All but one of the team has left. Yesterday most of the group left for home so Friday night was our final evening all in the village together. We enjoyed music and dancing and a wonderful meal. Then we built a small fire and had our final reflection. This is time when everyone can speak about their experience and share their favorite moments. For some reason this teams reflection lasted much longer than others. It has been an incredible two weeks. Without this team we would have never accomplished what we did. The group dynamic was amazing and the way we were all able to share ideas and solve problems was like magic. Everyone coming together with different perspectives, different ideas. A group with a wide age range, but a group that seemed to all understand each other. I’ve thought about how I can put into words all that happened and it would be impossible. Each year this experience seems to get better and have a greater impact on the community here in Malawi and on us as individuals.
Our goodbyes Saturday morning were difficult. You could feel the tears brewing beneath the surface. We all kept a brave face though knowing that we will be together again someday. I will work on writing more about the ending of this journey and about both trips and what each accomplished.
This morning Phil left and tomorrow Jan will also fly off to her next destination. Having people leave at different times prolongs the goodbye and the finality of this experience. This morning I woke up feeling sad and I know over the next few days there will be a lot to sort out. Not just sorting out our work here before I leave for home, but also sorting out how this year has changed us all. I feel the organization is also changing. All for the better and for good.