Where the Heart Is

For the first time in three weeks, every member of our little family is safely tucked under the same roof. Scott rolled into Birmingham at a quarter till seven, not a minute too soon! Vivian and I were perched anxiously on the couch like two hungry vultures. Watched pots never boil and stared down asphalt never produces a car. Nevertheless, I wanted to make sure I saw his headlights the minute the shone on the street.

Vivian's joy and surprise at Scott's homecoming were adorable. Her little face lit up like the sun when she saw her daddy's truck pull in the driveway. I think she had suspected my promises of his arrival were empty. She wouldn't stop hugging him, laughing and saying "I love you." Perhaps the best thing about being apart for so long, is the extreme delight in being reunited.

Our house is quiet now. I think it will be a week before I see my husband awake past eight o'clock at night. Jet lag really takes a toll on him. So much is turned around for him-the time, the weather, and which side of the road he's supposed to be driving on! It is going to take a while for him to sort it all out. Thankfully, I've got plenty of patience.

I am rather impatient, though, to tear through his luggage and find where he is storing the packet of letters from the children. He's got bags and bags of crafts and jewelry, but the real treasure lies on those crumpled pieces of paper smashed together in some remote folder. The hands that wrote those words are priceless. However, I'm going to control myself and wait until tomorrow. In my eagerness to feel connected to the kids I would quickly gobble all of their correspondence up. Yet I know that savoring it is the best way to truly appreciate them.

I know Scott is happy to be home and we are happy to have him here. But somehow, I think we both have a hint of sadness in it all. I am sad that he had to leave behind Uganda. I am sad that he had to fly away from Theophilus and Sarah and their family. I know he is too. As Scott said, he was only homesick for me and Viv. Leaving Uganda hurts. If we had been by his side, I know he would have been happy to linger on in the Pearl for many more days.

We love America and appreciate so much about it...but more and more Uganda is home. After all, home is where the heart is. It is where we want to be. Thankfully in three and a half months all three of us will be tucked snugly under some roof in Mutungo, getting ready to awake and begin a new day. Now that will be something!