Farewells

I sadly say goodbye to all I meet. To those who encouraged and supported me. And to those who are glad to see this pushy white lady LEAVE US ALONE!
To the kids at Champions for Jesus weekly after-school club, who accepted me at face value and let me play, learn, and pray with them.
To the blessed lady who was my first computer student and became my friend.
To my neighbors who shared 19 months of their lives (and sometimes local food delicacies!) with me.
To the church that provided tangible meaningful work while I waited for sponsors to acknowledge my arrival, was generous with appreciation, and provided my spiritual base.
To shopkeepers who consistently filled my ice cream cravings and more than once provided scarce groceries from their private cache.
To the shopkeeper who loaned me a bucket in the early weeks when I lived in a house empty of necessities.
To the Handicraft Center's employees, neighbors, and supporters.
To hen Georgie and grand-chick Pico who moved, coop and all, to a lovely new home.
To kitten JoJo, who spent one night in her new home and then escaped.
To the beautiful Caribbean and endless beaches.

I was downright depressed to pull apart the home we had worked so hard to improve and fill to livability - so well that some jealously judged it "too nice" for a Volunteer residence. But then endings are not fun for me in the best of circumstances.
Completing my Close of Service report forced me to face and enumerate all the things I tried that did not work.


My regrets put me in a funk for so many days that hubby kindly requested that I pull out of it before I dragged him down with me.