For JoDee

3:00 am Monday

I woke up and quietly said “Are you up?”Jane answered “yes” We tried to fall back asleep but couldn’t.We got up, and climbed into a warm shower.We commented to each other on how easy it was to get clean and I thought about the bucket and picture that had been our bath for the past weeks.Shaved, and went to my closet and flipped a switch and noticed how instantaneously the light responded.I picked through my neatly folded stacks of clean laundry and thought about my new friends and cried for a moment.I ironed my shirt put it on and wrapped a freshly washed red plaid scarf around my neck and remembered the old man on the street I bought it from.I can recall thinking that I might have over paid for it, now it is price-less to me.And I cried again.I gathered my things for work, my camera, the back up of the pictures I took, and my new bicycle seat, a gift from Jane.And with a kiss I was out the door and off to work.Driving into work the road was quiet.I didn’t use my horn once.I thought about the motor rickshaw rides into our village and the faces that greeted us upon our arrival and I cried again.I stopped off at Maverick for a morning hot chocolate and the machine was out of order.It felt a little bit like India and I chuckled.Climbed back into my car with a new bag of jerky and cried again.I’ve gone through the two weeks worth of emails sitting in my in box and re-read a bunch of the posts the kids made from India.I looked at the “just one picture” pictures saw the faces of our teens and the faces of the children and cried again.

I am sorry that I do not have the ability to better share what I am feeling and help you to understand why simply flipping on a light or a putting on a red plaid scarf will bring me to tears. Just know that when I began this journey so many months ago I was told that I would fall in love with my village, with my teens, with the people of India and with the children we taught.I had no idea I would fall so far and so hard.

Thank you JoDee. Thank you Robert. Thank you Eden

All our love,

Jeff and Jane

2 Responses to “For JoDee”

1. Eden MaRee, on December 5th, 2011 at 12:25 am Said:

   We are honored to share our second home with you. Thanks for being such an amazing asset to our team! I can't believe there was ever a time with out the Cobabe's!

2. JoDee, on December 5th, 2011 at 7:54 am Said:

   Thanks for the gift. It was priceless! You guys are awesome!