A day at the Zoo

Tuesday was the last day I will see the Anderson family until....I have no idea when. It was their last day in the States, they've been here since June 28th. Conveniently, Denise flew into Philadelphia on Tuesday morning at 6am (that part, not so convenient) from a conference in New Hampshire that she had been at. I met her, her parents and two of my favorite girls downtown for the day. Denise attempted to take a more historical route when it came to choosing an activity for the day. She tried to talk up the Liberty Bell, Constitution Center and Independence Hall to her twelve and nine year old. Morgyn said "The Liberty Bell, what's the Liberty Bell, is it just a big bell you look at?" Yes, pretty much that's what it is. We knew after that comment we were headed into a day full of "Are we done yet?" "Can we go home?" "I'm hot." "I'm hungry." "I'm bored." As much fun as that all sounded, we skipped the historical, educational idea. We went to the Zoo. Yes, it was 95 degrees and we walked around the zoo. Good thing 1/2 of us live in the Caribbean and could tolerate the heat. And, I shouldn't say it wasn't educational. We did learn a few things: 1.) Don't go to the zoo when it is 95 degrees outside 2.) The heat makes some the animals smell WAY worse and 3.) the Philadelphia Zoo is WAY better than the lame zoo in Santo Domingo (according to Mak)

Morgyn LOVES to take pictures. I always give her my camera to use. She's 9 and likes to carry it as a "camera purse." It's been knocked into it's fair share of walls and cars, and since there are few carpeted surfaces in the Caribbean, it has also met it's fair share of tile floors. Morgyn is actually a pretty good photographer, when her subjects cooperate. Tuesday was not one of those days. I now am the proud owner of alot of pictures of the backs of animals. Just when she would go to take the pictures the zebra, or the rhino, of the giraffe, or the elephant, or the leopard, or the lion, or the tiger, or the turtle would turn it's back on her. She would say "Oh well, it's a good picture of the back!" That's certainly looking on the bright side!

That evening, Denise, Makenzie and Morgyn had dinner with Carlos de Mayo and his family. I wasn't able to be with them, but I heard that both girls came running to him yelling "Carlos de Mayo" and each fought to sit next to him at the retaurant. Kim finally got to meet them and I was so happy about that, as was she. I talk about Denise alot and fully understand the impact she has had on all of this. So, when she meets others close to me and to Be the Change, they can see what I am talking about! Kim said they were easy to love and that they are.

After a long day, it was time to say goodbye. The zoo isn't exactly the best place for a teary goodbye, but we made the most of it. After exchanging hugs and "I Love You's" they went their way and I went mine. This is the first time I have had to say goodbye to them without being pretty sure I would see them again soon. One thing I have realized about missionaries though, is that they are good at saying goodbye, likely because they do it often. They constantly have to say goodbye to family, to teams who come down to work, to other's they meet along this incredible journey. But, they also have an amazing perspective on the world. Denise always says, "the Caribbean isn't that far, it's not like we live in Africa, or India." Of course, that statement usually comes after I tell her I am just not ready to move...yet.