Uganda Day 5

So in Uganda the electricity is not very reliable.  It is commonplace to lose power multiple times a day and throughout the whole weekend—as we had the lovely privilege to experience these last few days.  We are now in Ethiopia and I can’t wait to share the other details of our days in Uganda.  I planned to post in sequential order but my last full day in Uganda, Monday April 30, is tugging at my heart right now.

I was greeted first thing in the morning by Gaster and Sara!  Oh how I loved to see their faces when I walked out of my room each morning.  At least one, usually Gaster, was there waiting to give me a huge smile, hug me and ask me if I had a good night.  I already miss that in the mornings.

But, we started the day ministering to the street children at Pillars of Hope.  These children wander the streets during the days or nights either because they are too poor to go to school and are sent to beg on the streets or their mothers are prostitutes and send them out so the mothers can make their money.  Pillars of Hope takes in these children that would be on the street and teaches them a vocation (sewing, etc) , feeds them a meal daily, gets them in to school and ministers to them.  In all there are about 45 children in the program right now.  All of the children ran to our bus when we pulled up, grasping for our hands to hold and gave us huge hugs.  Ten year old Lillian and nine year old Helen grabbed on to each of my hands so hard.  In their ratted clothes and too-small shoes both girls were just ecstatic and very polite.    

Me and Lillian at Pillars of Hope

All the children sang songs to us (will work on posting video when I can) and we then had a bible story and just played games with the them. Frisbee, soccer, face painting, jump rope.  It was fun! 

Demily from the Sangaalo Baby Cottage met us there as we had a surprise for her.  She came to Jinja with us and we gifted her with a refrigerator from the team.  She can now store any medicines and other fresh fruits, etc in the baby cottage for those precious babies!  One of the couples on our team also blessed her with a stove top.  I had the honor of sitting with her at lunch.  Demily was so very humbled and continued to praise God for everything.  She said, “Now the children will have their meals on time!” I absolutely adore her heart.  I pray I can strive to be more like her. She loves those babies and wants each of them to have a family. 

PRAISE:  The 2 twins, Jennifer and Julia, get to come home from the hospital! 

PRAYER:  Aaron is still sick and will need to stay longer.  He is slowly getting better but needs our prayers.  There is also a new baby Demily will be picking up on Wednesday.  Pray that baby is well and will find a good family.

After some shopping we went to Amani Baby Cottage.  There were about 50 children from ages 3 months-5 years.  Their place is amazing.  The children are very well cared for.  All of the Aunties loved on those children.  They also had a full time nurse on site and room for anyone that wants to stay from a few days to a few months to love on these precious children.  Amani’s first goal is to reunite the children with their parents if they can find them or if they are able to.  If not, they look to have them adopted in Uganda before looking internationally for a family for the children.  They take in all children they legally can:  abandoned children, children with HIV or other diseases (TB, etc), malnourished children, children whose mothers died at birth and the father cannot afford formula (they take them until the child is weaned off formula then reunite him/her with their family).

 

Baby clothes hanging on the clothes line



Baby wall at Amani. The picutures in the green tree by the window are the children where have been adopted internationally, the ones in the red tree are children that were adopted in Uganda, the flowers in the middle are children who have passed away during their stay at Amani (no deaths in the last 2 years!) and the ones in the blocks on the far right are the kids currently staying in thier care. 




This was in the toddler boy preschool room.  :)



I was able to hold 3 month old Frita.  She was so tiny.  I think she is HIV +, as many of the children there are, and also had TB when she first came to Amani.  She was such a sweet little girl.  I was able to old her and pray over her.  What a blessing she is.


One of the team members holding teeny tiny Frita <3


I got some cute laughs from Justine, another baby who is A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!

A pic of me and Justine must be on someone else's camera.  Her is the sweet girl though with another one of our team members. Do you like the hat a church group made for the babies here?  :)

But then, I met the toddler boys and I fell in love!  I went to watch them play outside and all of a sudden I had at least 5 little ones climbing all over me.  Henry, Silas, Richard and Frank (all 2-3 years old) all wanted to sit on my lap at the same time.  If one couldn’t find a spot he got upset and would either push one of the other boys off or look at me with puppy dog eyes.  We sang songs and just roughed around. 

I couldn't get any decent pictures myself since the boys wanted my camera but I know a couple other people got some.  Can't wait to see them!



Me trying to get a picture with Silas and I think that's Henry in the background.




I have about 10 of these picutres. The boys wanted to see what they looked like in the picture before I could take one.  Love these boys!



 

One little boy, Benjamin (almost 5 years old) asked me if I was from America.  I told him I was and he said, “My mommy and daddy are in America!  They are going to come back and get me really soon!  I get to fly on big airplane and go home with them!”  It took all of me to hold back the water works.  Benjamin told me his mom, dad and brother’s name and was just so excited!  What a blessing for this child who will now be raised in a loving home with a family!

 

But Frank, Frank stole a little bit of my heart.  After some rough housing most of the boys ran around me but Frank just sat still on my lap, his head on my chest, not wanting to talk—only to be loved.  All of the Aunties were shocked as he is known as the “wild child”, the one who doesn’t mind and is always getting in to trouble.  I didn’t see that side of him, only this sweet almost-four-year-old little boy who does not have a mommy or daddy to curl up with.  Who does not have a family to read him books at night or tuck him in to bed or kiss his boo boos or tell him “I love you.”  Frank and I must have sat there for 30 minutes, not saying a word but yet saying so much at the same time. 

My heart broke when it was time to leave.  Frank did not want me to get up.  I carried him over to his Aunties, whispered in his ear that I had to go but I loved him.  His Auntie stopped me and said, “We have never seen him this way--e-v-e-r.  Have you ever thought about adoption?”  WHAM.  My heart stopped just a second.  I was not prepared for that question. I mean I'm visiting orphanages where kids are adopted but I wasn't expecting someone to ask ME right then at that moment about it.  I kindly smiled and told her I’ve been thinking about it but I’m not sure yet.  Oh how I would have loved to swoop Frank in my arms that minute and take him home with me.  But honestly, I don’t know what God has planned for me after this trip.  I’m listening though.  And I will answer whatever it is.  It may or may not be adoption but my life will never, never be the same.  As I turned to walk away I could see Frank crying and I lost it too.  I didn’t want to leave.  It was hard to gain my composure after that (and now as I’m typing this).

I knew coming on this trip my heart would be ripped apart, shredded and broken.  I knew it.  I kind of wanted it.  The conditions many children in Uganda don’t have a choice to live in is deplorable.  Children living in tiny one room mud buildings with no running water, little to no food, their mother’s leaving them part of the day to try and find something for them to eat, cows or goats living in the same place as where they lay their head at night.  I look at most of the villages I saw and they are basically just trying to survive.  All of us rich, spoiled Americans are distraught our cell phones don't work for a little bit or the grocery store didn’t have the right brand of peanut butter in stock (even though there are 10 other brands to choose from).  I want to somehow, someway help the next generation of Ugandan children to start to get out of the survival mode they are forced to live daily!  How?  I have no clue.  I will always have a place in my heart for Uganda.  Gaster already wrote to me a note and told me I am coming back!  I’d so love to experience this with Jay!  Maybe next year!  We will see my friends, we will see.

 

Much love from Africa where electricity, running water and the internet don't always work but the LOVE is in abundance!!!

Uganda Day 2

Today was another amazing day in Uganda.  After breakfast we headed to one of the villages of the Karamajong Tribe.  In a nut shell, hundreds of women and children are outcasts with little source of income.  A wonderful ministry, Home Again Ministries, is committed to help provide education, vocational and spiritual training to the least of these. I haven’t had the time to process in my head all I want to share about these special people.  So I will have to wait for another post to share with you the stories behind this

and this

But also this

And this

 

But I do have a special story to share about the blessing we received today getting to know Demily (Pronounced Emily with a D).  Demily is the founder of the Sangaalo baby cottage in Uganda.  She knew at age 9 she wanted to be able to love on lots of children.  She got pregnant at an early age and had to drop out of school.   To provide for her son she moved in to a baby cottage to take care of orphaned children in exchange for food, shelter and schooling for her son.  I could tell by the way she told her story she loved being there.  Demily spoke of Mama Jackie, a woman from California who for years spent all but one or two months out of the year taking care of the babies with Demily in Uganda.  Before one of Mama Jackie’s trips back to the States she told Demily to make sure to take care of the babies in the case she doesn’t return.  Demily was very confused by Mama Jackie’s statement until she stopped received emails from Mama Jackie and learned that Mama Jackie had passed away from cancer.  Demily had us all in tears as we could all see how much she loved Mama Jackie and the inspriate she was to Demily. 

Demily spoke to us at length on her trying to ignore God’s calling for her to care of the many babies she kept dreaming of.  Demily adopted a daughter from Uganda, got married and had two other children thinking that would be sufficient to God.  But, Demily cleared noted several times, she was in fact blatantly ignoring God’s constant motions for her to go back to loving and caring for the many children He needed her to.  Eventually Demily’s husband felt called to help Demily fulfill God’s plan for her.  He sold some land to get the money to rent on a home to take care of Ugandan babies who are abandoned or in need of care.  Thus, Sangaalo Baby Cottage came to be.  Sangaalo means joy in Uganda.  Beautiful isn’t it?



Outside Sangallo Baby Cottage





One of the baby rooms at Sangaalo Baby Cottage




This is sweet Demily sharing her testimony with us.


 

So, today we went to love on the babies Demily cares for.  Right now she has 10 babies—3 sets of twins, an HIV positive little boy (who is sick and was taken to the hospital last night) and other precious little ones who need Demily to love and take care for them.    
WARNING:  PICTURE OVERLOAD!



Me holding 4 month old twin girls Semily and Sara



Chaning diapers




Some of the babies we got to love on today



Semily got passed around quite often.  Praying she and her sister find a loving family!




This little one slept quite a bit while we were there.  He eventually woke up and got some lovin' too. (Although we all through he was a she and put him in a headband :) )




Me and little Semily




This sweet babe took a liking to Sandra.  I don't think she left Sandra's arms the entire time.




I'm kicking myself for not remembering this one's name.  She was sick and fussy.  She loved watching all the kids playing from the front porch though.  She has a twin brother who is also being cared for by Demily.




Look at that face.  L-O-V-E



 

 

Please pray for Jennifer, Julia and Aaron who are sick and in the hospital (one of the set of twins and the little boy with HIV).

Please pray for these other babies to stay healthy and be adopted in to loving families they deserve, either domestic or internationally.  I think of my daughters when I look in to their eyes.  Leah and Julia have a mommy and daddy to run to when they fall down and scrape their knee, when they have a bad dream or when they need a hug.  These precious children need the same.  Someone to love them, protect them, guide them, raise them and support them. 

Please pray for Sangaalo’s needs to be met.  They need formula.  Without it she has to give the children local milk that does not have the nutrients formula does.  We were able to bring her some but they need more.  They are currently in need of another house to rent to care for these babies.  The current house does not have running water, a stove to cook, or a refrigerator.  It also does not have a gate around the property and is in an area where child sacrifice is prevalent.  The main source of income for the cottage is the chickens she keeps in the garage.  The Ugandan government equivalent to Child Services came and told her she can no longer keep the chickens in the garage as it is a health risk to the babies.  Through all of this Demiy knows God will provide.  Demily repeatedly told us how she asks the Lord to forgive her for not having enough faith and trusting in Him.  She wanted all of us to know that if the Lord is calling for us to do something, do not turn a deaf hear to Him.  Do it!  He will always provide. Period. 

With the help of YOUR donations (THANK YOU!), our team here is looking to meet some of these needs.  We are looking at using some of the funds to buy her a refrigerator (to keep Aaron’s HIV medicine, etc) and possibly a chicken coop.

I'm not some awesome/amazing/special person because I came here.  I am simply honored God chose me to see, love and bless His people He loves so much.  This is His story that I want to share, not mine.  His plan, not mine.  All for His glory, not mine. 
 
Hope you enjoy these!  Tomorrow (well this morning) we are visiting Amazina Ministries and also a little fun trip out to King Fisher for a Nile boat tour and dinner. 

Made It!

the internet is too slow and I'm the only one still awake.  I'll upload some pictures soon...

A wave of children rushed the bus as we drove on to the Caanan Children’s Home property this afternoon.  I had just traveled nearly 24 straight hours.  I was tired, my ankles were swollen and I desperately needed a shower.   But all of my gripes went out the window as I locked eyes with several children and reached out to shake their hand.  Every one of them were so happy to see us, to welcome us to their home.  One particular little girl in a red and white polka dot dress caught my attention.  She pointed to me and I saw her say something but not knowing the language I couldn’t make it out.  As I touched her dirty little fingers through the open window she gave me biggest two-front-teeth-missing smile.  It was precious.  I stepped off the bus, surrounded by many other children and before I could even get one foot on Ugandan red soil, there she was smiling again at me.  She quickly grabbed my hand and I gave her a hug.  Just then another young boy came up to me and grabbed my other hand.  He was 10 years old and spoke English very well.  I asked him his name (actually I had to ask him several times and I still can’t get it right).  Both of them kept a hold of my hands as I walked on.  I asked the boy who red polka dot dress girl’s name was.  Her name was Sara.  I saw her name written out on a wooden toy car she was carrying.  It was a beautifully spelled name and I could tell Sara was her nickname.  In the midst of a place some people from the USA would call filth, I only saw beauty.  All of a sudden the smells, the red dirty ground, the tattered clothing the children were wearing all seemed beautiful to me.  We were greeted by the older women who care for these children.  Each one so gracious we were here calling out “Welcome Mama” as they gave me a warm hug.  The welcome reception was overwhelming.  Here we were, coming to bless these children and they had already blessed us with their love. 

We spent the next several hours hanging out getting to know some of the children.  Each one of the 23 members on our trip had many children hanging on them.  Gaster (the 10 year old that I think I still have butchered his name here) had the cutest accent and showed me around his home.  Sara and her friend followed along glued to my hand.  We saw where they live, where the little kids have school, where their kitchen, chapel and playground were.  There was a mix of Luanda and English being spoken all around me. 

I eventually sat on the grass with some of the children and got out my camera and starting taking pictures.  The kids loved to see themselves.  I attracted quite the crowd videotaping Victor and his friends dancing and just having fun on camera.  I would record them and immediately play it back to them.  Each time I would play a video clip back I had about 10 kids rush to look over my shoulder to see it.  We did this for well over an hour.  I even let Victor take some photos.  He could be quite the photographer some day! 

Gaster taught me a song in Luganda (and the English version).  A couple other children joined in and it was beautiful.  Will definitely try to get it on video next time. 

It was an awesome afternoon.  I can’t wait until tomorrow to see the kids again and spend the day with Home Again ministries visiting the women in the Karamajong Tribe and a baby cottage in the area that houses about 50 orphans ages 0-3. 

Good Night from Uganda!

Africa Bound

Go. Be. Love.  Three simple, yet powerful words that has driven me to move for the last four months and will be my sole existence for the next two weeks.  In a few short hours I will be on a plane destined for Africa.  I am leaving my comfortable lifestyle, my beautiful family, my job, everything to embark on a journey that I have been led to.  Four months ago I didn't know what Visiting Orphans was.  Four months ago I didn't know I was going to go to Africa tomorrow.  Four months ago I was questioning God, "Do you really want me to do this?  Really?  Are you sure?"  Once I said "Well.....okay" and took the first leap of faith by signing up for this trip and making the first $200 payment, not having any clue how I was going to come up with the rest of the money in such a short time, I have been on a wild ride.  What a difference those four months have made in my life.  


I have had so much encouragement from near and far when I decided I needed to do this.  My husband didn't even hesitate to tell me to go when I told him the insane idea I had of leaving him and our girls for two weeks to go on a mission trip.  My parents, who are without a doubt my inspiration to how I hope to parent my girls, were the first to donate and have supported me along the way. My amazing mom is even staying here to help with the girls while I'm away.  (I really would still be packing tomorrow morning if it wasn't without her here too!)  My in-laws opened their home to fund raise and have been a prayer anchor telling all they know to pray for me on this trip.  Family members I have never met have sent me donations.  Family members who I rarely see have supported the trip through encouragement, prayer and donations. My small group class as supported me.  Everyone at work has encouraged me to do this.  Friends from high school I haven't talked to in ages have supported me.  I'm just blown away. 


So tomorrow, with the help of everyone I mentioned above and many more on my Facebook community that has been such a source of encouragement, I embark on this two week trip with Visiting Orphans to Uganda and Ethiopia. I will be living out their mission:  To awaken the body of Christ to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the 163 million orphans by visiting them, loving them, and sharing the Father's heart.  


I am so excited to be given this opportunity!  Thank you to everyone who has supported me through these last four months.  I could not have gotten this far without you.  I love each and every one of you!  I will use this blog to post about my trip while I'm there and when I return. I hope you enjoy the ride with me!  




Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.  James 1:27 NIV