Lest we forget

We're wrapping up our time here. It's just a matter of days. We're slowly saying, "Thank you. Maybe our paths will cross again."

Hard battles were fought here. We cried and we laughed here. We celebrated and we mourned. The beauty of the world revealed itself to us, and other times we were shaken to the core. 

We're obviously very excited to be heading home. There's no doubt about that. But sometimes, for a brief moment, I think about all of the little ones that didn't make it this far. 

The fallen ones 💗

Somehow Arabella dodged bullet after bullet. She was saved over and over again.

We've witnessed all kinds of tragedies here, and we've talked to a lot of people going through difficult situations. It's not exactly easy moving on from that so quickly. 

Everything is bittersweet in this place - you see it everywhere you go. You live it and breathe it for six months, and suddenly they tell you it's time to go?

We're leaving a battlefield. That's what it feels like. 

They tell us, "You'll be discharged! We're shipping you home! Isn't that great?"

We should be enthusiastic, I know. It's all so exciting. 

"But what about the friends we've lost?" I think to myself. "Who will honour them?" 

Well, I guess we have an obligation to honour them. We'll honour them by loving this little girl unconditionally. We won't take anything for granted. We'll live free and wholeheartedly, and we'll never forget.