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.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
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!
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