My Little Extrovert

On this trip, it has been the greatest gift to have a child who is quick to warm up and befriend. As we leave the school ministry, children will crowd around us on our way to the car, touching her skin and hair, while she smiles and waves. In different orphanages, she's friendly and engaged, joining in immediately in play. When meeting locals, she shares toys, gives high fives, and dances around the room.

Charlotte Pear is hard for me to parent some days. She's full-time dramatic and honestly, often exasperating, but God gives good gifts, and her outgoing and friendly personality on this trip has certainly been one of them.

This trip was also hard for her. We've had lots of honest conversations and difficult questions. She knew the definition of orphan before we came to South Africa, but all of the orphans she knew personally had been adopted already. Here in Africa, she's met orphans who don't have families and live in hard situations. One evening she broke down sobbing, gasping for breath, telling Matt and I that she doesn't want us to die or leave her alone. Such real fear and sadness, inspired by children she'd spent time playing with.

That was a hard parenting moment, as we held her and loved on her, assuring her verbally that we were staying, and she was safe.

These hard conversations ended up being some of my favorite moments of our trip, as I saw that she was learning that some people's stories are harder or sadder than her own.

In the end, we also talked to her about the aunt and uncle and cousins she and Portia will live with if we do die. We answered her questions and talked about how she could bring her own bed and have a new bedroom over there, always surrounded by loving family and friends. We can't promise her that everything will always be exactly (perfect, essentially) the way that it is now, but we were able to assure her of our big love, a reflection of God's never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love.