Meeting Regina

Hello there lovelies,

It’s been awhile. I couldn’t let this opportunity pass, however, to catch everyone up on the most amazing experience meeting my dear, dear friend from World Pulse, in the flesh on Saturday, May 17. As soon as I realized my husband and I were set to go to England for his dad’s funeral, I knew that I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to meet with her and her family. Such a serendipitous occasion. We decided to meet about half way between Reading (where Regina and her family reside) and Bristol, where we were staying. I couldn’t stop staring at her and saying, “I can’t believe it’s real.”

Even though we were only able to spend a few, scant hours together, our meeting will be forever ingrained in my memory. Even now it’s making me emotional because it was such an amazing opportunity and meeting. We shared some gifts. She had some lovely, Cameroonian tops and handmade earrings to match (see below), saying she knew that someday we would meet, so she kept them for us.😊 Then we shared some moments on a park bench near Salisbury cathedral together along with her sister, Vera, who is equally as lovely as Regina, about what transpired for her in Cameroon and since she’s been in the UK, while her children were snacking on the lawn in front of us. Then, we went to a couple of local charity shops, had some ice cream and briefly visited a local festival where Regina was showing off some of her dancing skills and lovely energy. 

You can probably see the joy that was mutually felt when we finally met after knowing each other about five years. She joined the platform on February 12, 2020, so about four years after I joined, but the connection was instant. She did always tell me about how amazing I was, so how could I refuse her admiration and compliments.😊 Her organization, AEDVP, which she hasn’t been able to work on since she left Cameroon, became a Liluye, partner, too. She had been doing amazing work for those with disabilities and those most marginalized in Bamenda. Regina hasn’t been on the platform in awhile now due to personal circumstances, though. Through sheer determination, she was able to forge a new life for herself and now her children have joined her Reading, England. If anyone knows dear Regina, they can attest to her one-of-a-kind effusive energy and disposition. She’s almost always so positive and grateful. I hope to meet them all again soon, quite possibly next summer when it’s my mother-in-law’s 90th birthday in Bristol. It would be awesome to meet her other three sisters that also live in the UK. I’m very much looking forward to meeting her and her family again. I wish her so much success and love in her life. 

Thanks for reading my story!😊

Jill

From left to right: Craig, Perez, me, Regina, and Therese.