One of My Favorite Places/People

This is one of my Ugandan moms, one of the women who have "raised" me here in Uganda. By raised, I mean helped to teach me how to survive here: how to fetch water, how to light a charcoal stove, how to cook local foods, what is safe and what is not, culture, etc.
Of all the women in the slum, this particular one has taken me in as her child. She's even got her church and friends convinced that I'm really hers. They now call her "Mama Mzungu"!
Her children are some of my closest friends in Uganda (my brother and sister) and on most evenings I can be found at her house.
I've asked myself what makes her home one of my favorite places and the answer I always come up with is that for me it is a place where I feel at home, feel loved, and feel peace.
Although the home is small, just two rooms, with no electricity,water, or toilet, I love being there. We can sit there in the dark up to all hours of the night talking, laughing, praying, just enjoying each other's company.
Another question: How do we enjoy being in each other's company so much when we can barely speak the same language? Answer: Actions speak much more loudly than words. We have to work harder at our relationship than if we were just throwing words around in conversation. This having to work harder through our actions has resulted in a much stronger bond.
This is a woman that has seen me through both my best and worst times in Uganda. She's seen me praising God for my work permit going through. She's seen me excited over starting a school. She's been there when my heart was broken. She's seen me angry,frustrated and disappointed and has been a godly rock through it all. She's seen the laughter and been there to celebrate with me. She's seen the tears and been there to give advice and put the pieces back together again.
I am so appreciative of the care that she has shown me. Whatever little she has, it is always shared. I'm daily sent home with fresh fruit and if for some reason she hasn't seen me in a couple of days, her children are sent to bring me home so that she can see that I'm getting a good, hot meal!
God always seems to know how to fill those empty spaces in our lives. I have more moms at times than I know what to do with. This one in particular has filled a mom void in so many ways that she will probably not ever know. I only wish that I had the words to express my gratitude to her.