Saying goodbye

Today was our last day on the dig site at Mitaboni. Thankfully it was also the longest amount of time we were able to spend there. There is something so very cathartic for our souls in getting to work alongside the people of Mitaboni. Singing songs and talking to them makes the work a little easier and seeing the difference we were able to make was really astounding. It's amazing to think that we have contributed to giving them clean water which will change the lives of those people we got to know so well.

After the work was finished we all gathered under the tent and had some presentations from Guardians of Hope orphans and other members of the community. These were moving and you got a clear sense of the true thankfulness they had for us coming and working with them. All this paled in comparison to the biggest surprise of the day, as part of the goodbyes they had a naming ceremony for us and we each received Comba names according to how they had seen us and interacted with us on the job site. This was an amazing experience for all of us and really made us feel part of the community. After all the pomp and circumstance we finished the goodbyes in true Comba fashion with a song and dance. I don't think any of us have any rhythm yet but at least now we can sing some Comba songs and pretend pretty well.

Lisa