What's up?

Well as we continue to be here our days can sometimes be the same. The experiences aren't but it becomes something that you don't think others want to hear about. Therefore, not many blogs about what has been going on. So I feel as though you should get to hear some of the things that have been going on. Below are some things that have happened over the last couple of weeks.

Oct 31st - yeah we had a bonfire out back and roasted marshmellows roasted pumpkin seeds and sang songs. Earlier in the week we bought pumpkins and carved them. Pumpkins are green on the outside here so it wasn't perfect. The carving, roasting, and fire all got us strange looks from the staff.

During the early part of the month I have had the opportunity to speak a little more. Getting the chance to lead the preparations with the boys in secondary school, and leading the Bible studies at the boy’s home have been great. It has really helped me see that God has renewed passion to teach His word to youth in the US. It has also been interesting to see how well they respond to what I have to say. It is cool to have God speak through me. One of my favorite days was the first study we did at the boy’s home on who Jesus is. The questions were coming from everywhere and God continued to give me the words.

Nov 7th – we had the chance to go to tutor at the discipleship house. That night I had the chance to sit and talk with Ronald. He gave me his story which you have read, and I gave him mine. We were so in to sharing that we missed dinner with the rest of them. Since two of the boys had just celebrated their birthdays and I had one the next day, we had a plate of cookies with candles. I also had to use the bathroom in a plastic bag as we arrived at the house before them and my stomach could not wait. The alley by their house only leads to the front doors of other houses. Since everything was concrete, I could not do the Uganda thing and just squat and leave it cuz it would have been obvious. So, I found a plastic bag and went back by what I thought was an old out house in the corner of the alley. I held it as close to my bottom as possible, after finishing most of my business I realized I was facing where anyone who came out of their door would see me, and as I arranged myself again the door to the outhouse came open. It was a present outhouse. So I went in and finished up, which I should have done in the first place. 

Nov 8 – I celebrated my birthday by going to visit two schools. The first one was in Katonte. I had been here once before. Both of the other Abaana staff had work they needed to accomplish so I wondered around and into classrooms. I have become quite good at walking into the rooms and communicating with them almost exclusively with my actions and expressions. This was necessary as both schools did not speak Lugandan of which I have learned a little. We were having so much fun in the p4 class that the teacher from another room had to come over and tell the class to quiet down. I loved it. Next we drove to Busia. Busia is on the border with Kenya. I mean on the order. Half the kids live in one country and half the other. The road we drove on IS the border, so I got out and walked into Kenya to have a picture taken. The time here was also great as I made my way from room to room during their lunch break, and sometimes I would chase the kids outside. However my favorite moment, and perhaps my favorite moment at any school so far was hearing one of the classes sing. I recognized the hymn and so I got up and went to the classroom. There was no teacher but the kids were just sitting there praising God. They smiled at me as I walked in and started to sing with them. It always gets them excited. When that song was over, they started another. We sand three or four worship songs and I could just feel God’s spirit descending on that room. Then we sang a song that requires you to dance and sing by yourself. Oh yeah it was a hit and I had the kiddos laughing and dancing until we were all sweating. What a holy moment!

Nov 10th- Ryan and I went to the Mabira Forest Reserve to do some hiking and get out on our day off. It was nice to go out on our own about an hour and a half from the house. We are becoming big boys. The reserve is the largest protected forest in central Uganda. We went to explore the rain forest and of course see monkeys. It was nice to hike around and we did spend a lot of time watching the monkeys and enjoying their movements through the trees. We did have one of those National Geographic moments as we were hiking. We came around one of the corners on the trail by a stream, and there in the middle was an old man naked and bathing. He was so dark it was hard to even see him. His machete was lying beside his clothes so we decided we would not document it. I don’t think he was bothered by us one bit and we are pretty used to nudity at this point as well.

I was invited by one of the 2 of the guys at Calvary Chapel to come and join them on Sunday morning to visit another center in town for street boys. They go each week and give a lesson to the boys who stay there. So I went the first week to go and give the lesson. The house or compound is a drop in center for Retract Uganda. I learned about how the program worked and was amazed at the organization of it. This exactly what Calvary, Abaana, and Tomorrow’s Heroes would like to set up together. The boys were all very well behaved as most of them are on a life course to go back home. It was such a pleasure to speak to them about Moses and running away from our mistakes. The boys have such a joy it was contagious. I liked it so much I told those who invited me that I would love to come every week and get into the regular rotation of speaking. Since it is early in the morning on Sundays I could still come once we start camps. They loved the idea and so I spoke again this week about how God calls us and uses us despite our pasts just like Moses. It is great to watch their faces light up when you connect with them.

Nov 15th – Ryan and I had the opportunity to go with the Abaana staff to visit another boy’s home in our neighborhood. Don Basco has 210 street boys who live there. This was by far the best run system and home we have seen. They have 12 acres of land and use it all to help rehabilitate the boys. It was exciting to go around with the Abaana staff and hear them start to dream about how to improve our own boy’s home. They agreed to met with me and whoever else to make up a plan of how to go forward with the New Life Homes in the future. I have already started on my own research to figure out how to make some of it come true!

I have had the opportunity to meet with the youth pastor at Calvary when the others go to tutor some of the boys from the street during the week. We have been talking about how to speak to youth and what are keys to building relationships with them. His name is Andrew as well. I love talking with him and I feel so humbled as he gets so excited to learn from me.

Nov 21st – the security guards were put in charge of fill a ten foot deep 8 foot diameter hole that is in the ground near the front gate. When we got back from being out that day I jumped at the opportunity to go and do some manual labor. However, I am out of shape. It took 5 minutes of swinging the pick and the hoe to rip a blister across my hand. No matter, I just became the guy who would transport the dirt in the wheelbarrow. It was such a blessing to work with Isaac and Alfred. They were so surprised and happy to have me out there. We were able to talk about a lot of things which I won’t go into. Funny how the simple things can be so meaningful.

So there is some of what has been going on – include feeling God’s presence as we live and work alongside these boys on the streets and in the homes. There is a lot of love here and I will miss my friends on the street as we take a break to do camps across the country. However I am excited about the new opportunities and friends we will make there.

Where heaven and earth meet?

I like to touch. It is one of my favorite senses. More importantly, I like to hug. I learned that from my Mom. Unfortunately, I don't know if hugging is acceptable here as apart of the culture. So I don't hug, at least not those who get them from other places. I have started hugging the boys on the street. I'm not sure how many of them have ever been hugged, but they sure seem to like it. They aren't the only ones. They aren't as quick to let go as most Americans. I don't want to let go either. Is it because they have shown me so much? I don't know. Maybe it's because I miss them. Maybe it's the smile I get from them when we let go. Maybe it is something deeper. Earlier today I was listening to a sermon online. They were talking about the "thin" places where heaven and earth meet. Hugging the boys on the street is one of those "thin" places for me. I don't notice the dirt on them, the unbelievable smells that come off of them, or their past or present. I only notice the love. IT WOULD BE WRONG TO PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE THINGS. BECAUSE IT IS AT THOSE MOMENTS THAT GOD DOES THE SAME FOR ME. He allows me to hold him. He doesn't notice how dirty I am, or that I stink of sin. He doesn't care about my past. He simply wants to embrace, to love. It is such a wonderful experience to come in contact with heaven each day. I only pray those boys feel God's embrace through me too. Go hug someone! It might just bring them in contact with someone greater than you both.

A picture of redemption

I want to paint you a picture. Obviously, I don’t have a brush, and I’m not the greatest writer, but I want to still help you see this story. It is of my friend Ronald. I wrote about him earlier as one of the boys at the disciple house. However, being the old man I am and having things slip my mind, I named him Robert in that post. Correct names and all, Ronald has given me permission to tell people his story. So let’s get to painting.
Ronald was born in Kampala, and was raised in a home. At some point, he doesn’t remember when, his Mother and Father were separated and his Father remarried. Ronald had all the opportunities a child here could want. He was enrolled in school and did very well. However, around the age of 10, Ronald, in his own words, became a “bad guy.” He found himself getting involved with doing opium. This became a regular habit for him. His desire to be educated disappeared, and everything he had been taught growing up soon followed. He became very disobedient to the teachers and to his fellow classmates. He continued to buy opium each day with the money his mother would give him for lunch. Soon Ronald began to skip class and just go and do drugs each day. Finally, when he was 12 he was kicked out of school.
His mother was not ready to give up on him yet, and she enrolled him in a new school. However, Ronald’s problems and habits continued. He recalls, “I would go and skip class every day. I would just go and do opium with the older boys. When it was time for report cards, I made one up and took it home for my mom to sign. She never knew I wasn’t going.” Finally though, he was caught and was kicked out of the school he didn’t really attend. Again his mother would not give up on him. She talked to his Father who was now remarried and asked for help. Ronald’s father was able to pay for him to be sent to boarding school. He says, “My mom was always praying for me too. She was a Christian and tried to give me that but I didn’t want God.”
It was a new school, but the same old story for Ronald. He says he was the worst behaved kid at school. He didn’t want to learn. He didn’t want to do anything. So, he would cut holes in the boarding school fence and would run away. As you can imagine, he was finally caught and kicked out. When he arrived home his mother told him, “I can’t deal with this anymore and I can’t pay for you. You need to go to your father’s house.” Off he went to his father’s home but his new wife would not let him in. His father was supporting the 13 children he had and it had caused him to lose his job and forced the family into poverty. So, they told him to go back to his mother’s house.
Since Ronald had nowhere to go, he hit the streets in 2008. He thought things would be OK because he wouldn’t have to do anything. Life would be the way he wanted. No school and no rules. Ronald says, “Life became very hard on the streets.” He did his best to survive. “I dug around through the trash, and I had nowhere to sleep. It would get so cold at night.” Ronald is not a very big guy. He is probably 5 foot 5 and 125 pounds. At night the bigger boys would come and beat him up and take anything he had. Ronald hated the streets.
One day he was approached and told about a street reach where he could get food. He started going regularly and met some people who really cared for him. “I met Auntie Erin. She would just sit and talk to me about God as long as I wanted. Eventually, I gave my life to Christ. It wouldn’t have happened without her.” Giving his life to Christ didn’t make everything easier. He was still living on the streets, but he at least had hope. Ronald soon got a job from one of the other street boys. “We can sweep out taxis and they will pay us. That is what my friend told me. It was my first job.” So for 200 shillings (8 cents) they would sweep out taxis at the end of the day. Being at the taxi park helped get him another source of income by carry luggage for people. As Ronald continued to earn money he saved enough to become a street seller. Street sellers walk around the taxi park or have their own box and table where they sell goods. “I tried selling all sorts of things, apples, flowers, and toilet paper. Eventually I made friends with a restaurant owner. He would let me sleep in the storage shed out back with the bags of supplies. It was the only time I really ever slept on the streets, because he would lock me in and I was out of the cold a little.”
However, it was another change that was more important. “I really started to pray and I started going to church at Calvary Chapel. I met Uncle Derrick and Aunt Ruth. They opened up the Bible and started teaching me more about it.” Ronald ate it up. He developed a strong appetite for the word of God. He attended church regularly and started volunteering on Sundays. Last December Derrick offered Ronald a spot in Calvary Chapel’s Discipleship House. “I thought it over for about a month and then decided to do it.”
Now he lives with his 5 brothers in Christ and two uncles who help him study the Word of God. “I go to school and love it. I don’t do drugs. I even get sick at the smell of them. I want to be and engineer,” he says with a huge smile on his face. I ask him, “Ronald can I tell others about your story?” He gets a shy grin on his face and gives me a nod. “Is there anything you would want me to tell others about you?” I ask. He says, “Yeah, tell them that God has used my mistakes to mold and shape me into the person I am today.” Ronald is excelling in school. 2 weeks ago he celebrated his 19th birthday. He volunteers with street kids on Saturdays and assists in Sunday school for the boys on Sundays.
It’s true that you don’t have to come to Uganda to find a story like this. These stories happen out of our sight all around the world. You may even have one similar yourself. The cool thing is that God is still into redemption. It isn’t something he quit. Maybe you still need to be redeemed. Maybe God is wanting to use your mistakes to mold you into a new creation. I know he has with my friend.

"A Full Man"

I want you to hear about my friend A. He is one of the boys at the New Life Homes. A can be found wearing the same thing most days, sandals, shorts (usually black) and a soccer jersey. God has given him a very large mouth (I don’t mean he talks a lot just the size of it) to hold the huge smile he has from ear to ear all the time. He is shy and constantly tries to hide when he smiles and gets embarrassed. A is larger than most of the other boys and is looked up to by them. His most prized possession is a radio he carries with him everywhere, usually it’s tuned to some soccer game. Katie and Mallory love telling us how much his English has improved this year and how impressed they are with him.

Like all the boys at the home, life has not been easy for A. Some of the story is sad to hear and you have to ask him are you sure that is what he meant to say. But it ends with such beauty and it keeps getting more beautiful. A grew up in one of the villages outside of Jinja. He, like many of the kids here, was abused and beaten while he was living at home. One of his friends was homeless and he seemed to be doing alright. So, one day he put a seed in A’s mind. He told him, “You are being beaten and life is not good, why don’t you just come with me to the streets.” After thinking about it A decided to go with his friend. However, A found that life on the street was not what he wanted. His friend would steal from others to get what he needed and A didn’t like that. Eventually his friend was caught and taken to jail. A knew this was not the way he wanted to live so he went back home.

Unfortunately, he didn’t come home to a welcoming family full of forgiveness. His father told him, “I wanted you to become a full man, to grow up by now, but you haven’t. Get out of here!” A didn’t really know what to do. In the end he decided he would try to get to Kampala. A said, “It took me two weeks of walking. When the sun came up I walked, and when it went down, I slept on the side of the road until it came up again.” Finally he had made it to Kampala to fight it out on the streets as an 11 or 12 year old. Life was not fun on the streets at all. A recalls hating the life and wishing for something better.

In 2007 things got worse. The queen of England was coming to Uganda for some meetings. In order to make Kampala look nice the government tried to “get rid” of their problem with street children. The police were out all the time looking to capture them. This meant no rest and constantly being chased at night. Those who were caught were shipped to holding camps outside the city. However as the visit date grew closer the government got more desperate. The street kids that were caught were put in jail until all of the jails were full. “When the jails were full they would just throw them in the sea.” Katie quickly came back and said “What? What do you mean they threw them in the sea?” A told us that they simply rounded up the street kids, forced them into boats, took them out into Lake Victoria, and threw them in to drown. Now, I am not sure whether this was true or not. They say perception is reality and it is for sure that is what the street boys believed was happening. Many things can happen around here that don’t make sense and I believe this could have very well gone on because people don’t care about the boys on the street. Either way, it was during this great time of fear that A met someone who could help. Within two weeks of meeting them A found himself removed from the streets.

Now he is full of smiles and a huge love for God. He loves to sing and lead worship. He loves to dance. He is a leader among a group of boys who have been saved. No, literally, they have been saved, pulled out of certain death physically and spiritually. A says he remembers praying a lot while he was on the streets asking God to help. He smiles and lets us know that God answers prayers. Last week A took his national exams to leave primary school. This is a huge deal. A no doubt passed and will be heading to a secondary school next year as he continues to work towards his goal. “I want to be a lawyer. Because I see things happen to innocent people and I want someone to stop it from happening.” A has seen his fair share of innocent people suffer. His is one of those stories. Now he stands tall redeemed by the grace of God. He sings songs of redemption and praise. He smiles because the glory of God fills his life and overflows.

After he finished his story I looked over at A and said, “Your dad was wrong. You are a full man now. You have become one.” A just leaned back, tried to hide is face in embarrassment, and smiled. He told us that in the next month he is going back to the village to visit his Dad. He doesn’t know if he is still there because it has been many years since A left. But he hopes to see him. I hope his dad sees the man he has become. I know his heavenly Father sees him, and he smiles!