It has been so great having all the new 47 children from Tema and Kete-Krachi here at the Village of Hope. I have loved every minute of spending time with them and loving on them. I have made so many new friends! One of my new friends is Freeman. He was only 3 and a half years old when he was sold into slavery. The Touch a Life team was not even looking for Freeman when they found this little boy, naked and running as fast as he could away from them. He is the sweetest and funniest little 7 year old boy with the most adorable laugh. The past couple of evenings I have been sitting and holding him on the porch steps of his house. He just holds me so tight and looks right into my eyes and smiles. I told him I had to go back to my house for bed one evening, ane he whispered into my ear and asked me if he could have a hug before I went to bed. When I told him yes, he jumped into my arms and squeezed me so tight. He wouldn't let go. I held him there on the porch for a l while, and when I told him I had to go again, he only held me tighter. He placed his lips on my cheek and kept giving me kisses. I didn't want to ever let him go.
Joel is another little friend from Tema that I met last year. The moment I saw him, he was all love and smiles. He jumped into my arms and gave me a huge hug. He was just rescued last summer with his older brother Wisdom. Both boys are so special to me. One evening when we were talking about birthdays, I asked Joel when his birthday was. He told me he didn't know. I told him my birthday was July 9th, and that I would love to share my birthday with him. With a big smile and a little laugh, he said he would like to celebrate his birthday with mine. That evening he asked he if I could be his mom, and when I would take him to America. Joel's brother Wisdom wrote me the most beautiful letter and inside the envelope he gave me a plastic heart ring, a bracelet he made, and his most prized possession, a wire cross necklace. I felt so honored that he would think of me and want to give away something that was so special to him. What little he had he so freely gave away. I showed Wisdom that I was wearing his ring and told him that I would always think of him. He just looked at me with his big eyes and smiled real big.
Teiko Florence is another sweet little friend who is from Tema that I met last year. She has grown so much since I saw her last summer. She is now five years old and just wants to be held all the time. She never had a childhood because she was sold into slavery and was resuced when she was only four years old. Now she doesn't want you to ever put her down. All the love, affection, and nurturing she never received, she cannot get enough of it now. She just wants to curl up in your arms and be held. When TAL found Teiko she was a domestic slave. She was covered in ash from head to toe and her old shirt was the color of her dark skin. Teiko loves laying in my lap during church and always falls asleep in my arms. Teiko with her huge beautiful dark eyes looked into my eyes and asked me to be her mommy and take her home with me. I would love to be her mommy and give her the love she has missed out on and longs so much for.
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