Onesies, Crayons and SHOES!

Onesies, Crayons and SHOES!

With our surgical days complete the rhythm of the trip changes.  We started our day with physical therapy with our patients, walking with them around the floor, doing exercises and chatting and smiling with them.

At the same time the warehouse team and other WOGO team members work together packing materials to ship home.  This is quite a bit of work making sure that all of our instruments make it home safely.

In the morning, while much of the team was working on PT and packing, about 15 team members joined Rose Mutombo to visit the Maternity Home to bring onesies, baby blankets and towels to the new Mommies and babies there.  More than 400 babies are born at this location each month.  The Mommies were so excited to get their care packages.  They sang a song for our team.  Mommies and babies were cooed over and admired. Sharing a snack and the special moment made the morning a special one.

Then the entire team along with the Mutombo family loaded up for a hour drive outside of Kinshasa to visit the Pediatria di Kimbondo orphanage.  More than 500 children, ages from newborn to 19 live at Kimbondo.

The children were VERY excited to see all of these visitors.  DMF delivered huge sacks of grains and food for the location, Soles4Souls brought shoes to the children, and the WOGO team members brought basketballs, soccer balls, soccer goals and jerseys, coloring books and crayons for the young residents. 

The children sang for us and then the controlled chaos of a  shoe distribution to 500 children commenced.  What fun!  The entire WOGO team jumped right in and it was all hands on deck.  There is nothing like connected with a person when you give them shoes.  Touching them, helping them try on shoes and making sure that they fit.  Making a human connection.  We get so much out of doing a shoe distribution, it is a feeling that stays with you for a long time.

We saw so many sites on our drive to and from the orphanage, from goats riding on the roofs of cars, and people shopping for fruits and vegetables.  Streets teeming with people and items.  New smells and sights we will never forget.

We had a joyful day of giving.  The WOGO team has a big heart that they are willing to share.