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.