I used to like to dance. I even knew how. I grew up in Memphis and I think it just kinda came with the territory. My brother may not agree with that, but this little white boy could get down. However, as I grew up, I started dancing less. After an incident my freshman year involving a circle and some serious moves I realized I didn’t know the rules anymore and I hung up my dancing shoes. It was like I took some chains and put them on. It wasn’t as if I quit liking to dance. I still wanted to, but after that I felt like Princess Leia attached to Jabba the Hut, minus the bikini. There were times in my life I wanted to dance and celebrate, but it was if some big, fat force was pulling me back.
While I have been in Uganda we have spent time talking about chains. Most of the time, we talk about the boys being chained up from their past life. Maybe it was a situation at home or maybe it’s their life on the street. They are stuck and they can’t get out, chained up somewhere they don’t want to be and not even sure why. Every time they think they are getting away from their problems they are pulled back. Jabba just won’t let them go.
Truthfully, I was held back by all kinds of chains. It took a long time to realize that I was the one who put the chains on me. That sin in my life was just like Jabba. I was dancing, but it was for the wrong person and it was the wrong dance. Jabba, sin, the devil, whatever you want to call it was keeping me from dancing with freedom.
But, years ago, I was freed from those chains. My savior came and broke me free from them or at least yapped them like R2D2 did. Yet, like many people, I didn’t know what to do with the freedom. I had grown comfortable with the chains because it was what I knew. It is like taking the leash off a dog and watching him stand there because he is expecting to be stopped as soon as he gets his hopes for freedom up.
So I lived restrained in my own mind. One of the things that has become more real to me in my time here is that I am FREE! I can dance through the power of Christ’s love if I want to. Some of the reservations I have had are gone. I read the Bible and I know that power is available to me because Christ freed me. My sin has been demolished. Yes I know that I still fail, but God’s grace is so much bigger. This is not some big revelation. Most of us are completely aware of our chains and that we have been freed from them. The real question is are you still waiting for freedom or do you live as though it has already come? My faith, well, it doesn’t resemble the person waiting to be pulled back anymore. I believe it can be done, whatever it is, because my God is big enough. That is my story.
I wish it were everyone’s. Each day we still struggle to help the boys see that they are not the child on the street. They have been freed. They may live on the street, have lived a life full of shame, and done things to others that we can’t imagine, but that is not their identity. Christ freed them from that on the cross. Some days Jabba’s pull is stronger. They choose to revert to what they know. They would rather not live a redeemed life but one of no responsibility. They would rather struggle with life alone instead of having a dance partner. It’s not easy to walk away. If it were, everyone would do it. Instead we are cautious to run into freedom because we don’t know what will happen. Can we really trust God to do everything He says? I mean He is the maker of the universe. Why is He worried about me and what I do? It can become frustrating and that is just how I feel. I can’t imagine how God feels.
However, I read the end of the book. I know who wins. The force is with us. He will love us until we realize we are free. We don’t have to stay here, there, wherever anymore. God has freed you in Jesus to walk away. In the lyrics of some 80’s song “You can dance if you want to.” It’s true. Dance like David danced. He didn’t have any chains or clothes for that matter. So, whatever your chains WERE, I hope you realize Christ has done what’s needed for them to be gone. I pray you will walk, run, or dance the other way. I pray the boys will do the same and see the new creation they can become. I will choose2B a dancer. My moves aren’t as good as they once were, but they have a lot more passion now. I pray you will do the same, and “May the force be with you!”
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Loss
Loss - That is the way most people would describe this week for me. Saturday, I got an email informing me of some information about the family I was helping in Kigarama. Unfortunately, it was not good information. It led me to have to make the decision to walk away from them. It felt horrible, as though I was having to leave 9 of my friends on their own. However, I place that situation with God and trust His providence.
Sunday afternoon I learned that my oldest nephew had passed away in a car crash Saturday night. I immediately tried to verify what I was reading. Sure enough it was true. My thoughts immediately turned to my family and their pain. I paced around the house trying to find a comfortable place to sit and pray. Although my heart was aching, all I could do was thank God. I had the opportunity to get to know Dylan in a new way over the last two years. We had had the opportunity to write each other several times while I had been here. I had the opportunity to watch him grow and discover who he was in Christ. He reminded me a lot of myself; the rap music, the sports, a ladies man, OK well that was only true for him. I remember when he was young and we were opening presents at Christmas, Dylan opened his traditional package of underwear and cried. I remember the baseball games. I remember games in the yard. I remember arguing over who was better at sports. I remember the moment last year when he told me he was happy I was going back to Africa and how proud he was of the work I was doing. I AM PROUD OF HIM TOO. I know I may have lost his physical presence in my life, but I will always be able to carry on his memories and his spirit.
There is nothing wrong with felling loss or pain. However, there is no reason to let it hold you back. Those chains are not meant to hold us. I think about the disciples who were sitting around after Jesus had risen. They were not headed out, but rather they were sitting in the room with the door locked. Jesus comes through the locked doors though. HE DOESN’T DESIRE US TO BE HELD IN. So I celebrate the life and memory of Dylan. I praise God for the redemption of his life. I PRAISE God for the time we had together. I promise to move forward. Jesus said his leaving would only strengthen the disciples. I pray my losses do the same for me. I pray for all of you who have lost someone close to you. I pray you will throw those chains off, even if it is slowly, and move forward. I don’t know what lies ahead, but I know we weren’t meant to stay.
Sunday afternoon I learned that my oldest nephew had passed away in a car crash Saturday night. I immediately tried to verify what I was reading. Sure enough it was true. My thoughts immediately turned to my family and their pain. I paced around the house trying to find a comfortable place to sit and pray. Although my heart was aching, all I could do was thank God. I had the opportunity to get to know Dylan in a new way over the last two years. We had had the opportunity to write each other several times while I had been here. I had the opportunity to watch him grow and discover who he was in Christ. He reminded me a lot of myself; the rap music, the sports, a ladies man, OK well that was only true for him. I remember when he was young and we were opening presents at Christmas, Dylan opened his traditional package of underwear and cried. I remember the baseball games. I remember games in the yard. I remember arguing over who was better at sports. I remember the moment last year when he told me he was happy I was going back to Africa and how proud he was of the work I was doing. I AM PROUD OF HIM TOO. I know I may have lost his physical presence in my life, but I will always be able to carry on his memories and his spirit.
There is nothing wrong with felling loss or pain. However, there is no reason to let it hold you back. Those chains are not meant to hold us. I think about the disciples who were sitting around after Jesus had risen. They were not headed out, but rather they were sitting in the room with the door locked. Jesus comes through the locked doors though. HE DOESN’T DESIRE US TO BE HELD IN. So I celebrate the life and memory of Dylan. I praise God for the redemption of his life. I PRAISE God for the time we had together. I promise to move forward. Jesus said his leaving would only strengthen the disciples. I pray my losses do the same for me. I pray for all of you who have lost someone close to you. I pray you will throw those chains off, even if it is slowly, and move forward. I don’t know what lies ahead, but I know we weren’t meant to stay.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Before I came here I had not thought too much about the word “HOPE.” However, while I have been here I have thought about it most days. Sometimes it is out of my own volition, but other days it is because people talk about it or the lack of it a lot. 160 days ago, when I arrived, HOPE was hard to see. You may not know, but Uganda is having a power crisis. So the power goes out all the time. And when it does, it is dark. But we always find a light. There is always a source of light, even if it is just a flicker from a candle. Some days we have to fumble around in the dark to find it, but here lately the HOPE of my God has been turning the dark to light. As I sit here in the dark, by the light of the computer, I hear the song I’m listening to say “Bless the Lord, O my soul. O my soul. Worship His holy name. Sing like never before,
O my soul. I will worship your holy name.” My soul needs to my dance!
As you sit and read this you may not feel the same way. You might be in a very dark place. Our world is full of darkness, because it is fallen. So you would not be alone in those feelings. For the past 5 and a half months I have been “living in a land of the shadow of death.” Every day I see needs all around. I am not talking about wants, but real needs. I see boys and girls running around with clothes that hang off their bodies. They are dirty and the holes reveal more than I want to see. I see mothers with their heads down, worn out by life, and not producing any milk for their babies. I walk through communities where people dig through the trash for food and money because no one has a job, an education, or anywhere to go. I see 8, 9, and 10 year old boys sleeping in trash piles high on drugs. I pass teenage girls begging each passing car for money to feed the child they hold in their arms. I see adults stealing from children so they can survive. I see cuts and infections covered in flies and filled with puss. I see people wash their clothes and themselves in sewers filled with feces and every other form of trash. I see people rebuilding their cardboard house after a hard rain. I see people sleeping on the streets and the dogs licking their wounds. I see mothers so dehydrated they drink the tears of their crying baby. I live with a boy whose family told us they kicked him out and wished he would die. I see hurt, pain, shame, and loss. I see it all.
I have heard my share of stories from the street boys about losing HOPE. I have sat in the homes of villagers who have told me the same thing. People want to see some HOPE. They want to know there is a “way” out of their situation. They want to know that someone cares. They want HOPE. I have heard it said that when a person loses HOPE, they die. I don’t believe that is true, but I know it’s not far from it. I do know these people are dying inside.
However, as I prepare to leave this place for now, I don’t see much but the light shining brighter in the darkness. When you go spelunking people will tell you to get to a place where it is pitch black and turn off your headlamp so your eyes can adjust to the darkness. It is in the pitch black that our eyes are opened even wider, and when the light is turned on, it is so much brighter. My eyes are being opened to the HOPE that is in our God. I have seen that there is still HOPE for me. I have been rescued from walking down the path of lukewarm Christianity (that is an oxymoron by the way), and have been sent in the direction of the man God wants me to be. I have seen the HOPE my prayers produce and I see that not only is God winning the battle, but He has already won. All around me I see the light creeping in through the cracks. Won’t you look with me?
I have seen boys rescued from a life of hopelessness on the street to become secondary school graduates. I have seen street boys tell a room full of school kids that they were told they would never amount to anything, as they served as their counselors for the week. I have seen three 20 somethings give up their comfortable life in the US to pursue God’s kingdom around the world. I have seen a former street boy become an uncle in three different street ministries. I have seen people who don’t use a water line pay the bills for their neighbors who do because they know it will help them. I have seen a young Irish woman start a ministry in the slums and change the lives of the boys there. I have seen street boys attend church faithfully and put the money they get from collecting scrap into the offering plate. I have seen forgiveness in families where all there use to be was pain. I have seen an organization form to open doors for others. I have seen prayers answered for a drop in center in the worst slum in Uganda. I have seen teachers and counselors flock to work there too. I have seen boys hooked on drugs from their time on the street turn around and become volunteers in ministry at church. I have seen boys from the streets become the top students in their classes. I have seen orphans become doctors. I have seen two sixty somethings pay to volunteer 6 months of every year working in the villages. I have seen an uncle called out of discipling street kids to be a missionary where Christianity is illegal. I have seen former street boys proclaim that it would be an honor if they were a martyr for Christ. I have seen a homeless woman offered a job and walk away from her life on the streets. I have seen ministries spring up to help sex trafficked girls in the slums. I have seen headmasters reduce their fees so street children can get an education. I have seen a mother bring in 6 orphans only to sell all her land to try to pay for them to go to school. I have seen God provide sponsors for all 11 of her children to get educated. I have seen college students use their break from school to serve among the least and the lost. I have seen influential leaders pull strings to help others. I have seen new families form from necessity and stick closer than blood. I have seen different nationalities work together to bring clean water to thousands. I have seen a church start programs to help those without homes and food. I have seen young men move to Africa only to spend all their money on homes for others. I have seen people sleep on the streets just so they will know what their neighbors go through. I have seen demon possession conquered by the blood of Jesus. I have seen a boy with HIV shape the hearts of those who help him. I have seen a church stay in the slums and not build walls so the poor could use the building as a refuge. I have seen newlyweds spend their honeymoon working for others. I have seen schools built in communities that could not do it themselves. I have seen strangers pay for others to go to school. I have seen widows partnering together to provide income for each other to live. I have seen people healed overnight from death. I have seen water pour out of rocks and water a whole valley. I have seen tribes torn by war and death, celebrate new life. I have seen an intern turn their project into a passion. I hear praise songs to God play all night outside my window, tent, or wherever else I happen to be sleeping. I have seen an old man in poverty bring in orphans so they would at least have a family, and then I have watched as a bunch of street boys helped them both. I have seen hundreds hear the gospel from the mouths or kids beaten and abused. I have seen a marine heal the souls of the broken through a recovery program. I have seen Jesus RISE from the dead. I have seen His spirit glowing ever so bright.
I see God everywhere because he is our HOPE. I see Him working to save, redeem, heal, and restore this world, country, and city. He never left, but sometimes our eyes just aren’t ready to see the light. I know my vision has been adjusted. I know, “the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has shined.” That light is Jesus our HOPE. I will choose2B a bringer of HOPE to those in need. I will let my little light shine and I pray you will do the same.
O my soul. I will worship your holy name.” My soul needs to my dance!
As you sit and read this you may not feel the same way. You might be in a very dark place. Our world is full of darkness, because it is fallen. So you would not be alone in those feelings. For the past 5 and a half months I have been “living in a land of the shadow of death.” Every day I see needs all around. I am not talking about wants, but real needs. I see boys and girls running around with clothes that hang off their bodies. They are dirty and the holes reveal more than I want to see. I see mothers with their heads down, worn out by life, and not producing any milk for their babies. I walk through communities where people dig through the trash for food and money because no one has a job, an education, or anywhere to go. I see 8, 9, and 10 year old boys sleeping in trash piles high on drugs. I pass teenage girls begging each passing car for money to feed the child they hold in their arms. I see adults stealing from children so they can survive. I see cuts and infections covered in flies and filled with puss. I see people wash their clothes and themselves in sewers filled with feces and every other form of trash. I see people rebuilding their cardboard house after a hard rain. I see people sleeping on the streets and the dogs licking their wounds. I see mothers so dehydrated they drink the tears of their crying baby. I live with a boy whose family told us they kicked him out and wished he would die. I see hurt, pain, shame, and loss. I see it all.
I have heard my share of stories from the street boys about losing HOPE. I have sat in the homes of villagers who have told me the same thing. People want to see some HOPE. They want to know there is a “way” out of their situation. They want to know that someone cares. They want HOPE. I have heard it said that when a person loses HOPE, they die. I don’t believe that is true, but I know it’s not far from it. I do know these people are dying inside.
However, as I prepare to leave this place for now, I don’t see much but the light shining brighter in the darkness. When you go spelunking people will tell you to get to a place where it is pitch black and turn off your headlamp so your eyes can adjust to the darkness. It is in the pitch black that our eyes are opened even wider, and when the light is turned on, it is so much brighter. My eyes are being opened to the HOPE that is in our God. I have seen that there is still HOPE for me. I have been rescued from walking down the path of lukewarm Christianity (that is an oxymoron by the way), and have been sent in the direction of the man God wants me to be. I have seen the HOPE my prayers produce and I see that not only is God winning the battle, but He has already won. All around me I see the light creeping in through the cracks. Won’t you look with me?
I have seen boys rescued from a life of hopelessness on the street to become secondary school graduates. I have seen street boys tell a room full of school kids that they were told they would never amount to anything, as they served as their counselors for the week. I have seen three 20 somethings give up their comfortable life in the US to pursue God’s kingdom around the world. I have seen a former street boy become an uncle in three different street ministries. I have seen people who don’t use a water line pay the bills for their neighbors who do because they know it will help them. I have seen a young Irish woman start a ministry in the slums and change the lives of the boys there. I have seen street boys attend church faithfully and put the money they get from collecting scrap into the offering plate. I have seen forgiveness in families where all there use to be was pain. I have seen an organization form to open doors for others. I have seen prayers answered for a drop in center in the worst slum in Uganda. I have seen teachers and counselors flock to work there too. I have seen boys hooked on drugs from their time on the street turn around and become volunteers in ministry at church. I have seen boys from the streets become the top students in their classes. I have seen orphans become doctors. I have seen two sixty somethings pay to volunteer 6 months of every year working in the villages. I have seen an uncle called out of discipling street kids to be a missionary where Christianity is illegal. I have seen former street boys proclaim that it would be an honor if they were a martyr for Christ. I have seen a homeless woman offered a job and walk away from her life on the streets. I have seen ministries spring up to help sex trafficked girls in the slums. I have seen headmasters reduce their fees so street children can get an education. I have seen a mother bring in 6 orphans only to sell all her land to try to pay for them to go to school. I have seen God provide sponsors for all 11 of her children to get educated. I have seen college students use their break from school to serve among the least and the lost. I have seen influential leaders pull strings to help others. I have seen new families form from necessity and stick closer than blood. I have seen different nationalities work together to bring clean water to thousands. I have seen a church start programs to help those without homes and food. I have seen young men move to Africa only to spend all their money on homes for others. I have seen people sleep on the streets just so they will know what their neighbors go through. I have seen demon possession conquered by the blood of Jesus. I have seen a boy with HIV shape the hearts of those who help him. I have seen a church stay in the slums and not build walls so the poor could use the building as a refuge. I have seen newlyweds spend their honeymoon working for others. I have seen schools built in communities that could not do it themselves. I have seen strangers pay for others to go to school. I have seen widows partnering together to provide income for each other to live. I have seen people healed overnight from death. I have seen water pour out of rocks and water a whole valley. I have seen tribes torn by war and death, celebrate new life. I have seen an intern turn their project into a passion. I hear praise songs to God play all night outside my window, tent, or wherever else I happen to be sleeping. I have seen an old man in poverty bring in orphans so they would at least have a family, and then I have watched as a bunch of street boys helped them both. I have seen hundreds hear the gospel from the mouths or kids beaten and abused. I have seen a marine heal the souls of the broken through a recovery program. I have seen Jesus RISE from the dead. I have seen His spirit glowing ever so bright.
I see God everywhere because he is our HOPE. I see Him working to save, redeem, heal, and restore this world, country, and city. He never left, but sometimes our eyes just aren’t ready to see the light. I know my vision has been adjusted. I know, “the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has shined.” That light is Jesus our HOPE. I will choose2B a bringer of HOPE to those in need. I will let my little light shine and I pray you will do the same.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Welcome "HOME"
Some of you may not be aware, but we have made a move in Uganda. We are no longer living in the guesthouse of Abaana, but rather we are in our own place. You may wonder why or how, and those would both be long stories that, believe it or not, I won’t tell. I will give you the easy, short version. Katie and Mallory have felt a call by God to start an organization called Doors. One of the many things Doors will be doing is removing boys from the street into a “home” not just a house. God lead Katie and Mallory to 8 boys and at the end of January they needed to be in school. 5 were going to boarding school and the other three would be home schooled. We knew we could save money by going ahead and getting a place for the last two month as a team and then the boys would also be off the streets. Unfortunately, our house hunting didn’t produce a place by the time Ryan and I left for ACTS.
It was up to Katie and Mallory to find this place to live. I remember getting the text message from Katie telling me they had found a place and they were so excited. I called her up and we talked about how to pay for it. You see these two women will be the mothers of these boys. They will be living here and helping grow them into disciples. Two of our Ugandan friends, Mark and David, are here to be the uncles and live with the boys. Then, there is me and how I fit into Doors. It was decided in an earlier meeting that I was like the Godfather. I am cool with that. However, lately the girls call me their Sugar Daddy since I will officially be raising money. None the less, I am excited to be a part of this venture, and I was pretty eager to come back and get involved after our time with ACTS.
Now, what I really want to relay through this blog is about our “HOME” not our “house” One thing the girls and I have talked about is how some of the other ministries we partner with here have homes. However, the boys still seem to live, behave, and act like street boys. They just happen to have been brought into a house to sleep. It was the girl’s intention to make this a family home and to leave the street behind. They say “Home is where the heart is.” I agree and I think it’s the amount of love in a place that makes it a “home” instead of a “house.” So I want to tell you a little about the structure we live in. Then I want to tell you about our strange family and why this IS home.
Our “home” is located just off one of the main roads leading out of Kampala. It has a little over an acre of land inside its walls. When you first enter the gate you will see banana trees and pumpkin vines near the front. This is half of our garden and around behind the buildings you will find its counterpart. There is a yard for the boys to play in, usually soccer. The main building has a garage, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, living room, dining room, kitchen, and two storage closets. Presently, Mallory and Katie are in one bedroom, Ryan and I are in another, and the third is used as the prep area for school. The boy’s building is separated by a concrete courtyard. Their building has two bedrooms, 2 baths, and a living room.
Our family is beautiful. Katie is such an amazing woman of God filled with such reckless passion. Her emotions are always on her sleeve, and her country accent is usually heard since she likes to joke around. Mallory is equally as beautiful a woman of God as Katie. She is not near as loud, but she loves to talk too. Her spirit is calming and her laughs bring smiles to our faces. Uncle Ryan is looking more and more like Grizzly Adams. The beard is getting out of control along with the dreadlocks. He is good for an afternoon break from work for the boys. Uncle Mark is a handsome African male, although we tell him he looks Africa-American. His life was rough from its beginning and he learned what it means to struggle to survive. God has given him a passion to see boys come off the street and he has given him the patience to see it happen. Uncle David is quite a bit smaller, but can be quite feisty. God has placed the same passion for street boys into this former one himself. He loves to preach God’s word or ask me questions about it. As I mentioned 5 of the boys are in boarding school, and I’m sure things will be even funnier when they are home for breaks. Ivan is the oldest of the “home boys.” We believe he is around 16, but he has never been to school. He loves to make jokes and is an amazing cook. Even I like the way he makes beans. Sometimes it is hard to get him to be serious. Bwanika is an 80’s child. I think Kid and Play might have had a child with the Fresh Prince of Bel Air and named him Bwanika. He loves to laugh and be the center of attention. However, he loves to learn and wants more homework each day. Plus he loves to help out with whatever is going on. A great cook in his own right, you should try his fish. Finally there is baby Sam. The doctor says he is 12. That is hard to believe. He seems more like 8 or 9. He lost both of his parents to AIDS and is HIV positive himself. His medicine causes him to be tired during the day, so he is usually asleep in some weird places. He loves to break dance though and will give you a hug with no warning. Oh, there is also our mascot Peanut. Mallory gave him to Katie for Christmas. Our rescued dog from the slums was cute, but he is a terror now. I think he is going to move to some friends house shortly.
So that’s our family, and now why it’s “home.” The days begin with the uncles getting the boys up and on to their chores; sweeping the house and courtyard, washing the dishes, doing laundry, and staring breakfast. After breakfast, it’s time for school. The living room becomes the classroom. The day starts with Bible class. The boys listen intently as Mark or David translate the message from one of us. After Bible it’s on to the subject matters of the day, maybe geography, reading, math, or science in no particular order. I like to sit back and watch these two woman teach as though it is what they were schooled to do. Even if they aren’t trained to instruct, God has taught them to love and it is beautiful to watch and listen to them. Mark and David take turns explaining every last detail to the boys while the other makes sure lunch is cooking. Prior to lunch it’s time to work individually on their assignments. Each boy gets the attention they need to learn and ask questions. I never thought I would enjoy reading and teaching simple words or even sounds for hours until it was with these boys. Yes there is some frustration and they do like to goof off, but those times are usually ended with an apology or they are brought up during prayer requests at night. “God please help me pay attention and not want to disturb class.” How often do you hear that request. Lunch follows as we all sit on the floor and enjoy it together, after they argue over who will bless the food. The afternoons are filled with making jewelry that will be sold to help pay for all this and a game of soccer with the uncles. As dusk rolls around the boys are out the door singing praise songs as they go pick up the ingredients for the evening meal. As dinner is started and the sun begins to set, it is pretty normal to see and hear love being spread. Sometimes it’s the boys crawling into the hammock with Katie, other times its David worshipping in his room, and still other times it’s a wrestling match between everybody that ends in a group hug. Before supper it’s time for Bible study and worship. It is such a blessing to hear these boys who don’t speak much English sing songs of praise they have been taught. Long after the sun has gone down and the noises of the night have picked up out our window, we all sit down for our evening meal. It is usually pretty funny and is filled with laughter. The uncles then put the boys in bed and we all say sula bulungi (good night). Another day at “home” is done.
It is pretty amazing to live this life. To watch God’s spirit form new people each day, and I’m not just talking about the boys. I know why I was excited to get back and live with my new family, and I’m excited to watch it grow and change even more. I’m excited for the plans Doors is making and how God is providing for each of those steps. We would love for you to join us in making “homes” of love all over Uganda.
For now you can pray for these items for our home or if you would like to know how you can help just shoot me an email andrewkirk12@hotmail.com
Fridge, stove, bunk beds, table, charcoal stove, chairs (for old people like me), water filter tank, security guard, shelves, mirrors, silverware, and a few more odds and ends.
It was up to Katie and Mallory to find this place to live. I remember getting the text message from Katie telling me they had found a place and they were so excited. I called her up and we talked about how to pay for it. You see these two women will be the mothers of these boys. They will be living here and helping grow them into disciples. Two of our Ugandan friends, Mark and David, are here to be the uncles and live with the boys. Then, there is me and how I fit into Doors. It was decided in an earlier meeting that I was like the Godfather. I am cool with that. However, lately the girls call me their Sugar Daddy since I will officially be raising money. None the less, I am excited to be a part of this venture, and I was pretty eager to come back and get involved after our time with ACTS.
Now, what I really want to relay through this blog is about our “HOME” not our “house” One thing the girls and I have talked about is how some of the other ministries we partner with here have homes. However, the boys still seem to live, behave, and act like street boys. They just happen to have been brought into a house to sleep. It was the girl’s intention to make this a family home and to leave the street behind. They say “Home is where the heart is.” I agree and I think it’s the amount of love in a place that makes it a “home” instead of a “house.” So I want to tell you a little about the structure we live in. Then I want to tell you about our strange family and why this IS home.
Our “home” is located just off one of the main roads leading out of Kampala. It has a little over an acre of land inside its walls. When you first enter the gate you will see banana trees and pumpkin vines near the front. This is half of our garden and around behind the buildings you will find its counterpart. There is a yard for the boys to play in, usually soccer. The main building has a garage, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, living room, dining room, kitchen, and two storage closets. Presently, Mallory and Katie are in one bedroom, Ryan and I are in another, and the third is used as the prep area for school. The boy’s building is separated by a concrete courtyard. Their building has two bedrooms, 2 baths, and a living room.
Our family is beautiful. Katie is such an amazing woman of God filled with such reckless passion. Her emotions are always on her sleeve, and her country accent is usually heard since she likes to joke around. Mallory is equally as beautiful a woman of God as Katie. She is not near as loud, but she loves to talk too. Her spirit is calming and her laughs bring smiles to our faces. Uncle Ryan is looking more and more like Grizzly Adams. The beard is getting out of control along with the dreadlocks. He is good for an afternoon break from work for the boys. Uncle Mark is a handsome African male, although we tell him he looks Africa-American. His life was rough from its beginning and he learned what it means to struggle to survive. God has given him a passion to see boys come off the street and he has given him the patience to see it happen. Uncle David is quite a bit smaller, but can be quite feisty. God has placed the same passion for street boys into this former one himself. He loves to preach God’s word or ask me questions about it. As I mentioned 5 of the boys are in boarding school, and I’m sure things will be even funnier when they are home for breaks. Ivan is the oldest of the “home boys.” We believe he is around 16, but he has never been to school. He loves to make jokes and is an amazing cook. Even I like the way he makes beans. Sometimes it is hard to get him to be serious. Bwanika is an 80’s child. I think Kid and Play might have had a child with the Fresh Prince of Bel Air and named him Bwanika. He loves to laugh and be the center of attention. However, he loves to learn and wants more homework each day. Plus he loves to help out with whatever is going on. A great cook in his own right, you should try his fish. Finally there is baby Sam. The doctor says he is 12. That is hard to believe. He seems more like 8 or 9. He lost both of his parents to AIDS and is HIV positive himself. His medicine causes him to be tired during the day, so he is usually asleep in some weird places. He loves to break dance though and will give you a hug with no warning. Oh, there is also our mascot Peanut. Mallory gave him to Katie for Christmas. Our rescued dog from the slums was cute, but he is a terror now. I think he is going to move to some friends house shortly.
So that’s our family, and now why it’s “home.” The days begin with the uncles getting the boys up and on to their chores; sweeping the house and courtyard, washing the dishes, doing laundry, and staring breakfast. After breakfast, it’s time for school. The living room becomes the classroom. The day starts with Bible class. The boys listen intently as Mark or David translate the message from one of us. After Bible it’s on to the subject matters of the day, maybe geography, reading, math, or science in no particular order. I like to sit back and watch these two woman teach as though it is what they were schooled to do. Even if they aren’t trained to instruct, God has taught them to love and it is beautiful to watch and listen to them. Mark and David take turns explaining every last detail to the boys while the other makes sure lunch is cooking. Prior to lunch it’s time to work individually on their assignments. Each boy gets the attention they need to learn and ask questions. I never thought I would enjoy reading and teaching simple words or even sounds for hours until it was with these boys. Yes there is some frustration and they do like to goof off, but those times are usually ended with an apology or they are brought up during prayer requests at night. “God please help me pay attention and not want to disturb class.” How often do you hear that request. Lunch follows as we all sit on the floor and enjoy it together, after they argue over who will bless the food. The afternoons are filled with making jewelry that will be sold to help pay for all this and a game of soccer with the uncles. As dusk rolls around the boys are out the door singing praise songs as they go pick up the ingredients for the evening meal. As dinner is started and the sun begins to set, it is pretty normal to see and hear love being spread. Sometimes it’s the boys crawling into the hammock with Katie, other times its David worshipping in his room, and still other times it’s a wrestling match between everybody that ends in a group hug. Before supper it’s time for Bible study and worship. It is such a blessing to hear these boys who don’t speak much English sing songs of praise they have been taught. Long after the sun has gone down and the noises of the night have picked up out our window, we all sit down for our evening meal. It is usually pretty funny and is filled with laughter. The uncles then put the boys in bed and we all say sula bulungi (good night). Another day at “home” is done.
It is pretty amazing to live this life. To watch God’s spirit form new people each day, and I’m not just talking about the boys. I know why I was excited to get back and live with my new family, and I’m excited to watch it grow and change even more. I’m excited for the plans Doors is making and how God is providing for each of those steps. We would love for you to join us in making “homes” of love all over Uganda.
For now you can pray for these items for our home or if you would like to know how you can help just shoot me an email andrewkirk12@hotmail.com
Fridge, stove, bunk beds, table, charcoal stove, chairs (for old people like me), water filter tank, security guard, shelves, mirrors, silverware, and a few more odds and ends.
An Update
I am sorry I have not written in a while. When you drop your computer and break the monitor, it makes it hard to write. That is because you have to wait to use someone else’s. Anyway, there has been quite a lot happen since I last wrote.
First, as we continued to meet the kids from Kigarama, we learned that the story was not as simple as it was first described. Therefore we, Athens and I, have been investigating to try to find out as much as possible. We did visit all of the secondary kids and interview them. We have been trying to piece together how they fit as a family. As best as I can figure, there have been deaths from 4 parents, inherited children, and inherited wives to make up the 12 kids. Until the investigation is over we will not know how many we will be able to support. I can say it has been a roller coaster of a ride. It was great meeting the kids and hearing their dreams for the future. So when everything gets settled you will get the whole story. Please pray that we make wise decisions as well.
Second, our time at ACTS has come to an end. Besides working to get the kids in school, my last two weeks there did not consist of much other than entering information into the computer. Therefore, I was able to treat the time as a spiritual retreat. It was great. I was able to have so much quiet time to read and pray. I was able to learn and discover so much. I finished studying I Kings, II Kings, Ezra, Nehemiah, Psalms, John, and I and II Thesolonians. I am so thankful for the opportunity to spend time resting in His presence. Our last day was Ryan’s birthday and so we had a wonderful night out. We even got to have pork, which we don’t get. Man, I love me some pig.
Third, Ryan and I have had some adventures as soon as we left ACTS. During the ride back to town a hose broke on the car so we sat on the side of the road for 3 hours. Construction slowed us down another hour and a half. We did eventually make it back after another traffic jam on the taxi to the new house. However, we did make the stop at the equator for the tourist photo.
On Monday, Ryan and I went to Jinja to get our visas extended. We had heard it would be easier than in Kampala. We also were planning to spend some time enjoying the things to do there. We took the two hour taxi ride and a boda to get to immigration. We walked in at 1:30 and out at 1:32 because the officer had gone to Kampala for a meeting and would not be back. We had been told to eat on Main Street because there were some restaurants with western and European flare. We found our way into a café and each had a cheeseburger. We discussed our options and decided we should just find a cheap place to stay and spend time enjoying ourselves. Our visas expired the next day and the fine is pretty heavy if you are late. The next 3 hours were spent hiking around Jinja looking for cheap places in our budget. Our second stop at the tourist information center sent us toward the cheapest place they knew of. We couldn’t find it, but we did see another guesthouse. The side of the building even mentioned massage, spa, and saunas. They showed us a room and gave us a price cheaper than we were told would be the cheapest. We were both tired from walking but feeling better that we had a place to stay. It had taken us so long to get things settled that we didn’t have anything else to do but go to Main Street and get some more food. We tried to take as much time as we could but found ourselves back at the guesthouse by 6:30. The accommodations were pretty meager but what could you expect. We spent about an hour splicing wires to the TV and trying to find a channel. We got one to come in through the fuzz but no sound. No biggie. I fell asleep by 10:30 thinking everything would be alright. I woke up at 1:30. Mosquitoes were everywhere. We didn’t have a net and these things were vicious. They knew exactly where your ears were. By 2:30 Ryan and I were both wide awake hiding with our heads under the covers, miserable. Next we hear someone trying to open our door very slowly. YEAH, pretty much wasn’t going to sleep after that. I spent a lot of time praying. After the next 4 hours with everything under the covers for protection, we realized that we had gotten the sauna for free. Dripping with sweat we got up and left as soon as we could. It was the worst night I have had in Uganda. We ate breakfast, you guessed it, on Main Street. As soon as 9 am arrived we were in the immigration office. They told us we needed a photo copy, back to Main Street. Photocopy in hand, back to Immigration. Come back at 11 was what they told us next. We didn’t really have anywhere to go so they we just sat outside. Eventually they told us to come in and fill out more papers. At 10:30 we took a seat on the bench. The officer was not there. At 11 he said he was coming, at 12 he was close, at 12:45 he was getting closer. Finally, at 1:30, he arrived. Getting into their office isn’t the chore it’s getting them to stamp your visa. We were worried that we would still have a lot of work to do and probably a bribe or fine to pay. Instead, he opened our passports and stamped them in less than two minutes. So we went to Main Street to get some food and then make our way through the rain to the taxi park for the ride home. When we made it back we were both worn out and very tired.
Now you know more than you wanted to know as usual.
First, as we continued to meet the kids from Kigarama, we learned that the story was not as simple as it was first described. Therefore we, Athens and I, have been investigating to try to find out as much as possible. We did visit all of the secondary kids and interview them. We have been trying to piece together how they fit as a family. As best as I can figure, there have been deaths from 4 parents, inherited children, and inherited wives to make up the 12 kids. Until the investigation is over we will not know how many we will be able to support. I can say it has been a roller coaster of a ride. It was great meeting the kids and hearing their dreams for the future. So when everything gets settled you will get the whole story. Please pray that we make wise decisions as well.
Second, our time at ACTS has come to an end. Besides working to get the kids in school, my last two weeks there did not consist of much other than entering information into the computer. Therefore, I was able to treat the time as a spiritual retreat. It was great. I was able to have so much quiet time to read and pray. I was able to learn and discover so much. I finished studying I Kings, II Kings, Ezra, Nehemiah, Psalms, John, and I and II Thesolonians. I am so thankful for the opportunity to spend time resting in His presence. Our last day was Ryan’s birthday and so we had a wonderful night out. We even got to have pork, which we don’t get. Man, I love me some pig.
Third, Ryan and I have had some adventures as soon as we left ACTS. During the ride back to town a hose broke on the car so we sat on the side of the road for 3 hours. Construction slowed us down another hour and a half. We did eventually make it back after another traffic jam on the taxi to the new house. However, we did make the stop at the equator for the tourist photo.
On Monday, Ryan and I went to Jinja to get our visas extended. We had heard it would be easier than in Kampala. We also were planning to spend some time enjoying the things to do there. We took the two hour taxi ride and a boda to get to immigration. We walked in at 1:30 and out at 1:32 because the officer had gone to Kampala for a meeting and would not be back. We had been told to eat on Main Street because there were some restaurants with western and European flare. We found our way into a café and each had a cheeseburger. We discussed our options and decided we should just find a cheap place to stay and spend time enjoying ourselves. Our visas expired the next day and the fine is pretty heavy if you are late. The next 3 hours were spent hiking around Jinja looking for cheap places in our budget. Our second stop at the tourist information center sent us toward the cheapest place they knew of. We couldn’t find it, but we did see another guesthouse. The side of the building even mentioned massage, spa, and saunas. They showed us a room and gave us a price cheaper than we were told would be the cheapest. We were both tired from walking but feeling better that we had a place to stay. It had taken us so long to get things settled that we didn’t have anything else to do but go to Main Street and get some more food. We tried to take as much time as we could but found ourselves back at the guesthouse by 6:30. The accommodations were pretty meager but what could you expect. We spent about an hour splicing wires to the TV and trying to find a channel. We got one to come in through the fuzz but no sound. No biggie. I fell asleep by 10:30 thinking everything would be alright. I woke up at 1:30. Mosquitoes were everywhere. We didn’t have a net and these things were vicious. They knew exactly where your ears were. By 2:30 Ryan and I were both wide awake hiding with our heads under the covers, miserable. Next we hear someone trying to open our door very slowly. YEAH, pretty much wasn’t going to sleep after that. I spent a lot of time praying. After the next 4 hours with everything under the covers for protection, we realized that we had gotten the sauna for free. Dripping with sweat we got up and left as soon as we could. It was the worst night I have had in Uganda. We ate breakfast, you guessed it, on Main Street. As soon as 9 am arrived we were in the immigration office. They told us we needed a photo copy, back to Main Street. Photocopy in hand, back to Immigration. Come back at 11 was what they told us next. We didn’t really have anywhere to go so they we just sat outside. Eventually they told us to come in and fill out more papers. At 10:30 we took a seat on the bench. The officer was not there. At 11 he said he was coming, at 12 he was close, at 12:45 he was getting closer. Finally, at 1:30, he arrived. Getting into their office isn’t the chore it’s getting them to stamp your visa. We were worried that we would still have a lot of work to do and probably a bribe or fine to pay. Instead, he opened our passports and stamped them in less than two minutes. So we went to Main Street to get some food and then make our way through the rain to the taxi park for the ride home. When we made it back we were both worn out and very tired.
Now you know more than you wanted to know as usual.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
The Scariest Thing in Uganda
It was Tuesday morning and I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do for the day. I went over and sat by Bern while I ate my banana, piece of bread, and my boiled egg. While we were talking he asked me what my plans were. Of course I didn’t know. So Bern invited me to join the engineers in going to the new source that had been found and try to map it out. Then he told me I could join the construction crew in the afternoon while they found breaks in the pipes and repaired them. I was pretty excited to go and do both. It seemed better than going to a meeting about health education in another language. As we headed down the road in the Muzungu Mobile, the affectionate name for the jeep the engineers ride in, the construction crew pulled off to the side of the road and motioned for Bern. We heard that the others had run off the road and into a ditch. When we got there we found the truck hanging off the road over the creek while a fence post was keeping it from rolling over.
Now I have been in Uganda for 4 and a half months now. I have been in a lot of places that others might consider scary. I have slept on the streets of Kampala. I have walked through and worked in the worst parts of the city. I have camped out in the villages. I have ridden through town on taxis. I have ridden everywhere on bodas (bodas are considered the most dangerous part of Uganda). For some, it is following where God has led me. However the scariest thing I have done in Uganda is to ride in a vehicle driven by an everyday Ugandan, not one who gets paid to drive. Every day my life is at risk when we pile into the seats and take off down the road. I spend most of the time praying. This is not an exaggeration. Luckily no one was hurt. On any other day that would have been my ride.
We tried pulling the truck out with the others, but it did not work. So, we found a tree and waited for the tow truck to come from and hour and a half away. While we were waiting I got a surprise call from Athens. She wanted to know if I wanted to meet her and take the primary kids to school. I jumped at the chance. She said she would meet me at noon at their house.
I got Bern to drop me off in the village while I hiked to the house. It was about 11:45 when I arrived at the house. I was hoping Athens would be there since I don’t speak their language. Unfortunately she wasn’t. I didn’t know if I should yell since I didn’t find anyone in the front room, but I decided to walk around back since I heard some noise. There is nothing better than sneaking around people’s houses in Uganda. It’s still not as scary as riding with them. As I was coming to the last corner, Elia walked by and saw me. He smiled, screamed a little, and then ran away to grab the others. Beteth was the next to come over with big smile and a hug. The rest of the children followed with a hug as well. Beteth told me to follow her into the house. She had me sit down and then joined me. I wasn’t sure how this was going to go since neither one of us can understand the other. We smiled at each other many times and then she just went for it. She just kept talking to me and smiling. I simply smiled back. After what seemed like an awkward 5 minutes Paul walked in. Since Paul is heading into P5, I knew he could speak some English, and so he became my translator. Beteth left the room and sent Elia in with a gift of avocadoes for me.
Before long, Paul was beginning to open up to me. Janet was sitting on my leg. Elia was hanging on my arm. Obeth was sitting beside me. Unfortunately Esther was doing the dishes and so she wasn’t around. Paul brought me his notebook of school work and his exams. As I went through Paul’s work I noticed he was ranked first out of 21 in his class. I already felt a strong connection to these kids and so there was a little pride in this discovery. Later, Esther brought me her exams and I noticed she was ranked 8th out of 32. After a little while Paul disappeared again. He came out of the other room with the photo album. All the kids grabbed a seat on my lap or crowded around me to tell me who everyone was in the photos. It was great to have them sharing their memories with me. After we had gone through the second album, I pulled out my camera and showed them some of the pictures and videos of what I had been doing in Uganda. They were excited to see the chimps and see the other cities. It was now after one and still no Athens, but I was happy that she was late because of the opportunity it had given me to bond with the kids. Well, all but one. Ason, the one year old, still screams if I get too close and runs to his mother while everyone laughs. Finally, Athens arrived and we all headed out the door and met up with our car to drive us to the school, about 45 minutes away. So into the small Toyota poured the driver, Athens, an uncle, Obeth, Paul, Elia, Esther, Ason, Beteth, Janet, and me. It was the first time most of them had ever ridden in a car and they were very excited.
We pulled into Mother Care Primary school and all fell out. Athens and I went to meet with the headmaster to settle accounts and let him know that we would only be in charge of the finances and he should contact the parents with any other issues. Mother Care was a great school. I have found myself in quite a few since arriving in this country and this was the nicest. The facilities were nice, and the staff was very well educated and well spoken. They informed us that the goal of their school was to get 100% of their students into level 1 for secondary school. Last year it was 91%. Another way to look at the levels is for level 1 to be A’s, level 2 B’s, and so forth. Paul, Esther, and Obeth were soon taking their entrance exams for placement in class, while Athens and I went outside to sort all the supplies she had bought to get them into schools. Boarding schools are very strict with what they want. She had not been able to find all of the supplies at the market and so I gave her a hard time about having to buy all the items from the school bookstore until they didn’t have anything left.
Before long the kids began to finish their exams. Obeth finished first. The headmaster called us aside to give us the scores. This is where you understand how good a school we were getting them into, and the difference between a government school in the villages and a good private school. We decided that Obeth would repeat P1. Esther also did not score high enough to move forward and so she will be entering P3. I had high hopes for Paul after seeing his papers, even though the headmaster told me he didn’t think he had a chance to pass since they were all coming from the same schools. While they were grading Paul’s exam, we headed into the market to get them all the black dress shoes they needed. Shoes shopping is no fun, enough said. As we were heading back to the school it hit me that this might be the last time I would see these kids, not just now, but maybe ever. As I sat upfront with little Janet on my lap, my eyes began to get teary. They had stolen my heart and had become my kids so quickly. I gave little Janet a little squeeze and thanked God for His plans. When we returned the headmaster told us that Paul had passed. He was really excited, and so was I.
It was getting pretty late so we told Beteth it was time to go. I walked around and gave each one of them a hug, and blessing. I pray I get the chance to see them again. As we were leaving Janet, the four year old became upset. I don’t blame her. The headmaster picked her up and held her in his arms as we pulled away. I pray God will do the same with these little blessings. I know He will. The ride to drop us off to get bodas back was about 10 minutes. As we were driving I hear Beteth talking hurriedly in the back. Athens got my attention and said, “Andrew, she wants to pick you up. She wants to pick you up and give you a hug for helping them.” Beteth just laughed. As we got out of the car to get on our bodas and head different directions, I thanked them and told them I would see them again. God was continuing to use this family to teach me about His love and I was so thankful. As I rode back to camp I sang songs of praise to God. I know Beteth was doing the same.
As I said earlier, some people think following where God leads is the scariest thing I have done here. I strongly disagree. There is no better place to be than in His hands and in His plans. I will Choose2B follower no matter where it takes me. If I didn’t then these types of things would never happen. Thanks be to God for being Jehovah Roi (The Lord my shepherd).
Now I have been in Uganda for 4 and a half months now. I have been in a lot of places that others might consider scary. I have slept on the streets of Kampala. I have walked through and worked in the worst parts of the city. I have camped out in the villages. I have ridden through town on taxis. I have ridden everywhere on bodas (bodas are considered the most dangerous part of Uganda). For some, it is following where God has led me. However the scariest thing I have done in Uganda is to ride in a vehicle driven by an everyday Ugandan, not one who gets paid to drive. Every day my life is at risk when we pile into the seats and take off down the road. I spend most of the time praying. This is not an exaggeration. Luckily no one was hurt. On any other day that would have been my ride.
We tried pulling the truck out with the others, but it did not work. So, we found a tree and waited for the tow truck to come from and hour and a half away. While we were waiting I got a surprise call from Athens. She wanted to know if I wanted to meet her and take the primary kids to school. I jumped at the chance. She said she would meet me at noon at their house.
I got Bern to drop me off in the village while I hiked to the house. It was about 11:45 when I arrived at the house. I was hoping Athens would be there since I don’t speak their language. Unfortunately she wasn’t. I didn’t know if I should yell since I didn’t find anyone in the front room, but I decided to walk around back since I heard some noise. There is nothing better than sneaking around people’s houses in Uganda. It’s still not as scary as riding with them. As I was coming to the last corner, Elia walked by and saw me. He smiled, screamed a little, and then ran away to grab the others. Beteth was the next to come over with big smile and a hug. The rest of the children followed with a hug as well. Beteth told me to follow her into the house. She had me sit down and then joined me. I wasn’t sure how this was going to go since neither one of us can understand the other. We smiled at each other many times and then she just went for it. She just kept talking to me and smiling. I simply smiled back. After what seemed like an awkward 5 minutes Paul walked in. Since Paul is heading into P5, I knew he could speak some English, and so he became my translator. Beteth left the room and sent Elia in with a gift of avocadoes for me.
Before long, Paul was beginning to open up to me. Janet was sitting on my leg. Elia was hanging on my arm. Obeth was sitting beside me. Unfortunately Esther was doing the dishes and so she wasn’t around. Paul brought me his notebook of school work and his exams. As I went through Paul’s work I noticed he was ranked first out of 21 in his class. I already felt a strong connection to these kids and so there was a little pride in this discovery. Later, Esther brought me her exams and I noticed she was ranked 8th out of 32. After a little while Paul disappeared again. He came out of the other room with the photo album. All the kids grabbed a seat on my lap or crowded around me to tell me who everyone was in the photos. It was great to have them sharing their memories with me. After we had gone through the second album, I pulled out my camera and showed them some of the pictures and videos of what I had been doing in Uganda. They were excited to see the chimps and see the other cities. It was now after one and still no Athens, but I was happy that she was late because of the opportunity it had given me to bond with the kids. Well, all but one. Ason, the one year old, still screams if I get too close and runs to his mother while everyone laughs. Finally, Athens arrived and we all headed out the door and met up with our car to drive us to the school, about 45 minutes away. So into the small Toyota poured the driver, Athens, an uncle, Obeth, Paul, Elia, Esther, Ason, Beteth, Janet, and me. It was the first time most of them had ever ridden in a car and they were very excited.
We pulled into Mother Care Primary school and all fell out. Athens and I went to meet with the headmaster to settle accounts and let him know that we would only be in charge of the finances and he should contact the parents with any other issues. Mother Care was a great school. I have found myself in quite a few since arriving in this country and this was the nicest. The facilities were nice, and the staff was very well educated and well spoken. They informed us that the goal of their school was to get 100% of their students into level 1 for secondary school. Last year it was 91%. Another way to look at the levels is for level 1 to be A’s, level 2 B’s, and so forth. Paul, Esther, and Obeth were soon taking their entrance exams for placement in class, while Athens and I went outside to sort all the supplies she had bought to get them into schools. Boarding schools are very strict with what they want. She had not been able to find all of the supplies at the market and so I gave her a hard time about having to buy all the items from the school bookstore until they didn’t have anything left.
Before long the kids began to finish their exams. Obeth finished first. The headmaster called us aside to give us the scores. This is where you understand how good a school we were getting them into, and the difference between a government school in the villages and a good private school. We decided that Obeth would repeat P1. Esther also did not score high enough to move forward and so she will be entering P3. I had high hopes for Paul after seeing his papers, even though the headmaster told me he didn’t think he had a chance to pass since they were all coming from the same schools. While they were grading Paul’s exam, we headed into the market to get them all the black dress shoes they needed. Shoes shopping is no fun, enough said. As we were heading back to the school it hit me that this might be the last time I would see these kids, not just now, but maybe ever. As I sat upfront with little Janet on my lap, my eyes began to get teary. They had stolen my heart and had become my kids so quickly. I gave little Janet a little squeeze and thanked God for His plans. When we returned the headmaster told us that Paul had passed. He was really excited, and so was I.
It was getting pretty late so we told Beteth it was time to go. I walked around and gave each one of them a hug, and blessing. I pray I get the chance to see them again. As we were leaving Janet, the four year old became upset. I don’t blame her. The headmaster picked her up and held her in his arms as we pulled away. I pray God will do the same with these little blessings. I know He will. The ride to drop us off to get bodas back was about 10 minutes. As we were driving I hear Beteth talking hurriedly in the back. Athens got my attention and said, “Andrew, she wants to pick you up. She wants to pick you up and give you a hug for helping them.” Beteth just laughed. As we got out of the car to get on our bodas and head different directions, I thanked them and told them I would see them again. God was continuing to use this family to teach me about His love and I was so thankful. As I rode back to camp I sang songs of praise to God. I know Beteth was doing the same.
As I said earlier, some people think following where God leads is the scariest thing I have done here. I strongly disagree. There is no better place to be than in His hands and in His plans. I will Choose2B follower no matter where it takes me. If I didn’t then these types of things would never happen. Thanks be to God for being Jehovah Roi (The Lord my shepherd).
House 6 Cont...
Thursday morning I spent time working with Nancy. She helps Athens with ACTS’s child sponsorship. She actually works with an organization called Urban Systems out of Canada along with the work she does for ACTS. She does their child sponsorship. Nancy and her husband Bern (Bernard) volunteer 6 months a year to ACTS and are basically second in command. So Nancy is the person to talk to about kids and schools. We sat down and talked through the whole situation. She gave me stats on test scores at the schools the secondary kids were at and scores of other secondary schools in the area. Interestingly enough, Mbrara and Ntungamo, the two closet towns or city for Mbrara, have extremely good private schools. She told me that ACTS had just recently made a deal with Ntungamo High School. They were willing to accept ACTS sponsored kids as long as there was room. Ntungamo High has scored very well on their tests. One of the 6 secondary kids, Mariat, was already enrolled there. We decided that we would try to move all of the kids to Ntungamo at the start of next term, since this term had just started, except Junior. We wanted to get all of them to the same school. My education on Uganda schools continued as we went through fee structure, levels, and divisions. Test scores of level 1 are a pretty big deal here. Junior was already enrolled at a school that produced 96% of its students at level 1, making it one of the top five in the country. The school is alma mater of more VIPs in Uganda than any other school, and is the school where the current president of Uganda and Rwanda graduated. Needless to say it is extremely impressive for him to even be enrolled there much less doing as well as he is. Of course the fees for him to be there are much higher.
Next we discussed the primary children. In case you have not picked up yet, most children who get a quality education attend boarding school. It is something parents here desire for their children. It is a hard concept for us to get used to, letting your 5, 6, 7, 10, or 12 year old leave your home and go live at school. However, it is the way of things here. One reason is they get the best education, and it is cheaper to pay for them to be at boarding school than to take care of them at home. We decided that we would give Beteth the option for her younger children. If she wanted to move all, part, or none then we would do it. We again had a connection with an awesome school in Ntungamo that Athens had worked with. Now, we had a plan. I was excited for Athens to come Friday morning and for us to show up and tell Beteth that her prayers had been answered. Rose had sent word through someone else in the village, that we would be coming for a visit, but she did not know why.
Friday morning we hooped in the truck and drove to the village. I was pretty excited as we made the walk through the banana trees. I had had a great morning of worship with God and was excited for him to be praised through this whole ordeal. As we were walking we ran into Beteth who had become excited and started looking for us. As we entered the house we introduced her to Athens. Athens then went through recording all the information on all the kids, name, age, school, and level. I could tell Beteth was confused as Rose and I had done this two days before. After we got the official information, Rose and Athens looked at me and said, “Well I think it’s time to tell her the good news.” As Rose got her attention I said, “Well Beteth, God has opened the door for us to pay to put all of your children in school.” (I am laughing now because as I am writing this listening to music “Mighty to Save” has started playing. I like that about God.) The confusion in her face was flushed out as Rose translated. Her eyes got big and a huge smile spread across her face. She jumped up and began to thank each one of us in the room. I told her that God was who deserved the thanks for what was happening and she shouted, “Webale Jesu” (Thank you Jesus).
After she settled down and returned to her seat from hugging her children, Athens took over. She explained all of the details of the sponsorship program. She shared how they must maintain good grades, good behavior, provide supplies for terms 2 and 3 during the year, how they should handle requests, and how the sponsorships could be renewed. After telling her kids they better be listening, she agreed to the terms.
Athens then shared our plan for the secondary students. She was very happy to know they would be together. She then told her that we would take the primary kids to boarding school if she wanted. I thought she had been excited the first time, but shouts of praise to God poured forth from her mouth. It was like living many of the Psalms where David would proclaim that praise would pour forth. Shouts were not the only thing that poured either, as her eyes welled up with tears. She was having a chance to release all the concern, uneasiness, pain, uncertainty, struggle, and thanks at one moment. This time she came around and looked each one of us in the face and slowly said thank you. It is the moments such as this that I always wonder WHY? Why would God ever choose to use someone like me. However, I am learning to quit asking the question, be thankful, keep following, and praise Him along the way.
We went outside and took some photos for the sponsors that are to come. The kids laughed and shyly hid behind their mom or around the corner. As we were leaving, Paul, the oldest primary child was returning from taking an exam. He had no idea who we were or why his mom was so excited. She yelled for him to pose for pictures. As I took the pictures he quietly thanked me not really knowing why. It seemed appropriate. So many times I think we thank God without truly knowing why. We forget all he has done; on the cross, at creation, all those times we fail, all the times he forgives, all the times he redeems, and all the times he uses us so that he might receive the praise due His name.
Webale Jesu for including us in your plan. May your praise pour forth from my mouth in all circumstances because I remember what you have done, are doing, and will do. I will Choose2B a reflector of your goodness and glory. Yesterday, we took the primary kids to school. Yeah the story is coming and so is the video for sponsorship. Can you continue something twice? Regardless their story continues to be written just like God’s.
Next we discussed the primary children. In case you have not picked up yet, most children who get a quality education attend boarding school. It is something parents here desire for their children. It is a hard concept for us to get used to, letting your 5, 6, 7, 10, or 12 year old leave your home and go live at school. However, it is the way of things here. One reason is they get the best education, and it is cheaper to pay for them to be at boarding school than to take care of them at home. We decided that we would give Beteth the option for her younger children. If she wanted to move all, part, or none then we would do it. We again had a connection with an awesome school in Ntungamo that Athens had worked with. Now, we had a plan. I was excited for Athens to come Friday morning and for us to show up and tell Beteth that her prayers had been answered. Rose had sent word through someone else in the village, that we would be coming for a visit, but she did not know why.
Friday morning we hooped in the truck and drove to the village. I was pretty excited as we made the walk through the banana trees. I had had a great morning of worship with God and was excited for him to be praised through this whole ordeal. As we were walking we ran into Beteth who had become excited and started looking for us. As we entered the house we introduced her to Athens. Athens then went through recording all the information on all the kids, name, age, school, and level. I could tell Beteth was confused as Rose and I had done this two days before. After we got the official information, Rose and Athens looked at me and said, “Well I think it’s time to tell her the good news.” As Rose got her attention I said, “Well Beteth, God has opened the door for us to pay to put all of your children in school.” (I am laughing now because as I am writing this listening to music “Mighty to Save” has started playing. I like that about God.) The confusion in her face was flushed out as Rose translated. Her eyes got big and a huge smile spread across her face. She jumped up and began to thank each one of us in the room. I told her that God was who deserved the thanks for what was happening and she shouted, “Webale Jesu” (Thank you Jesus).
After she settled down and returned to her seat from hugging her children, Athens took over. She explained all of the details of the sponsorship program. She shared how they must maintain good grades, good behavior, provide supplies for terms 2 and 3 during the year, how they should handle requests, and how the sponsorships could be renewed. After telling her kids they better be listening, she agreed to the terms.
Athens then shared our plan for the secondary students. She was very happy to know they would be together. She then told her that we would take the primary kids to boarding school if she wanted. I thought she had been excited the first time, but shouts of praise to God poured forth from her mouth. It was like living many of the Psalms where David would proclaim that praise would pour forth. Shouts were not the only thing that poured either, as her eyes welled up with tears. She was having a chance to release all the concern, uneasiness, pain, uncertainty, struggle, and thanks at one moment. This time she came around and looked each one of us in the face and slowly said thank you. It is the moments such as this that I always wonder WHY? Why would God ever choose to use someone like me. However, I am learning to quit asking the question, be thankful, keep following, and praise Him along the way.
We went outside and took some photos for the sponsors that are to come. The kids laughed and shyly hid behind their mom or around the corner. As we were leaving, Paul, the oldest primary child was returning from taking an exam. He had no idea who we were or why his mom was so excited. She yelled for him to pose for pictures. As I took the pictures he quietly thanked me not really knowing why. It seemed appropriate. So many times I think we thank God without truly knowing why. We forget all he has done; on the cross, at creation, all those times we fail, all the times he forgives, all the times he redeems, and all the times he uses us so that he might receive the praise due His name.
Webale Jesu for including us in your plan. May your praise pour forth from my mouth in all circumstances because I remember what you have done, are doing, and will do. I will Choose2B a reflector of your goodness and glory. Yesterday, we took the primary kids to school. Yeah the story is coming and so is the video for sponsorship. Can you continue something twice? Regardless their story continues to be written just like God’s.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
House 6
The day had started like any other. We finished breakfast, squeezed 6 of us into the cab of the truck, took the 50 minute ride over the hills and rough roads, arrived to find the chairman missing without organizing guides, waited for guides to show up, and then headed out for the interviews/surveys.
However, today was going to be much different for me. I have been praying that God would place me in houses for surveys were I was needed. Not where I was needed for a surveys, but where I was needed to pray and meet the family. House number 4 of the morning was one of those houses. Last week, we were supposed to survey this community of Kigarama, but there had been a death and so people were going to the funeral. The house I walked into was the home of the deceased. I had noticed what looked like a grave being dug in the ground as we were walking up, so I made sure we added the question about deaths. We learned that the deceased was a little girl age 6. I was feeling blest to have the opportunity to talk to the mother and speak words of comfort into her life. It is still very difficult to hear how the cause was most likely preventable if they were in a different circumstance. She smiled and thanked me after we talked and prayed. As I walked away from the house, I prayed and thanked God for the opportunity to serve. Although, it had not been a happy moment it would have been enough for me to have a good day with my purpose fulfilled. However, I had no idea how I would be affected by house 6.
There was nothing out of the ordinary as we walked up to the house other than its neatly arranged flowers in the garden. Rose and I started the survey. The mother, Beteth, had a warm glow about her. The first question is how many people are in the family (14 with 12 children). I knew this was going to be interesting. However, there was nothing out of the ordinary in the survey. The only thing that stuck out was the distance she was traveling to get water. It was taking her 2 hours, while others near her had a tap that was still functioning until a month ago. (She later showed us her tap just 50 yards from her house, and it was obvious that hers had stopped years before) As we finished the survey and put away our sheets, Rose looked at me and smiled. I gave her a nod and so she asked if I could pray for her and what her prayer requests were.
She proceeded to tell us that 11 of the 12 children were in school. School fees are the hardest thing for people to pay around here, but she had 11 kids to try to get through school. 6 of them are in secondary school, which also means they board. Boarding school is obviously more expensive. As the smile on her face began to drop and the volume and urgency of her voice picked up, she explained about how they had no money to pay the fees. She told us that all the children excel in school and are at the top of their class. The oldest, who is in his last year before going to university, was in the most prestigious private school in the country. Rose explained to me how amazing it was for him to be there and how much of an honor it is to even be considered to be accepted. Beteth told us because the children were doing so well in school that she and her husband had done all they could to pay the school fees and not pull their kids out of school to work. So several years ago they decided to start selling portions of their land to pay the fees. Now, they had sold all of their land and had no prayer of getting the fees. So, the husband left to chase a low paying job to try to keep the family from starving. Beteth told us they did have a small portion of land where they grew food, but it was not enough for her and the primary children to eat. Several years before they had taken in two orphans and raised them as their own. These two were not treated any different than their children and both were getting close to finishing secondary school.
I could feel the spirit nudging me to not leave this story alone. It was tough for me to keep tears out of my eyes as she told the story. I told Rose I wanted to go ahead and pray and then get all of this information from her officially. Beteth smiled and we bowed are heads. I have been praying for miracles throughout my time here, especially since Christmas. So I prayed KNOWING God would provide help for this family whether I got to see that or not. It says over and over in the Bible that he is listening to these very prayers. We recorded the information and told Beteth that we were not promising to be able to do anything, but we would do all we could. A smile spread across her face and she thanked us both as we headed out the door. As she walked with us, she then told us of her own problems which she had kept quiet up to this point. She was stressed out about how she would pay and so she had not slept in months. The stress was also causing headaches. Imagine having all this upon you and still not sleeping. Well, unfortunately that wasn’t it. She then told us that she had had a pain in her side and had gone to the doctor. He told her that she needed to have surgery and have her appendix removed. As you can guess, she doesn’t have money to go have her appendix removed. We reached the branch in the path and stopped to say good bye. My heart was aching inside of me, but again I was so thankful to have been in this situation.
The rest of the afternoon my mind was on this house. I knew ACTS did some sponsorship of kids, but I wasn’t sure I would be able to get 11 help. I set my goal at getting the two orphans help and maybe the family would be able to survive. That night after dinner I pulled David, director of ACTS, aside to talk to him. Rose and I explained the situation and what we saw. As we finished, David looked at me and said, “I will make a deal with you. We will pay all of their school fees for one year, if you can find sponsors.” God was not only answering my prayer, but he was of course doing more than I could have imagined. All I wanted was a chance to help.
So the ball is in my court now. I have time to find sponsors to pay for these kids to go to school. Basically, ACTS has given me a loan. The sponsors will repay ACTS for this year and take over payments from then on. School started last week for all but two of them. That night I did not sleep well because I was so excited. Now all I have to do is figure out all the fees, what to do with the kids, find sponsors, and, the best thing, go and tell Beteth that God had provided a miracle. To be continued…
However, today was going to be much different for me. I have been praying that God would place me in houses for surveys were I was needed. Not where I was needed for a surveys, but where I was needed to pray and meet the family. House number 4 of the morning was one of those houses. Last week, we were supposed to survey this community of Kigarama, but there had been a death and so people were going to the funeral. The house I walked into was the home of the deceased. I had noticed what looked like a grave being dug in the ground as we were walking up, so I made sure we added the question about deaths. We learned that the deceased was a little girl age 6. I was feeling blest to have the opportunity to talk to the mother and speak words of comfort into her life. It is still very difficult to hear how the cause was most likely preventable if they were in a different circumstance. She smiled and thanked me after we talked and prayed. As I walked away from the house, I prayed and thanked God for the opportunity to serve. Although, it had not been a happy moment it would have been enough for me to have a good day with my purpose fulfilled. However, I had no idea how I would be affected by house 6.
There was nothing out of the ordinary as we walked up to the house other than its neatly arranged flowers in the garden. Rose and I started the survey. The mother, Beteth, had a warm glow about her. The first question is how many people are in the family (14 with 12 children). I knew this was going to be interesting. However, there was nothing out of the ordinary in the survey. The only thing that stuck out was the distance she was traveling to get water. It was taking her 2 hours, while others near her had a tap that was still functioning until a month ago. (She later showed us her tap just 50 yards from her house, and it was obvious that hers had stopped years before) As we finished the survey and put away our sheets, Rose looked at me and smiled. I gave her a nod and so she asked if I could pray for her and what her prayer requests were.
She proceeded to tell us that 11 of the 12 children were in school. School fees are the hardest thing for people to pay around here, but she had 11 kids to try to get through school. 6 of them are in secondary school, which also means they board. Boarding school is obviously more expensive. As the smile on her face began to drop and the volume and urgency of her voice picked up, she explained about how they had no money to pay the fees. She told us that all the children excel in school and are at the top of their class. The oldest, who is in his last year before going to university, was in the most prestigious private school in the country. Rose explained to me how amazing it was for him to be there and how much of an honor it is to even be considered to be accepted. Beteth told us because the children were doing so well in school that she and her husband had done all they could to pay the school fees and not pull their kids out of school to work. So several years ago they decided to start selling portions of their land to pay the fees. Now, they had sold all of their land and had no prayer of getting the fees. So, the husband left to chase a low paying job to try to keep the family from starving. Beteth told us they did have a small portion of land where they grew food, but it was not enough for her and the primary children to eat. Several years before they had taken in two orphans and raised them as their own. These two were not treated any different than their children and both were getting close to finishing secondary school.
I could feel the spirit nudging me to not leave this story alone. It was tough for me to keep tears out of my eyes as she told the story. I told Rose I wanted to go ahead and pray and then get all of this information from her officially. Beteth smiled and we bowed are heads. I have been praying for miracles throughout my time here, especially since Christmas. So I prayed KNOWING God would provide help for this family whether I got to see that or not. It says over and over in the Bible that he is listening to these very prayers. We recorded the information and told Beteth that we were not promising to be able to do anything, but we would do all we could. A smile spread across her face and she thanked us both as we headed out the door. As she walked with us, she then told us of her own problems which she had kept quiet up to this point. She was stressed out about how she would pay and so she had not slept in months. The stress was also causing headaches. Imagine having all this upon you and still not sleeping. Well, unfortunately that wasn’t it. She then told us that she had had a pain in her side and had gone to the doctor. He told her that she needed to have surgery and have her appendix removed. As you can guess, she doesn’t have money to go have her appendix removed. We reached the branch in the path and stopped to say good bye. My heart was aching inside of me, but again I was so thankful to have been in this situation.
The rest of the afternoon my mind was on this house. I knew ACTS did some sponsorship of kids, but I wasn’t sure I would be able to get 11 help. I set my goal at getting the two orphans help and maybe the family would be able to survive. That night after dinner I pulled David, director of ACTS, aside to talk to him. Rose and I explained the situation and what we saw. As we finished, David looked at me and said, “I will make a deal with you. We will pay all of their school fees for one year, if you can find sponsors.” God was not only answering my prayer, but he was of course doing more than I could have imagined. All I wanted was a chance to help.
So the ball is in my court now. I have time to find sponsors to pay for these kids to go to school. Basically, ACTS has given me a loan. The sponsors will repay ACTS for this year and take over payments from then on. School started last week for all but two of them. That night I did not sleep well because I was so excited. Now all I have to do is figure out all the fees, what to do with the kids, find sponsors, and, the best thing, go and tell Beteth that God had provided a miracle. To be continued…
Monday, February 6, 2012
Where is the Water?
In Exodus 17:1-8 the Israelites are complaining that God had brought them out into the desert and not provided for them. This is not an unusual scene. However, if you look back you find God’s provision all around them. In chapter 15 they complain about bitter water, so God fixes the problem and makes it sweet. In chapter 16 they are yelling that they should just go back to Egypt and be slaves because at least they could eat. God then provides manna for them every day. They are doing no work and are doing nothing to receive these gifts, yet they keep complaining. In chapter 17 when they complain about not having water, God causes water to flow from out of a rock. God is providing everything these people need and where is their thankfulness?
Here at ACTS we are trying to provide water to help these people survive. Right now we are working a repair project for a water line that was put in in 1999. The line is supposed to provide water to 7000 people through its 46 taps. Presently there are only 8 taps working. I am a part of a survey team that interviews people to see how their lives were before, during, and after the project. We ask all kinds of questions concerning where they get their water, whether they are happy with it, sickness in the family, how the children are progressing in school, and anything associated with their home. During the interview process we can see how effective the water line was based on school performance, increased activity time, less sickness and a better quality of life. However, many of the people are not as thankful as you might think. They are very disappointed that the water system is not operating. Maybe they don’t like to walk the distance to get to the tap and instead drink dirty water that hurts them. Maybe they are mad because the free gift they have been given isn’t available now. The reasons the water line is not working however all comes back to their own care of the gift. Children have broken the taps, others have abused the lines, and some have taken peoples 20 cents a month for maintenance and used it for themselves.
Don’t get me wrong there are those we interview who adored having the water taps. They smile about how clean the water was and how their children aren’t late for school. They tell us they are more than willing to pay the 20 cents a month and would even pay extra to make sure it stays operational.
My question is not why are some people so ungrateful, but rather why am I so ungrateful? Am I just like those who complain about walking too far to get good water? Is it too much for God to ask me to work harder for what is better? Am I like the Israelites? Did the living manna come down from heaven so I could live, but instead I complain that it’s not enough? I know there are days when my human nature can take over and I start to complain. However, I am learning to appreciate the gift. We call it grace. It’s there whether I want it or not. Each day I am learning that I want it, more and more of it. In fact I am learning to give it away even more. It is such a blessing to be here. Each morning I ask for wisdom in showing that grace and love of God to each family. Each morning I ask for more water, living water that is. I am humbled each day as my prayers are answered. On the second day, I felt God tell me to talk and pray with each household when we finished the interviews. That time of sharing is what excites me about going for a 45 minute interview in another language. It has also provided me with the opportunity to be God’s reminder that He is still with them in the wilderness. They may not like the food now, but the promised land is coming. It may not be flowing with milk and honey, which really doesn’t sound too appetizing anyway, but it will be flowing with water. And for that we are all thankful.
I choose2B a giver of grace as I receive it from God. May you choose2 do the same!
Bonus: Here are some moments that have taken place since arriving worth mentioning
I love taking warm showers in our outdoor shower as the sun goes down. Very nice!
I am ready for something other than rice and beans. My favorite meals believe it or not are breakfast and afternoon tea. At breakfast I get a mix between a scone and a roll, 2 bananas, a piece of bread, a hard boiled egg, and hot tea. One banana is smashed in the scone/roll thingy or is put on the piece of bread if we are lucky enough to have peanut butter. If jelly is available it goes on all bread products. PB and J may have also come down from heaven. I never ate hard boiled eggs before coming to Uganda because they were gross. Now I eat them last because they are the best part of the meal and I look forward to them. I would not drink tea unless forced and would never have hot tea. Well that was before the school camps and a lot of sugar. SO now I enjoy hot tea. Afternoon tea is pineapple, as much as I can get without looking greedy, two pieces of bread, and prayers for PB or J, and a cup of water.
It is quite cool at night, similar to a good fall evening. Perfect for camping, unless you packed for 6 months in Equatorial Africa and only to work with street kids. Praise God for marmot jacket in the morning and those two heavy blankets at night.
I have had such a wonderful time praying with people this week and I know that is probably the reason I am here.
Today we found cookies in the trading center for 7 cents. They contain 10 grams of protein in them. Therefore we have found a way to get protein. Score! Guess I won’t have to eat as many beans.
Finally, I wish you could all pray for Felix. I met him yesterday while doing interviews. He is 9 years old and contacted hydrocephalus when he was 5. He was able to get treatment for a year but have been without it for 3 years. This is also known as big head disease as their heads swell to huge proportions as it fills with fluid. Most people are born with it and it is rare to get it later on. The survival period with it is not long and Felix has been very fortunate up to this point. He cannot get up and has to just lie on his side all day and night. His body is just down to its bones while his head is twice the size of a full adult. He did speak when we said hello but he can’t do much else as his eyes are swollen shut. Unfortunately ACTS does not have money to assist the family. I am trying to learn more to find out if there is something I can personally do to help this family. They are very impoverished and very sad. The mother had no joy in her. I do believe God hears our prayers and I believe in the one I prayed over him in his room. I also believe God hears our persistent prayers and so I am asking you to join me in lifting up Felix to God’s plan. Thank you!
Here at ACTS we are trying to provide water to help these people survive. Right now we are working a repair project for a water line that was put in in 1999. The line is supposed to provide water to 7000 people through its 46 taps. Presently there are only 8 taps working. I am a part of a survey team that interviews people to see how their lives were before, during, and after the project. We ask all kinds of questions concerning where they get their water, whether they are happy with it, sickness in the family, how the children are progressing in school, and anything associated with their home. During the interview process we can see how effective the water line was based on school performance, increased activity time, less sickness and a better quality of life. However, many of the people are not as thankful as you might think. They are very disappointed that the water system is not operating. Maybe they don’t like to walk the distance to get to the tap and instead drink dirty water that hurts them. Maybe they are mad because the free gift they have been given isn’t available now. The reasons the water line is not working however all comes back to their own care of the gift. Children have broken the taps, others have abused the lines, and some have taken peoples 20 cents a month for maintenance and used it for themselves.
Don’t get me wrong there are those we interview who adored having the water taps. They smile about how clean the water was and how their children aren’t late for school. They tell us they are more than willing to pay the 20 cents a month and would even pay extra to make sure it stays operational.
My question is not why are some people so ungrateful, but rather why am I so ungrateful? Am I just like those who complain about walking too far to get good water? Is it too much for God to ask me to work harder for what is better? Am I like the Israelites? Did the living manna come down from heaven so I could live, but instead I complain that it’s not enough? I know there are days when my human nature can take over and I start to complain. However, I am learning to appreciate the gift. We call it grace. It’s there whether I want it or not. Each day I am learning that I want it, more and more of it. In fact I am learning to give it away even more. It is such a blessing to be here. Each morning I ask for wisdom in showing that grace and love of God to each family. Each morning I ask for more water, living water that is. I am humbled each day as my prayers are answered. On the second day, I felt God tell me to talk and pray with each household when we finished the interviews. That time of sharing is what excites me about going for a 45 minute interview in another language. It has also provided me with the opportunity to be God’s reminder that He is still with them in the wilderness. They may not like the food now, but the promised land is coming. It may not be flowing with milk and honey, which really doesn’t sound too appetizing anyway, but it will be flowing with water. And for that we are all thankful.
I choose2B a giver of grace as I receive it from God. May you choose2 do the same!
Bonus: Here are some moments that have taken place since arriving worth mentioning
I love taking warm showers in our outdoor shower as the sun goes down. Very nice!
I am ready for something other than rice and beans. My favorite meals believe it or not are breakfast and afternoon tea. At breakfast I get a mix between a scone and a roll, 2 bananas, a piece of bread, a hard boiled egg, and hot tea. One banana is smashed in the scone/roll thingy or is put on the piece of bread if we are lucky enough to have peanut butter. If jelly is available it goes on all bread products. PB and J may have also come down from heaven. I never ate hard boiled eggs before coming to Uganda because they were gross. Now I eat them last because they are the best part of the meal and I look forward to them. I would not drink tea unless forced and would never have hot tea. Well that was before the school camps and a lot of sugar. SO now I enjoy hot tea. Afternoon tea is pineapple, as much as I can get without looking greedy, two pieces of bread, and prayers for PB or J, and a cup of water.
It is quite cool at night, similar to a good fall evening. Perfect for camping, unless you packed for 6 months in Equatorial Africa and only to work with street kids. Praise God for marmot jacket in the morning and those two heavy blankets at night.
I have had such a wonderful time praying with people this week and I know that is probably the reason I am here.
Today we found cookies in the trading center for 7 cents. They contain 10 grams of protein in them. Therefore we have found a way to get protein. Score! Guess I won’t have to eat as many beans.
Finally, I wish you could all pray for Felix. I met him yesterday while doing interviews. He is 9 years old and contacted hydrocephalus when he was 5. He was able to get treatment for a year but have been without it for 3 years. This is also known as big head disease as their heads swell to huge proportions as it fills with fluid. Most people are born with it and it is rare to get it later on. The survival period with it is not long and Felix has been very fortunate up to this point. He cannot get up and has to just lie on his side all day and night. His body is just down to its bones while his head is twice the size of a full adult. He did speak when we said hello but he can’t do much else as his eyes are swollen shut. Unfortunately ACTS does not have money to assist the family. I am trying to learn more to find out if there is something I can personally do to help this family. They are very impoverished and very sad. The mother had no joy in her. I do believe God hears our prayers and I believe in the one I prayed over him in his room. I also believe God hears our persistent prayers and so I am asking you to join me in lifting up Felix to God’s plan. Thank you!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
A whole new world
Yes, I was an Aladdin fan and I did love the song “A Whole New World.” It seems very appropriate for what is happening. This morning Ryan and I moved out of the Abaana guesthouse and are spending at least a month working with African Community Technical Service or ACTS. We left the streets and busyness to head southwest into the mountains and the nowhere-ness. We left the comforts of a house for the comforts of a canvas tent (which I love anyway). Our scenery has changed to grassy green mountains and valleys filled with matooke (banana) plantations. It is very similar to Northern Ireland, minus the matooke. We have left the language we have been learning for a new one. We have left our team of 4 to be a part of a team of about 25right now. They say it will increase as we start the project. We have left the random electricity, but electricity none the less for no electricity, except our solar powered battery. We have left sweating in our beds in Kampala from the heat to sleeping under 2 blankets with a bunch of Canadians.
It really is a whole new world. It is full of excitement too. The scenery is gorgeous. The teammates are funny. Half are under the age of 26 and half are over the age of 45. We have already shared so many stories with each other and I know there are so many more to come. Right now as I lay in bed I can hear the drums beating and the natives chanting. The rest of the team says this will happen every night and there is no telling what time during the night they will stop. The stars scream “Look at me!” when you walk outside. Tomorrow will be new. Full of new things to learn and experience. I have learned that I be on a team that makes home visits and fills out papers with people. I pray those times spent in their homes will be a chance to show them my world, to point them to something greater than us all. I pray God continues to make me new every day. I pray he reveals a new world to me, and I will choose2B a builder in this new world. So here’s to the new and a see you later to the old.
It really is a whole new world. It is full of excitement too. The scenery is gorgeous. The teammates are funny. Half are under the age of 26 and half are over the age of 45. We have already shared so many stories with each other and I know there are so many more to come. Right now as I lay in bed I can hear the drums beating and the natives chanting. The rest of the team says this will happen every night and there is no telling what time during the night they will stop. The stars scream “Look at me!” when you walk outside. Tomorrow will be new. Full of new things to learn and experience. I have learned that I be on a team that makes home visits and fills out papers with people. I pray those times spent in their homes will be a chance to show them my world, to point them to something greater than us all. I pray God continues to make me new every day. I pray he reveals a new world to me, and I will choose2B a builder in this new world. So here’s to the new and a see you later to the old.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Ayila
2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.
During our week in Gulu, our afternoons were spent at Ayila. The drive takes about 45 minutes – 1 hour depending on how fast we fly along the dirt roads. Ayila is quite different from what Andrew McCovy is like. Yes the people here still went through the fear and struggle of a 20 year war. However, Ayila is still struggling as a village today. Abaana is finishing the construction of the school building for the 450 students. Presently they meet under two 25x8 yard long grass huts and several large trees scattered across the property. Ryan and I were here in early October and gave mosquitoes nets each house in the village. It really is a poor village and isolated village. Everyone comes out each day, whether they are 80 years old or eight days old because it is something to do or at least something to watch.
When we arrived the first day everyone was waiting for us. The local officials welcomed us as big the school officials. It still feels really odd to be greeted with such undeserved reverence. However I am beginning to see Isiah 52:7 differently, “Beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns.” That is what we hoped to do. We thanked them for the greeting, introduced ourselves and got to work. We started by teaching them games. The kids faces lit up in spite of the dirty and tattered and torn clothes they wore to cover their bodies. The adults sat in the shade and enjoyed a good laugh or two at the kids expense when they could not figure out how to run the relay me and Ryan started. I must say we did our fair share of laughing too and it was hard to tell who was having more fun the adults or the kids. It was a break from the life of suffering. While we were introducing ourselves I looked at Katie and said, “I think you should just do medical here each day.” She agreed with me and so the girls went off under a tree to start seeing the adults and the babies who were there. After each one was seen they politely smiled and walked away. As I finished the memory verse and leaned the makeshift blackboard against the tree, kids quickly sat in front of it to copy it down for memory.
As we ride back the fires are being lit in the bush. The practice of burning the bush to prepare it for planting the next year goes on here. I don’t know, but I feel like these people have already been through the fires and God is about to plant something new. I know he is doing some refining of me and it is just day one.
Day two
I awoke to find that my sinus headache had turned into so much more. I didn’t sleep much because it had moved to my lungs and I was having trouble breathing. The pressure in my head was not very pleasant nor was the fever I was running. The bus ride over is like riding a wooden roller coaster for 45 minutes and so my already sore body was yelling at me by the time we got there. The day was full of its regular ups and down once we got going. We organized things the same as we had at Andrew McCovy in the morning. The time with the kids was good. Ryan and I are getting pretty good at making the time last. He is the secret king of games and passing time. I taught the kids “Jesus Love is Bubbling Over” at this school as well and it went great. I passed the kids off to Ryan for some more games before going over to help the girls with medical. The adults are who they see the most, but it is the children who are in the worst shape. Every cut and sore is severely infected with flies crawling around in it. We would be in the hospital for every one of them but it is just a part of their life. Severe burns and blindness to dehydration and diarrhea, we see it all several times. It makes you angry. However the anger is holy. It is a desire for something better and a drive to help. The medical community in the US is busy fighting over money, let’s face it. You can ask kids in the US what they want to be and why and they will answer a doctor because I wanna be rich. It is true there are those who join the profession because they want to help but there are also those who are in it for greed. We need more people who just want to help. A doctor who remembers the holy calling to assist those in need could do so much good here. As we rode back I prayed for such people.
Day 3
My morning was filled with Katie pouring salt water down my nose in an attempt to overcome whatever is fighting me. Experiences I wish to forget. However, the afternoon will NOT be soon forgotten. As soon as we got there the girls pulled out the drums. It was the first time we had pulled them out in Ayila. We have 12 of them each a different size and tuned to a different pitch. Katie and Malory started the drum circle up, which of course let people know we were there. Ryan relaxed on the bus and awaited his time to shine and I walked around. I found some men playing cards in the shade. They are always surprised I know how to play, but that is what a month and a half working with street kids has taught me. After a couple of games they asked me for the soccer ball as they had seen me with it the day before. I came back and told them it was theirs to keep and off they went. As I walked back over to the drums the crowd had begun to grow. After the kids finished, Katie asked the adults if they would like to play.
Sidenote – Ayila is an event. Everyone from great grandparents to grandparents to parents all come and sit under the tree and watch. The women all seem to have babies and the men all seem to have canes, either sugar or wood.
So here we go with 12 adults. Some old some in their 20’s, some clothed, some half naked, some with teeth, some without, but as soon as Katie gave the command to start the joy exploded. Smiles light up their faces. The children are laughing and soon the elders begin to get up to come see what is happening in the circle. In this place where every day is a struggle, the laughter resounds like thunder. It’s appropriate because when God comes to take us home I think it will be loud. And God WAS joining us today and dancing.
Next the kids got into groups and took turns being in the middle of the circle and dancing while the adults played. It was community at its best. We then asked the adults if they would like to dance. After many nervous no’s we got a couple in the middle. However, as soon as the clapping started and dancing started others pushed their way in and joined. All I could think of was the hymn Lord of the Dance “Dance then wherever you may be. I am the Lord of the Dance said he, and I will lead you on wherever you may be, and I’ll lead you on in the dance said He.” God Was leading the dance as the dust flew up from stomping on heartache, pain, disease, loss, and fear. What a moment. As the girls were leaving to go and start treating people I felt I was supposed to grab Katie and pray. I don’t know if it helped her but it made me feel better.
The kids all sat down to listen to me talk. In case you haven’t picked up physically I feel horrible. I’m having trouble breathing, my nose is pouring snot, my head is pounding, and I’m achy. However, there are times when I get this life with God thing right. I know I am not here for myself. I have been reading AW Tozer recently. In one book he talks about how mans problem is the “self.” We have replaced God with ourselves and have removed God from the throne of our hearts. We have made ourselves the focus. It’s only when we have God where he belongs that we can ever truly live the life designed for us. Now I would not have wanted to speak or even had the energy if I would have been focused on me. But slowly I am learning to get rid of myself. Oh sure, it’s still there most of the time, but I’m starting to crawl and maybe even take baby steps. I can only hope that one day I am running after Him. As I finished and turned the kids over to Ryan I realized my focus had been on God and I had not noticed the “me” stuff at all and for that I was thankful.
I headed over to help Katie and Mallory and they were busy. My job is support. I get things they need, cut tape, and handle infections they don’t want to touch or are too busy to get to. The needs seem endless, but at the end of each conversation, patch up, or administration of medicine there is sincere gratitude. Most of the problems could be fixed if they could just see a doctor, but they can’t and one doesn’t come to see them. So that’s why we are here doing what we can. Katie and Mallory look tired as Katie yells at me about keeping a sterile environment. It is Africa in the middle of the dust if she doesn’t remember. However, they bust out the smiles after they are done with someone who is getting better and even laugh at my jokes while we work.
In the back ground I hear screams. They aren’t from pain, but from fun and joy. I see Ryan in the middle of about 150 kids. He is a master of keeping kids laughing. As I had a break from being needed I walked away to blow my nose and watch Ryan play with the kids. His almost matted dreadlocks are pointing everywhere. His Grizzly Adams beard is hanging from his chin, and a big smile is between is rosy cheeks. Before the dreads everyone yelled “Jesu” at him wherever we went. Today he is living up to the name by showing love to all these kids.
As we finally pulled Katie away from another mother and pulled the kids of Ryan’s arm we were on our way. My head hurts, but not my heart. It has been such a blessed day to serve. I am so thankful to die to myself and I pray it happens more often.
Day 4
We decided before we arrived that the girls would need to do medical the whole time in order to have a last shot at seeing everyone. So, Ryan and I had control of the whole day. One of the teachers helped us out a little at the start by having them play some games that they already knew. Somehow we ended up doing the hokie pokie after that. We played a couple more games and then it was time for me to talk. We went over the memory verse and then over the songs, which we kind of had to relearn.
Since Katie and Mallory had been busy helping people they had asked if I would take their spots talking. That usually happens about 10 minutes beforehand and while I am doing something else. As usual God got me through just fine. While talking about sharing the wonderful gift that is the Love of Jesus, I asked them if they were given a whole sugar cane, how many would eat it all and who would share it. Two of them said they would eat it all, and after I got on to them, I said, “Of course you would share it because we all like to share the things that are good. Besides, Jesus is sweeter than sugar cane.” After I said that some of the kids smiled and the translator kinda laughed. She told me there was an Acholi song that all the kids would know called “Jesus is sweeter than Sugar Cane.” I asked her to have them sing it to me, and they did. It is moments like that when you know God is directing conversations and making holy appointments. I turned the kids back to Ryan for his usual game time and went to help the girls. We were all busy and were running out of supplies. We did laugh because Mallory hates mouths and putting her hands in them, but she had about 20 cases in a row of tooth problems. She said that is what she gets for not liking something. We said our good byes and pulled ourselves away from everyone. All of us would love to see a medical team come back there. I would love to see the school buildings get finished. Most importantly I want to see those people understand they are remembered, not just by us, but by a God whose Love is sweeter than sugarcane.
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.
During our week in Gulu, our afternoons were spent at Ayila. The drive takes about 45 minutes – 1 hour depending on how fast we fly along the dirt roads. Ayila is quite different from what Andrew McCovy is like. Yes the people here still went through the fear and struggle of a 20 year war. However, Ayila is still struggling as a village today. Abaana is finishing the construction of the school building for the 450 students. Presently they meet under two 25x8 yard long grass huts and several large trees scattered across the property. Ryan and I were here in early October and gave mosquitoes nets each house in the village. It really is a poor village and isolated village. Everyone comes out each day, whether they are 80 years old or eight days old because it is something to do or at least something to watch.
When we arrived the first day everyone was waiting for us. The local officials welcomed us as big the school officials. It still feels really odd to be greeted with such undeserved reverence. However I am beginning to see Isiah 52:7 differently, “Beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns.” That is what we hoped to do. We thanked them for the greeting, introduced ourselves and got to work. We started by teaching them games. The kids faces lit up in spite of the dirty and tattered and torn clothes they wore to cover their bodies. The adults sat in the shade and enjoyed a good laugh or two at the kids expense when they could not figure out how to run the relay me and Ryan started. I must say we did our fair share of laughing too and it was hard to tell who was having more fun the adults or the kids. It was a break from the life of suffering. While we were introducing ourselves I looked at Katie and said, “I think you should just do medical here each day.” She agreed with me and so the girls went off under a tree to start seeing the adults and the babies who were there. After each one was seen they politely smiled and walked away. As I finished the memory verse and leaned the makeshift blackboard against the tree, kids quickly sat in front of it to copy it down for memory.
As we ride back the fires are being lit in the bush. The practice of burning the bush to prepare it for planting the next year goes on here. I don’t know, but I feel like these people have already been through the fires and God is about to plant something new. I know he is doing some refining of me and it is just day one.
Day two
I awoke to find that my sinus headache had turned into so much more. I didn’t sleep much because it had moved to my lungs and I was having trouble breathing. The pressure in my head was not very pleasant nor was the fever I was running. The bus ride over is like riding a wooden roller coaster for 45 minutes and so my already sore body was yelling at me by the time we got there. The day was full of its regular ups and down once we got going. We organized things the same as we had at Andrew McCovy in the morning. The time with the kids was good. Ryan and I are getting pretty good at making the time last. He is the secret king of games and passing time. I taught the kids “Jesus Love is Bubbling Over” at this school as well and it went great. I passed the kids off to Ryan for some more games before going over to help the girls with medical. The adults are who they see the most, but it is the children who are in the worst shape. Every cut and sore is severely infected with flies crawling around in it. We would be in the hospital for every one of them but it is just a part of their life. Severe burns and blindness to dehydration and diarrhea, we see it all several times. It makes you angry. However the anger is holy. It is a desire for something better and a drive to help. The medical community in the US is busy fighting over money, let’s face it. You can ask kids in the US what they want to be and why and they will answer a doctor because I wanna be rich. It is true there are those who join the profession because they want to help but there are also those who are in it for greed. We need more people who just want to help. A doctor who remembers the holy calling to assist those in need could do so much good here. As we rode back I prayed for such people.
Day 3
My morning was filled with Katie pouring salt water down my nose in an attempt to overcome whatever is fighting me. Experiences I wish to forget. However, the afternoon will NOT be soon forgotten. As soon as we got there the girls pulled out the drums. It was the first time we had pulled them out in Ayila. We have 12 of them each a different size and tuned to a different pitch. Katie and Malory started the drum circle up, which of course let people know we were there. Ryan relaxed on the bus and awaited his time to shine and I walked around. I found some men playing cards in the shade. They are always surprised I know how to play, but that is what a month and a half working with street kids has taught me. After a couple of games they asked me for the soccer ball as they had seen me with it the day before. I came back and told them it was theirs to keep and off they went. As I walked back over to the drums the crowd had begun to grow. After the kids finished, Katie asked the adults if they would like to play.
Sidenote – Ayila is an event. Everyone from great grandparents to grandparents to parents all come and sit under the tree and watch. The women all seem to have babies and the men all seem to have canes, either sugar or wood.
So here we go with 12 adults. Some old some in their 20’s, some clothed, some half naked, some with teeth, some without, but as soon as Katie gave the command to start the joy exploded. Smiles light up their faces. The children are laughing and soon the elders begin to get up to come see what is happening in the circle. In this place where every day is a struggle, the laughter resounds like thunder. It’s appropriate because when God comes to take us home I think it will be loud. And God WAS joining us today and dancing.
Next the kids got into groups and took turns being in the middle of the circle and dancing while the adults played. It was community at its best. We then asked the adults if they would like to dance. After many nervous no’s we got a couple in the middle. However, as soon as the clapping started and dancing started others pushed their way in and joined. All I could think of was the hymn Lord of the Dance “Dance then wherever you may be. I am the Lord of the Dance said he, and I will lead you on wherever you may be, and I’ll lead you on in the dance said He.” God Was leading the dance as the dust flew up from stomping on heartache, pain, disease, loss, and fear. What a moment. As the girls were leaving to go and start treating people I felt I was supposed to grab Katie and pray. I don’t know if it helped her but it made me feel better.
The kids all sat down to listen to me talk. In case you haven’t picked up physically I feel horrible. I’m having trouble breathing, my nose is pouring snot, my head is pounding, and I’m achy. However, there are times when I get this life with God thing right. I know I am not here for myself. I have been reading AW Tozer recently. In one book he talks about how mans problem is the “self.” We have replaced God with ourselves and have removed God from the throne of our hearts. We have made ourselves the focus. It’s only when we have God where he belongs that we can ever truly live the life designed for us. Now I would not have wanted to speak or even had the energy if I would have been focused on me. But slowly I am learning to get rid of myself. Oh sure, it’s still there most of the time, but I’m starting to crawl and maybe even take baby steps. I can only hope that one day I am running after Him. As I finished and turned the kids over to Ryan I realized my focus had been on God and I had not noticed the “me” stuff at all and for that I was thankful.
I headed over to help Katie and Mallory and they were busy. My job is support. I get things they need, cut tape, and handle infections they don’t want to touch or are too busy to get to. The needs seem endless, but at the end of each conversation, patch up, or administration of medicine there is sincere gratitude. Most of the problems could be fixed if they could just see a doctor, but they can’t and one doesn’t come to see them. So that’s why we are here doing what we can. Katie and Mallory look tired as Katie yells at me about keeping a sterile environment. It is Africa in the middle of the dust if she doesn’t remember. However, they bust out the smiles after they are done with someone who is getting better and even laugh at my jokes while we work.
In the back ground I hear screams. They aren’t from pain, but from fun and joy. I see Ryan in the middle of about 150 kids. He is a master of keeping kids laughing. As I had a break from being needed I walked away to blow my nose and watch Ryan play with the kids. His almost matted dreadlocks are pointing everywhere. His Grizzly Adams beard is hanging from his chin, and a big smile is between is rosy cheeks. Before the dreads everyone yelled “Jesu” at him wherever we went. Today he is living up to the name by showing love to all these kids.
As we finally pulled Katie away from another mother and pulled the kids of Ryan’s arm we were on our way. My head hurts, but not my heart. It has been such a blessed day to serve. I am so thankful to die to myself and I pray it happens more often.
Day 4
We decided before we arrived that the girls would need to do medical the whole time in order to have a last shot at seeing everyone. So, Ryan and I had control of the whole day. One of the teachers helped us out a little at the start by having them play some games that they already knew. Somehow we ended up doing the hokie pokie after that. We played a couple more games and then it was time for me to talk. We went over the memory verse and then over the songs, which we kind of had to relearn.
Since Katie and Mallory had been busy helping people they had asked if I would take their spots talking. That usually happens about 10 minutes beforehand and while I am doing something else. As usual God got me through just fine. While talking about sharing the wonderful gift that is the Love of Jesus, I asked them if they were given a whole sugar cane, how many would eat it all and who would share it. Two of them said they would eat it all, and after I got on to them, I said, “Of course you would share it because we all like to share the things that are good. Besides, Jesus is sweeter than sugar cane.” After I said that some of the kids smiled and the translator kinda laughed. She told me there was an Acholi song that all the kids would know called “Jesus is sweeter than Sugar Cane.” I asked her to have them sing it to me, and they did. It is moments like that when you know God is directing conversations and making holy appointments. I turned the kids back to Ryan for his usual game time and went to help the girls. We were all busy and were running out of supplies. We did laugh because Mallory hates mouths and putting her hands in them, but she had about 20 cases in a row of tooth problems. She said that is what she gets for not liking something. We said our good byes and pulled ourselves away from everyone. All of us would love to see a medical team come back there. I would love to see the school buildings get finished. Most importantly I want to see those people understand they are remembered, not just by us, but by a God whose Love is sweeter than sugarcane.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Where it all began!
A little over 5 years ago, some of my youth went to a seminar on “Invisible Children” at an event I help plan called Breakthru. I myself had actually not seen the documentary that my kids were watching and so, they proceeded to tell me all about it after they got out. I remember those who had gone to the seminar encouraging the rest of the youth and myself to get involved during our last night there. Shortly after returning from the retreat, I borrowed the documentary from one of the kids and watched it myself. Now, I have always known a little about things on the African continent, but watching the film triggered something in my soul to be involved. The film tells the story of how three American guys stumbled into a terrible crisis in Northern Uganda when they had come to film the war in Sudan. The crisis was caused by a war between the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) and all those in the northern part of Uganda. The LRA would hide in the bush and abduct children. They then would subject them to all sorts of horrible atrocities to brain wash them and cause them to fight and kill others. The only place the children felt safe was to in the towns so they could not be abducted from the villages or refugee camps set up for those fleeing Sudan’s war. So children would walk miles and miles to reach Gulu to sleep crammed in safe places for the night to keep from being captured. Thousands and thousands would come and then return home during the day to try to live a life.
Today the LRA are still operating. They have been forced into the Democratic Republic of Congo right now. Peace has started to return to Gulu. That’s where we headed, to Gulu, for camp at two different schools for a week. It was a chance to go back to where this love affair with Africa began for me. It is a chance to see the area and hear the stories first hand. More importantly, it is a chance to share God’s love to people who have lived a life of terror.
I will write about the two schools separately as they are very different tales. Some of the information will overlap. Bear with me as I think they are essential to each or it’s just that I like to talk :). So here we go.
We left for Gulu Monday afternoon. We were supposed to leave before lunch, but things just didn’t work out that way. So the 4 Americans, our driver and son, our cook, and our security guard hit the road for the 5 hour or so drive to Gulu and then the 30 minutes to the school we would be camping in. As we had just reached the outside of Kampala our tire blew. This isn’t our first blown tire, so I jumped off to help. Unfortunately, we had a broken jack. We were able to drive to the next town to get some help. However, this took about an hour and a half of our day. That meant we would be pushing it to get there before dark. The ride is long and for the most part the landscape looks the same. The further north we went, the more you could tell it was dry season, as everything was turning brown. Ryan and I had been to Gulu for a day about two months ago. This however was the girl’s first trip. I was excited for them to see the Nile for the first time. I think most of us think of it as it is in Egypt, where it is calm and floods. In Uganda, though, it is a raging torrent of water. They were pretty surprised and amazed at what they saw, and it is an awesome sight. As we were entering the Gulu area, the sun was setting and as the worship songs played through the speakers I could not help but pray for this area so transformed by pain. As we headed out of Gulu and towards Andrew Macovy, the road we travel is the very road that soo many children would commute on. It was the road that was attacked by the LRA the most. Most of the thousands of children would pack into St Mary’s Hospital in Lacor, and as we drove by it I gave a thank you. The rest of the 10 kilometers from the hospital to our school were filled with thoughts of what it must have been like each night. We got there well after dark and unloaded most of our stuff. We were all tired so we left things for the morning and headed for the beds. As we were getting into the beds one of our three Acholi translators told us that the mosquitoes were bad here. Yeah that was no joke. They were everywhere and I think I saw some of them flying around with some small goats. They were that big. I didn’t sleep well that night as I was not feeling well and it was hot. The mosquitoes on my net were pretty loud too.
Day 1
The next morning when I woke I wasn’t feeling great. A sinus headache had formed and my nose was pretty runny. We were running the camp at Andrew McCovy in the mornings and then driving to Ayila in the afternoons. As we waited for the kids to get there I sat down with one of our translators named Godfrey. I asked him if he had always lived in Gulu and was he here during the war. Both of those were yeses. So I asked him what it had been like. He talked to me about making the commutes every day. All activites would stop by four in the afternoon. The road, which is the main road to Sudan, would be empty as no one would travel through the region. The dirt would then be filled with thousands of children heading to the hospital. Godfrey said he was actually lucky because he only had to walk about 5 kilometers to get there from where his family lived. Others would walk up to 15 kilometers every night to get there. Then early in the morning before the sun was up they would rise, gather their stuff, and wait for the light. Then they would head back home to go about the day as if it was normal. But it wasn’t. Godfrey told me about friends who were captured and family members who were taken and raped. He shared how gun shots would get within 300 yards or so from their house and that others would flee to their house because it was surrounded by a swamp. He talked about how the memories still haunt all those in the area, and in the back of their minds the LRA can still come back if Joseph Kony, their leader, is not caught.
After our conversation I took a walk through the bush. The dry season has turned all the grasses a golden brown. The landscape is similar to being in the savannah. The breeze was really blowing through the grass as if God’s spirit was whispering to this place. I could just hear God saying he was present and there was nothing to fear. I hoped I could be that whispering voice to the people during the week. This land has been torn by war and fear, where the children have been the targets. As I walked and prayed I found a tree that was perfect for climbing. It even had a perfect back rest about 15 feet up for me to relax and watch the grasses blow. My prayers were soon interrupted by the sounds of the drums at the school. I knew the others had gotten the drum circled started and I might wanna head back. As I did, it was if the drums were calling to the kids, and they soon emerged in front of me from out of the bush. The drums remind people of happier times. Times before these kids were ever born, but times we wanted to help them develop. The people here are returning to life, one of peace and joy. As we played games with them the laughter echoed through the hills and was carried off by the breeze. As I watched the others lead the games I noticed that a few older members of the community had now emerged. They stop and stare and smile. Their faces are worn and leathery by the years and the hot sun shining on them. The smiles show the gaps in their teeth but it doesn’t matter. I feel the spirit of God blow through again and the grasses bow and sing their songs of praise. It’s another day in Africa, one of redemption and new life.
Day 2
Today we changed things up a little with our format for camp. We decided to all play a little part and keep all the kids together. We all led games. Then I talked about volcanoes and how God’s love bubbles up inside us like a volcano while Ryan got the experiment ready. Ryan then helped them through the volcano experiment. I then taught them the song “Jesus’ Love is Bubbling Over.” I would have never thought I would use that one, but it went extremely well. Mallory did the object lesson about being dirty. Ryan did the Bible lesson on the woman at the well. Katie went over the memory verse, and then we all colored. It flowed perfectly, and was one of the smoothest days of camp we have had.
That afternoon when we got back I went and climbed up the tree. I was pretty tired from the sickness in my lungs now, but it is always good to just get away. The grass is on fire on the hillsides. They burn it to get the soil ready for the next year. The fires are close enough that once I get above the 10 foot grass, the popping of the fires makes it sound like I am sitting in a gigantic bowl of rice crispies. The fires carry on all night and once the sun goes down you can see orange glows all around. The stars are amazing here too. No light to block the view. As I stood and looked up at them I thought about how sometimes we have to be in the really dark places in order to appreciate God’s glory. Sometimes we even have to go through the fires. It is after we come to the other side of those fires though that God is ready to plant a new seed in us.
Day 3
Yep, I‘m still sick. My sinus cold now has my lungs hating life and there is mucus everywhere. Last night I hardly slept because breathing was tuff and my head was pounding. Finally, the sun came up, and I got up with it. We decided to stick with what worked the day before. So, we each played games. Then Mallory and Katie taught them “Come Away with Me.” This has really been our theme song for the trip and it was great listening to the kids trying to sing it. Then I gave the Jesus is the Messiah message. This is week number 5 of giving this talk and it is always different. Needless to say, I am always amazed at how God uses it to speak to them. We colored at the end. The rest of my morning was filled with Katie pouring salt water down my nose, Not Pleasant!
Day 4
As we have gone through the week our crowd has continued to grow. Today we have around 130 kids. The last day is also fun because we don’t have to explain the games 10 times. It is so nice to watch their faces light up and the giggles to come from them as we play each day. The joy is really returning. Before Mallory talked about sharing God’s love with others, we sang the two songs we taught them. The words in “Come Away” go – I have a plan for you. I have a plan for you. It’s gonna be wild. It’s gonna be great. It’s gonna be full of me. Those words are written to be God singing over us. God does have a plan for each one of them. I know he has used them to help me.
Today we finished with gift giving. We passed out donations from lots of different places. We had dolls, dresses, skirts, shoes, toothbrushes, bags, and assorted other things. We let each child come in and pick something they wanted. They would smile and kneel after receiving their gift. As I prayed to close out our time with them, I couldn’t help but wonder who had given who the gift. These kids follow us around and watch our every move. We play games, sing song, and give them God’s word. However, they show us joy, teach us how to rely on God, and prove that Hope can overcome so much. It has been such a great week. I am so thankful for what this place means to me. I am thankful that God makes beautiful things out of ugly situations. I am thankful that Jesus’ love in bubbling over!
Today the LRA are still operating. They have been forced into the Democratic Republic of Congo right now. Peace has started to return to Gulu. That’s where we headed, to Gulu, for camp at two different schools for a week. It was a chance to go back to where this love affair with Africa began for me. It is a chance to see the area and hear the stories first hand. More importantly, it is a chance to share God’s love to people who have lived a life of terror.
I will write about the two schools separately as they are very different tales. Some of the information will overlap. Bear with me as I think they are essential to each or it’s just that I like to talk :). So here we go.
We left for Gulu Monday afternoon. We were supposed to leave before lunch, but things just didn’t work out that way. So the 4 Americans, our driver and son, our cook, and our security guard hit the road for the 5 hour or so drive to Gulu and then the 30 minutes to the school we would be camping in. As we had just reached the outside of Kampala our tire blew. This isn’t our first blown tire, so I jumped off to help. Unfortunately, we had a broken jack. We were able to drive to the next town to get some help. However, this took about an hour and a half of our day. That meant we would be pushing it to get there before dark. The ride is long and for the most part the landscape looks the same. The further north we went, the more you could tell it was dry season, as everything was turning brown. Ryan and I had been to Gulu for a day about two months ago. This however was the girl’s first trip. I was excited for them to see the Nile for the first time. I think most of us think of it as it is in Egypt, where it is calm and floods. In Uganda, though, it is a raging torrent of water. They were pretty surprised and amazed at what they saw, and it is an awesome sight. As we were entering the Gulu area, the sun was setting and as the worship songs played through the speakers I could not help but pray for this area so transformed by pain. As we headed out of Gulu and towards Andrew Macovy, the road we travel is the very road that soo many children would commute on. It was the road that was attacked by the LRA the most. Most of the thousands of children would pack into St Mary’s Hospital in Lacor, and as we drove by it I gave a thank you. The rest of the 10 kilometers from the hospital to our school were filled with thoughts of what it must have been like each night. We got there well after dark and unloaded most of our stuff. We were all tired so we left things for the morning and headed for the beds. As we were getting into the beds one of our three Acholi translators told us that the mosquitoes were bad here. Yeah that was no joke. They were everywhere and I think I saw some of them flying around with some small goats. They were that big. I didn’t sleep well that night as I was not feeling well and it was hot. The mosquitoes on my net were pretty loud too.
Day 1
The next morning when I woke I wasn’t feeling great. A sinus headache had formed and my nose was pretty runny. We were running the camp at Andrew McCovy in the mornings and then driving to Ayila in the afternoons. As we waited for the kids to get there I sat down with one of our translators named Godfrey. I asked him if he had always lived in Gulu and was he here during the war. Both of those were yeses. So I asked him what it had been like. He talked to me about making the commutes every day. All activites would stop by four in the afternoon. The road, which is the main road to Sudan, would be empty as no one would travel through the region. The dirt would then be filled with thousands of children heading to the hospital. Godfrey said he was actually lucky because he only had to walk about 5 kilometers to get there from where his family lived. Others would walk up to 15 kilometers every night to get there. Then early in the morning before the sun was up they would rise, gather their stuff, and wait for the light. Then they would head back home to go about the day as if it was normal. But it wasn’t. Godfrey told me about friends who were captured and family members who were taken and raped. He shared how gun shots would get within 300 yards or so from their house and that others would flee to their house because it was surrounded by a swamp. He talked about how the memories still haunt all those in the area, and in the back of their minds the LRA can still come back if Joseph Kony, their leader, is not caught.
After our conversation I took a walk through the bush. The dry season has turned all the grasses a golden brown. The landscape is similar to being in the savannah. The breeze was really blowing through the grass as if God’s spirit was whispering to this place. I could just hear God saying he was present and there was nothing to fear. I hoped I could be that whispering voice to the people during the week. This land has been torn by war and fear, where the children have been the targets. As I walked and prayed I found a tree that was perfect for climbing. It even had a perfect back rest about 15 feet up for me to relax and watch the grasses blow. My prayers were soon interrupted by the sounds of the drums at the school. I knew the others had gotten the drum circled started and I might wanna head back. As I did, it was if the drums were calling to the kids, and they soon emerged in front of me from out of the bush. The drums remind people of happier times. Times before these kids were ever born, but times we wanted to help them develop. The people here are returning to life, one of peace and joy. As we played games with them the laughter echoed through the hills and was carried off by the breeze. As I watched the others lead the games I noticed that a few older members of the community had now emerged. They stop and stare and smile. Their faces are worn and leathery by the years and the hot sun shining on them. The smiles show the gaps in their teeth but it doesn’t matter. I feel the spirit of God blow through again and the grasses bow and sing their songs of praise. It’s another day in Africa, one of redemption and new life.
Day 2
Today we changed things up a little with our format for camp. We decided to all play a little part and keep all the kids together. We all led games. Then I talked about volcanoes and how God’s love bubbles up inside us like a volcano while Ryan got the experiment ready. Ryan then helped them through the volcano experiment. I then taught them the song “Jesus’ Love is Bubbling Over.” I would have never thought I would use that one, but it went extremely well. Mallory did the object lesson about being dirty. Ryan did the Bible lesson on the woman at the well. Katie went over the memory verse, and then we all colored. It flowed perfectly, and was one of the smoothest days of camp we have had.
That afternoon when we got back I went and climbed up the tree. I was pretty tired from the sickness in my lungs now, but it is always good to just get away. The grass is on fire on the hillsides. They burn it to get the soil ready for the next year. The fires are close enough that once I get above the 10 foot grass, the popping of the fires makes it sound like I am sitting in a gigantic bowl of rice crispies. The fires carry on all night and once the sun goes down you can see orange glows all around. The stars are amazing here too. No light to block the view. As I stood and looked up at them I thought about how sometimes we have to be in the really dark places in order to appreciate God’s glory. Sometimes we even have to go through the fires. It is after we come to the other side of those fires though that God is ready to plant a new seed in us.
Day 3
Yep, I‘m still sick. My sinus cold now has my lungs hating life and there is mucus everywhere. Last night I hardly slept because breathing was tuff and my head was pounding. Finally, the sun came up, and I got up with it. We decided to stick with what worked the day before. So, we each played games. Then Mallory and Katie taught them “Come Away with Me.” This has really been our theme song for the trip and it was great listening to the kids trying to sing it. Then I gave the Jesus is the Messiah message. This is week number 5 of giving this talk and it is always different. Needless to say, I am always amazed at how God uses it to speak to them. We colored at the end. The rest of my morning was filled with Katie pouring salt water down my nose, Not Pleasant!
Day 4
As we have gone through the week our crowd has continued to grow. Today we have around 130 kids. The last day is also fun because we don’t have to explain the games 10 times. It is so nice to watch their faces light up and the giggles to come from them as we play each day. The joy is really returning. Before Mallory talked about sharing God’s love with others, we sang the two songs we taught them. The words in “Come Away” go – I have a plan for you. I have a plan for you. It’s gonna be wild. It’s gonna be great. It’s gonna be full of me. Those words are written to be God singing over us. God does have a plan for each one of them. I know he has used them to help me.
Today we finished with gift giving. We passed out donations from lots of different places. We had dolls, dresses, skirts, shoes, toothbrushes, bags, and assorted other things. We let each child come in and pick something they wanted. They would smile and kneel after receiving their gift. As I prayed to close out our time with them, I couldn’t help but wonder who had given who the gift. These kids follow us around and watch our every move. We play games, sing song, and give them God’s word. However, they show us joy, teach us how to rely on God, and prove that Hope can overcome so much. It has been such a great week. I am so thankful for what this place means to me. I am thankful that God makes beautiful things out of ugly situations. I am thankful that Jesus’ love in bubbling over!
Monday, January 9, 2012
Safety Instruction Card
Most of us have flown on a plane. Just after they shut the doors and start to pull away from the gate, you are asked to watch the flight attendants and are asked to get your safety instruction card out of the seat back in front of you. The flight attendants go over where the exits are, how to buckle and unbuckle your seat belt, what to do in case of emergency, how to get oxygen, and how to use your seat as a floatation device among other things. While this is going on, very few people are listening. Most people are reading the paper, looking out the window, reading another book, or simply not paying attention. Maybe if it is your first flight you might listen. The interesting thing is that they are giving you the information you need to save your life. It is the most important information you could know while on the trip and people don’t pay attention.
Presenting the gospel of Christ is very similar. We are telling people the most important information in their life and ultimately what will save it and people are not paying attention. They are too busy finding something else to do. Maybe they have never heard it and so they pay attention the first time, but after that they think they have already heard it all. And who really takes that safety card out and reads it anyway? How do we respond when we have the keys to a better life and people just don’t listen?
This last week we have had a team of 14 Americans working with us, or really we have been working with them. Each morning we go to the streets. This is actually the most we have been engrossed with the street boys because it is with the same ones every day. Previously, we would be at a different slum or program every day. Now we see the same boys. Each day we see the same problems. We spend our day breaking up fights, fights because they don’t know how to communicate or how to forgive, so we try to teach them. Every day we see boys who are high and hardly able to move. We take away their rags soaked with fuel that they sniff to get high. They kick and scream and yell at us. We try to tell them part of the reason they are sick is because they do this to themselves. We explain that it is doing them harm. The next day, we are stealing the rag again. We see boys with cuts all over their bodies. Some of the cuts are new and some are old. Some of the cuts are on the surface and some are deep and infected. Quickly, each day, they come over to the medical station to get help and attention. I hear Katie and the others who are helping give them instructions for each wound. Don’t pull this off, wash this with soap and water, wear your shoes, or don’t pick at this or it won’t heal. Sometimes we have to get the infection out and it hurts. We try to explain that it is necessary for them to heal, but we still have to hold them during the kicking and screaming. The next day they come back with no bandage, dirty wounds, carrying their shoes, laughing that we are frustrated, and wanting more help. Needless to say, it gets frustrating.
It is a constant fight between what we are trying to teach them and the life they know. Each day when you see one of them come stumbling in smelling horrible or sitting off to the side smoking weed, the desire is to feel defeated and want to give up. However, there is a stronger desire in each of us to love. When we quickly run over to grab their hands and tell them to put the rocks down they have picked up to throw, it is not anger at them but anger at their choices. When we scold them for stealing or biting and make them sit down or tell them they can’t have food if they do it again, it isn’t because we are mad. It is simply because we love them and want them to learn. As I was sharing with an uncle this week about discipline I said, “When I see a kid do something wrong, I don’t let them get away with it. I must discipline them somehow. I want them to learn from their mistake because I love them. If I don’t do anything to correct their behavior then I don’t care enough about them or I don’t love them enough.”
There are many times the boys look at us with tears and angry faces and yell, “Why?” There are many times we try to correct the wrongs with tears in our eyes asking them “Why?” The pain comes from both ends. Each day we find ourselves in prayer for guidance and for their lives to change. We want to see victory and yet this week we have made 4 trips to the hospital for all sorts of things from overdoses to HIV infection to broken arms. It seems as if defeat is all we see.
Then there is me. I go through this cycle every day. I try hard to help those who won’t listen to the voice of reason, accept help from someone who love them, and change to live a better life. However, I realize I am describing myself. My life is full of this same story. Each day God is trying to love me and so many times I push Him away. He has bandaged my wounds, given me clothes to wear, and extended His love to me. Yet I come back with the bandages torn off, wounds infected, shivering in the cold, and running to love something else. Through it all, I scream, “Why?” Sometimes I find myself suffering from the choices I have made, and wallowing around in the punishment that comes from those choices. Other times I find myself simply wrapped up in the arms of love that are always ready for me to run to. I can’t imagine how frustrated God must feel sometimes. I can’t imagine the hurt He feels when we do what will hurt us.
I think about Revelation 3:17-20, “You say, “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.” But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them, and he with me.
I am no different. So many times I have traded the robes of God for the rags of my life. I have heard the words of Christ said to me over and over and yet I don’t always listen. However, just like the boys I do know where to go for the help. Even if I don’t do what I am supposed to do, I still know where to go to be loved. We thank God after days for bringing the worst cases to us to receive the help even if we are frustrated. I thank God for the patience to wait for the boys and love them, AND I thank God for having the patience to love me in my wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked state. Today, I will choose to open the door when I hear God knocking and I will choose2B changed. I will pull out the card from the seat in front of me and read it so I will know how my life can be saved. I thank God for the chance to learn from my friends on the streets and see myself in them.
Presenting the gospel of Christ is very similar. We are telling people the most important information in their life and ultimately what will save it and people are not paying attention. They are too busy finding something else to do. Maybe they have never heard it and so they pay attention the first time, but after that they think they have already heard it all. And who really takes that safety card out and reads it anyway? How do we respond when we have the keys to a better life and people just don’t listen?
This last week we have had a team of 14 Americans working with us, or really we have been working with them. Each morning we go to the streets. This is actually the most we have been engrossed with the street boys because it is with the same ones every day. Previously, we would be at a different slum or program every day. Now we see the same boys. Each day we see the same problems. We spend our day breaking up fights, fights because they don’t know how to communicate or how to forgive, so we try to teach them. Every day we see boys who are high and hardly able to move. We take away their rags soaked with fuel that they sniff to get high. They kick and scream and yell at us. We try to tell them part of the reason they are sick is because they do this to themselves. We explain that it is doing them harm. The next day, we are stealing the rag again. We see boys with cuts all over their bodies. Some of the cuts are new and some are old. Some of the cuts are on the surface and some are deep and infected. Quickly, each day, they come over to the medical station to get help and attention. I hear Katie and the others who are helping give them instructions for each wound. Don’t pull this off, wash this with soap and water, wear your shoes, or don’t pick at this or it won’t heal. Sometimes we have to get the infection out and it hurts. We try to explain that it is necessary for them to heal, but we still have to hold them during the kicking and screaming. The next day they come back with no bandage, dirty wounds, carrying their shoes, laughing that we are frustrated, and wanting more help. Needless to say, it gets frustrating.
It is a constant fight between what we are trying to teach them and the life they know. Each day when you see one of them come stumbling in smelling horrible or sitting off to the side smoking weed, the desire is to feel defeated and want to give up. However, there is a stronger desire in each of us to love. When we quickly run over to grab their hands and tell them to put the rocks down they have picked up to throw, it is not anger at them but anger at their choices. When we scold them for stealing or biting and make them sit down or tell them they can’t have food if they do it again, it isn’t because we are mad. It is simply because we love them and want them to learn. As I was sharing with an uncle this week about discipline I said, “When I see a kid do something wrong, I don’t let them get away with it. I must discipline them somehow. I want them to learn from their mistake because I love them. If I don’t do anything to correct their behavior then I don’t care enough about them or I don’t love them enough.”
There are many times the boys look at us with tears and angry faces and yell, “Why?” There are many times we try to correct the wrongs with tears in our eyes asking them “Why?” The pain comes from both ends. Each day we find ourselves in prayer for guidance and for their lives to change. We want to see victory and yet this week we have made 4 trips to the hospital for all sorts of things from overdoses to HIV infection to broken arms. It seems as if defeat is all we see.
Then there is me. I go through this cycle every day. I try hard to help those who won’t listen to the voice of reason, accept help from someone who love them, and change to live a better life. However, I realize I am describing myself. My life is full of this same story. Each day God is trying to love me and so many times I push Him away. He has bandaged my wounds, given me clothes to wear, and extended His love to me. Yet I come back with the bandages torn off, wounds infected, shivering in the cold, and running to love something else. Through it all, I scream, “Why?” Sometimes I find myself suffering from the choices I have made, and wallowing around in the punishment that comes from those choices. Other times I find myself simply wrapped up in the arms of love that are always ready for me to run to. I can’t imagine how frustrated God must feel sometimes. I can’t imagine the hurt He feels when we do what will hurt us.
I think about Revelation 3:17-20, “You say, “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.” But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them, and he with me.
I am no different. So many times I have traded the robes of God for the rags of my life. I have heard the words of Christ said to me over and over and yet I don’t always listen. However, just like the boys I do know where to go for the help. Even if I don’t do what I am supposed to do, I still know where to go to be loved. We thank God after days for bringing the worst cases to us to receive the help even if we are frustrated. I thank God for the patience to wait for the boys and love them, AND I thank God for having the patience to love me in my wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked state. Today, I will choose to open the door when I hear God knocking and I will choose2B changed. I will pull out the card from the seat in front of me and read it so I will know how my life can be saved. I thank God for the chance to learn from my friends on the streets and see myself in them.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
My cooper coins
Matthew 12:41-44
41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
A few times in my life I have been privileged enough to see this scripture play out. Each time it is quite humbling to see people give out of their poverty. Last week while we were in Buyobe, we saw this scene played out every day. Buyobe, as a community, is even considered poor by the Ugandans. Yet every day when the students would arrive, they would be carrying gifts. One might be carrying an ear of corn, another might have a lemon, and another might hand you some potatoes. You never really knew what they were going to give you. You just knew that it was from the heart and it was all they had and probably a sacrifice to give.
Buyobe is not the only place in which people have given to us and welcomed us. It happens all the time and is a part of their culture and quite Biblical. Not only do we receive the physical gifts, but we have received the gifts of love. This however is not something they are poor in. Jesus sends off the disciples in groups of two in Matthew 10. Check out verses 11-14. Jesus is speaking to the disciples about being welcomed in a place. Now when we have entered homes, schools, churches, or simply walked into someone’s presence we usually hear, “You are welcome.” At first we thought this was very odd since we only use the phrase in the US after hearing thank you. However, I have learned it is best to receive this greeting at first and have the intentions of the person made known. They are giving us their welcome. They are extending their love to us. Needless to say I have never had to entertain the thought of shaking the dust from my feet, and believe me at the end of the day there is quite a bit.
When I look at my own life I desire to live this way. However, more often than not, I find myself checking to see if I can afford the gift. Can I afford to give my time and welcome someone? How much is this going to cost me in the end? Each day here I am reminded to not let my left hand know what my right hand is doing when I give (Matt 6:3). Truthfully it is so freeing. The other day I heard someone describe that giving our gifts was similar to holding an egg. God has given us these eggs (gifts). However, if we hold on to them too tight, then we will crush them and be no good for anybody. I don’t want my hands to be sticky and gross. I want them to be free. I desire to give freely out of my love and faithfulness, regardless of riches or poverty. I want to give all I have. I am trying to learn from my neighbors because they have soo much to teach. I choose2B a sacrificial giver, and in the words of the rapper K’naan, “Yeah Africa, you helped me write this, by showing me to give is priceless!”
41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
A few times in my life I have been privileged enough to see this scripture play out. Each time it is quite humbling to see people give out of their poverty. Last week while we were in Buyobe, we saw this scene played out every day. Buyobe, as a community, is even considered poor by the Ugandans. Yet every day when the students would arrive, they would be carrying gifts. One might be carrying an ear of corn, another might have a lemon, and another might hand you some potatoes. You never really knew what they were going to give you. You just knew that it was from the heart and it was all they had and probably a sacrifice to give.
Buyobe is not the only place in which people have given to us and welcomed us. It happens all the time and is a part of their culture and quite Biblical. Not only do we receive the physical gifts, but we have received the gifts of love. This however is not something they are poor in. Jesus sends off the disciples in groups of two in Matthew 10. Check out verses 11-14. Jesus is speaking to the disciples about being welcomed in a place. Now when we have entered homes, schools, churches, or simply walked into someone’s presence we usually hear, “You are welcome.” At first we thought this was very odd since we only use the phrase in the US after hearing thank you. However, I have learned it is best to receive this greeting at first and have the intentions of the person made known. They are giving us their welcome. They are extending their love to us. Needless to say I have never had to entertain the thought of shaking the dust from my feet, and believe me at the end of the day there is quite a bit.
When I look at my own life I desire to live this way. However, more often than not, I find myself checking to see if I can afford the gift. Can I afford to give my time and welcome someone? How much is this going to cost me in the end? Each day here I am reminded to not let my left hand know what my right hand is doing when I give (Matt 6:3). Truthfully it is so freeing. The other day I heard someone describe that giving our gifts was similar to holding an egg. God has given us these eggs (gifts). However, if we hold on to them too tight, then we will crush them and be no good for anybody. I don’t want my hands to be sticky and gross. I want them to be free. I desire to give freely out of my love and faithfulness, regardless of riches or poverty. I want to give all I have. I am trying to learn from my neighbors because they have soo much to teach. I choose2B a sacrificial giver, and in the words of the rapper K’naan, “Yeah Africa, you helped me write this, by showing me to give is priceless!”
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