The day God brought the "mzungu" (white person)...

Written by Sarah Ledford

Hello!  My name is Edith and I'm from Uganda, East Africa.  I am 4 years old and my dream is to be an "American Princess".  I'm telling this story as it was told to me by my adoptive mommy's friend.

My adoptive mommy first came to Uganda in December of 2010.  She came with a small group of mzungus (white people) to visit my orphanage, "Airfield".   I remember the day she stepped through the gate at the orphanage...she motioned for me to come sit with her.  I slowly made my way to her where she was sitting on a sidewalk just outside one of our classrooms.

I melted down in her lap as her welcomed embraced enveloped my entire body.  I couldn't remember ever feeling such love.  I had never met this mzungu before but knew I didn't want to live another day without her.  She sat, gently swaying back and forth, my hands meshed into hers. Her quiet whispers, gentle strokes and winning smile stole my heart.  If my mom were writing this story she would probably say, I stole hers!

We spent many hours with each other as the group of mzungus played with the other children.  However, I noticed the visitors began gathering their belongings and walking towards the gate.  My heart began to race  as I realized the mzungu who had showed me such love and attention, would be leaving with her group.  In  recognizing what was about to take place I felt myself pull away.  Just moments before, I couldn't take my eyes off her...and now I couldn't bear the thought of lifting my head to her.  My heart already ached from the void of her presence, yet I hadn't even left the warmth of her embrace. As my newly found friend was leaving, I sensed her heart was feeling a similar pain, as tears rolled down her cheeks.  My mzungu friend turned to speak with me one last time before she left.  I didn't understand all she tried to communicate but the words my heart clung to were, "I'll be back tomorrow."....

“Tomorrow” came…and I was able to spend many more hours with this mzungu angel.  By the time she left Uganda, we had both fallen in love with one-another. I was left only to dream of a life in America; to dream of a mommy who could pour her love into my soul, which seemed as thirsty as the African soil.

After the mzungu returned to the US she couldn’t stop thinking of me.  She missed me tremendously…and I longed for her arms which had tenderly cradled me. 

(From this point on, the mzungu and her husband will be referred to as “mommy” and”daddy”.)

Mommy returned home from Uganda just 2 weeks before Christmas.  She spent her days looking through  pictures and videos, introducing me to daddy.  She even printed my pictures and placed them all over the house. I think she must have been trying to imagine my presence there in her home.  My daddy grew to love me through the love in which my mommy spoke of me.  She asked daddy if they could adopt me, and on Christmas day my daddy said “yes!”!

While in the process of doing paperwork for my adoption, mommy and daddy learned I had a little brother, “Erik”.  Erik is 2 years old.  Mommy and daddy couldn’t bare the thought of leaving my little brother in Uganda, so not only did they decide to adopt me, but they decided to adopt Erik too!!  Erik and I had been separated for a year.  He’s been with my biological mom and I’ve been at the orphanage. My biological mom couldn’t afford to care for all of us.

Mommy and daddy decided it would be a good idea for Erik and I to be together during our wait for them, so we both went to stay with a man named, “Abby”.  He is our friend and he promised to take good care of us until mommy and daddy could finish our adoption paperwork to bring us to America.

…so now, we wait…we wait…and we wait…