

Can't wait 'till we are back, Cite Soleil... See you in July.