Always Watching

"Auntie Mel why are you doing that?"

I looked over from the bathroom mirror to see Christine's head cocked to the side analyzing what I was doing while holding her tooth brush and tooth paste in one hand. I couldn't help but smile at her puzzled face and looked back at myself in the mirror. I had dotted lotion all over my face, ready to smear it in. 

" I do this so I can spread my lotion on my face evenly. It's easier to spread it all over this way."

I saw the wheels turning as she thought through what I had said. "Oh" was her response than she walked away. 

Later on  during tour I had Christine again and went to check on her and the the other girls getting ready. Running late and trying to get them out to the breakfast table before we left to the church. I looked at Christine and smiled. The young girl had dotted lotion all over her face. 

"Christine what are you doing?"

"Dotting my lotion, it spreads easier." She stated back to me as a matter of fact. 

I gave them a five minute warning and left.

When I was a little girl I remember one of my favorite things to do was watch my mom do her makeup for the day. I would watch in wonder at how she would put dots of foundation all over her face then rub it in, carefully making sure it was even. She was so exact at how to do the blush, eye shadow, eye liner and lipstick. I would ask questions and she would answer each one patiently. How I couldn't wait to do the same things.

I thought about Christine and how she had changed how she put her lotion on when I got back to my room.It was a real eye opener to be careful with what I did because I had 18 sets of young eyes watching me. I am not their birth mom, but I was left in charge with 9 other chaperones to watch and guide these 18 kids. How I reacted, what I said, how I dressed, who I was would influence them.Whether it be good or bad. They were watching. 

                                  Christine and I goofing around in a Cinderella Carriage in Montana

                               Ephrance, Christine and I goofing around one night after a concert. 

Worth a Thousand Words

One day while I was in Northern Ireland I decided to go out and explore by myself. It was very rare to have a moment alone. The kids were busy with napping, set up was done. Everyone seemed to just go their own way. So I decided to do the same.

I remembered another beautiful church when we came into this little town and wanted to take a picture of it. So I decided to go off searching for it. It wasn't hard to find, being a small town. It was in the middle of the cobblestone town square. When it came into view I stopped and just marveled at it. So overwhelmed by the beauty of the church, the cobblestone street I failed to do one thing.... Watch my footing.

As I went to walk forward to take the picture I failed to realize the side walk had come to an end and walked off it, loosing my footing and falling in the middle of the cobblestone stone street on my hands and knees. Utterly embarrassed I awkwardly stood up, face red and in pain. I  dared a glance around my surrounding hoping no one saw. 

"Are you alright miss?!" Yelled a man from a bench next to a tree in the town square. Humiliation! Face red, I've been caught! "Uh yes!" Was all I could muster out while I made my retreat, first pausing to take the picture of the church. I was already there and dedicated. As I walked up the hill back in retreat with wet knees, bleeding palms and sore knees I shook my head. But was not defeated... I got my pic.

                                                     

Time to start

Home. I can not believe I have been home for almost 3 months. It feels so surreal. Looking back over the last 13 months on tour with The African Children's Choir I can't believe it's over. How fast it went by. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and think to myself, "right, time to get the kids up and ready to meet at the church with the others." Than I remember, the kids are back in Uganda and I'm home. No more rushing the kids to get ready, no more bracing myself for the unknow of what was to come. Where are my 18 hugs I get every morning!

Everything reminds me of the kids! Stories are constantly popping into my head of different times on tour. I know before I left with the choir I promised to keep y'all posted through a blog. Well little did I know how insanely busy tour would actually be! But now that I am home and have time, I think I shall share stories about the adventures of tour. 

So here is the first story...

This is a present from a boy named Trevor. Trevor sat behind me on the bus for the first part of tour, then infront the last part. One day when we were heading to a huge concert in Cardiff, Wales Trevor turns to me and asked what my favorite food was. A fruit bar? Bag of chips? Were the two options. I told him a fruit bar, though I'm not really a fan of either. Two minutes later I heard him say "auntie look over there!" He pointed behind me and I looked. Nothing was there and I heard a thud on my seat. Looking down at my seat I found this. Joshua (the other boy who sat in front of me) had been joking with me all day and Trevor wanted to make sure I knew and that they both love me. ❤️

                                             Joshua( with the gloves in hat) Trevor in the white