Sara Perchan, who I lived with during my time on the mountain, wrote a poem called "Remember. Never Forget." and I feel that it displays much of the emotion I have felt and continue to feel about leaving Uganda, so I decided to share it with you. I think it's quite beautiful and well written.
(by the way, I added some names to fit my personal relationships in parentheses.)
Remember. Never forget.
Where are you, my children? My beautiful children.
Where are you now?
Do you remember me?
Me, Sara (Lauren), your aunt, your sister, your friend.
The one who never came back.
The one who left you on the mountain.
Children.
The days have gone by and I still see your smiles.
Smiles that captured my heart,
I close my eyes, day after day, remembering you.
The images will never leave me.
No one here can understand.
About you.
About the mountain.
About the problems.
About who I really am.
Children.
Not one day has gone by without my thinking of you.
Remembering the mountain.
I will carry the burden of leaving you. My heart aches.
I cannot bear the weight of my decision.
Do you understand why I left?
Does anyone?
Do I?
Children.
I cannot forget.
Namaganda and Charity. My daughters. (David. My son.)
Jackie and Jennifer. My sisters. (Babra, Shadia and Winnie. My sisters.)
David and Jospeh. My brothers. (Rock and Pius. My brothers.)
I close my eyes and long for you.
For the innocent days before the darkness became too dark too ignore.
For the hope of a future together.
For the prayers of what might have been.
I hope my children will forgive me.
(Remember. Never forget.)
Sara Perchan
October 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Two months later.
I doubt that anyone still checks this, but I thought that I would update just in case.
I returned on August 9th and today's date is October 9th. I have been home for two months now. I can still hear the kids' voices and laughter so clearly in my mind, however, that I often feel like that much time could not have passed already. The children have not left my mind for longer than a period of a couple hours in which I am usually sleeping. The conversations that we had still play over in my mind. The laughter and adventures that we shared still bring smiles to my face. The issues that effect them still break my heart. Their names are still uttered in my every prayer. Jireh is still a very present part of my daily life.
The Spring '08 semester was a very difficult one for me and I feel that God gave me a time of peace at Jireh by taking me away from my stresses, worries and concerns for a short time. He used that time to whisper reminders of His love, to remind me of what is important, to align my heart with His, to speak truth to me through the mouths of children (and my amazing roommate). During my time at Jireh, I feel like God further developed my character and allowed me to begin to view myself through His eyes, instead of the eyes of those who surround me here in America. I am so grateful for the time that I was able to spend and the lessons that I learned there.
The transition back to American culture has been a difficult one. Honestly, I often feel that I would rather live on top of a mountain surrounded by loving children, realizing what is truly important and allowing God to provide instead of having internet, electricity and running water at the tip of my fingers. I struggle with the idea that I am spending thousands of dollars and hours gaining an education, instead of getting out and helping the kids. I feel so complacent and distracted and am stuggling to understand my purpose here for the moment.
In the last two weeks, God has reminded me of the vision and mission that He gave me when He first called me to Jireh: to be a voice for the voiceless, to speak for the ones who cannot speak for themselves. He has revealed ways that I can apply that vision to my life here. He has shown me people who are broken and hurting right before my eyes. He has revealed to me a career path in which I can apply this vision. He has allowed me to still be a voice for the children at Jireh.
Although I do not completely know where this journey of life is headed at this point, I know that I am going in the right direction. I am where God wants me to be for the moment. And the children of Jireh are safely nested in my heart. We will walk this journey together.
I returned on August 9th and today's date is October 9th. I have been home for two months now. I can still hear the kids' voices and laughter so clearly in my mind, however, that I often feel like that much time could not have passed already. The children have not left my mind for longer than a period of a couple hours in which I am usually sleeping. The conversations that we had still play over in my mind. The laughter and adventures that we shared still bring smiles to my face. The issues that effect them still break my heart. Their names are still uttered in my every prayer. Jireh is still a very present part of my daily life.
The Spring '08 semester was a very difficult one for me and I feel that God gave me a time of peace at Jireh by taking me away from my stresses, worries and concerns for a short time. He used that time to whisper reminders of His love, to remind me of what is important, to align my heart with His, to speak truth to me through the mouths of children (and my amazing roommate). During my time at Jireh, I feel like God further developed my character and allowed me to begin to view myself through His eyes, instead of the eyes of those who surround me here in America. I am so grateful for the time that I was able to spend and the lessons that I learned there.
The transition back to American culture has been a difficult one. Honestly, I often feel that I would rather live on top of a mountain surrounded by loving children, realizing what is truly important and allowing God to provide instead of having internet, electricity and running water at the tip of my fingers. I struggle with the idea that I am spending thousands of dollars and hours gaining an education, instead of getting out and helping the kids. I feel so complacent and distracted and am stuggling to understand my purpose here for the moment.
In the last two weeks, God has reminded me of the vision and mission that He gave me when He first called me to Jireh: to be a voice for the voiceless, to speak for the ones who cannot speak for themselves. He has revealed ways that I can apply that vision to my life here. He has shown me people who are broken and hurting right before my eyes. He has revealed to me a career path in which I can apply this vision. He has allowed me to still be a voice for the children at Jireh.
Although I do not completely know where this journey of life is headed at this point, I know that I am going in the right direction. I am where God wants me to be for the moment. And the children of Jireh are safely nested in my heart. We will walk this journey together.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Faces for the names.
I am not quite ready to update you on life back in the states yet, so I have decided to post a couple pictures so you can see a little bit of what my eyes got to see.
This is Nathanael, the baby I fell in love with at Amani Baby Cottage in Jinja. He's got the greatest smile in the world, for sure.
This is Senyondo David, the nursery class boy that runs to me every morning with open arms. And yes, that is the smile that lights up my life. :)
Meet Mukisa Rock, my crazy but amazing little brother. The name Mukisa means blessing and that is exactly what he is. :)
This is Erik Kabanda, the little boy that I sponsor and met through World Vision. :)
This is Sara Perchan, the amazing woman that I had the pleasure of sharing a room with, taking a nap with our precious puppies. Within the next two weeks, Sara will become the only long-termer on the mountain because the others are leaving. Keep her in your prayers, please.
There isn't really a special meaning behind this picture, it just makes me feel warm and cozy inside. Amazing kids and bubbles, what more do you need in life?
These kids are, without a doubt, the most amazing kids at Jireh. This is all of my favorite, most special kids in one picture! :)
These kids are, without a doubt, the most amazing kids at Jireh. This is all of my favorite, most special kids in one picture! :)
That's all I have for now. I will try to update again soon with some thoughts and reflections. Until then, think about and pray for these kids. :)
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Week 8
This weekend brought quite a surprise to Sara and I. We walked to a nearby field to watch the kids play football. We weren't even there for five minutes before the kids ran to us with puppies that they had found abandoned in a bush. Their eyes weren't opened yet, so they were very young, not to mention starving and tired, so Sara and I decided to take them home with us! The kids all think that we are crazy (most of them are scared of the dogs because they aren't used to seeing them as pets), but the kids are adjusting to them quite nicely. Unfortunately, one of the puppies passed away lastnight, but two remain - Gift and Patience. :)
The kids are beginning to realize that I am leaving next Friday and it has been rough. Hard to tell them that it's okay and need to just enjoy the time that we have left. Hard to convince them that they have made a huge impact on my life and I will not forget them. Hard because I want to ignore that the time is approaching. Hard because some of them have already started to distance themselves.
There are about six kids that I have gotten super close to and I have started writing letters that I will leave with them when I go. It's difficult to put feelings and memories into words, but it is important that they realize how much I love them and how much I have learned about love because of them. It's unbelievable how, despite the language/culture/age barriers, they have loved me and cared for me more unconditionally than many other friends that I have had in my lifetime. I have learned from them what it means to really love others more than yourself. I am hoping that I can implement that kind of love into my daily life when I return so other can experience a piece of what I have experienced here.
I just finished reading "Through Painted Deserts" by Donald Miller, in which he leaves home and travels the U.S. in a van with a friend. In it, he says "It feels again like we are leaving, like we are leaving who we were and moving into the people we will become." That is how I feel. I am not quite sure who I am becoming, but I know that I am definitely different than the person I was before I left home.
This is the last update I will make from Uganda, because I have only one week remaining and want to spend as much time as possible with the kids. I will update when I arrive back home to tell you about my last week, as well as the joys of culture shock and jet lag.
Thank you all for your prayers and support. LOVE.
The kids are beginning to realize that I am leaving next Friday and it has been rough. Hard to tell them that it's okay and need to just enjoy the time that we have left. Hard to convince them that they have made a huge impact on my life and I will not forget them. Hard because I want to ignore that the time is approaching. Hard because some of them have already started to distance themselves.
There are about six kids that I have gotten super close to and I have started writing letters that I will leave with them when I go. It's difficult to put feelings and memories into words, but it is important that they realize how much I love them and how much I have learned about love because of them. It's unbelievable how, despite the language/culture/age barriers, they have loved me and cared for me more unconditionally than many other friends that I have had in my lifetime. I have learned from them what it means to really love others more than yourself. I am hoping that I can implement that kind of love into my daily life when I return so other can experience a piece of what I have experienced here.
I just finished reading "Through Painted Deserts" by Donald Miller, in which he leaves home and travels the U.S. in a van with a friend. In it, he says "It feels again like we are leaving, like we are leaving who we were and moving into the people we will become." That is how I feel. I am not quite sure who I am becoming, but I know that I am definitely different than the person I was before I left home.
This is the last update I will make from Uganda, because I have only one week remaining and want to spend as much time as possible with the kids. I will update when I arrive back home to tell you about my last week, as well as the joys of culture shock and jet lag.
Thank you all for your prayers and support. LOVE.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Another busy week, many more wonderful memories...
Last Saturday, the Dutch team that is doing construction at Jireh ordered two lowrys so we could take all of the kids to Nabugabu Beach! We piled all of the kids and ourselves onto the lowrys - girls on one, boys on the other - and off we went to Nabugabu, singing the whole way. While Nabugabu is far different than Huntington Beach, we had an amazing day! It was so much fun to watch the kids splash around in the water, laugh, play football (soccer) and just enjoy time away from school. I also got a lovely surprise...Emily, a girl from my team who was staying in Jinja met us there! I had so much fun catching up with her, laughing and taking pictures!
Perhaps the biggest highlight of the week was meeting Eric Kabanda, the child that I have been sponsoring through Worldvision for almost two years now. A truck from worldvision came to the mountain and picked me up on Tuesday morning, they then took me 70km north of Kampala to the village where Eric lives. When we arrived at his house, his 5 siblings, mother, two stepfathers, grandparents, and some other friends were all there to greet me! Eric is a very shy boy, but when I greeted him in Luganda, he smiled and after I spent some time there he warmed up to me. I was able to see the pump where he fetches water, his church and his school. I even met his teacher! After the tour of his village, we exchanged gifts. I brought a backpack filled with toys - bubbles, a slinky, an etch-a-sketch, paint, markers, a notepad, balls, glowsticks, candy - so I got to show Eric and his siblings how to play with all of the new toys. Eric's family gave me an amazing array of fruit - bananas, mangoes, guava, passion fruit, jac fruit - and Eric gave me some other special gifts that I will treasure forever. It was an awesome experience!
As far as Jireh goes, the kids have been teaching me more Luganda words, they finally approve of my clothes washing abilities and I was given a Luganda name, "Sanyu," which means "happy." I have been spending every moment of sunlight (when the kids are not in class) with the kids, just enjoying the time that I have left. I have had some amazing, encouraging, comforting, and inspiring conversations, made some new friends, and gotten more attached to the old ones. It has been great.
I am so grateful that God has brought me to Jireh. Everyday I am reminded how amazing God is - whether through the beautiful landscape, children singing, a conversation or a simple moment. It's so easy for me to see His presence here. The trick will be understanding that God has equally amazing ways of revealing Himself to me when I am back home. I know that He does, I just need to work on not getting distracted and looking for Him in everything.
I have only two weeks remaining, and I know that it will be extremely difficult to say goodbye, but I am so grateful for the relationships that I have developed and the lessons that I have learned. They are remarkable - far better than I ever could have imagined.
Perhaps the biggest highlight of the week was meeting Eric Kabanda, the child that I have been sponsoring through Worldvision for almost two years now. A truck from worldvision came to the mountain and picked me up on Tuesday morning, they then took me 70km north of Kampala to the village where Eric lives. When we arrived at his house, his 5 siblings, mother, two stepfathers, grandparents, and some other friends were all there to greet me! Eric is a very shy boy, but when I greeted him in Luganda, he smiled and after I spent some time there he warmed up to me. I was able to see the pump where he fetches water, his church and his school. I even met his teacher! After the tour of his village, we exchanged gifts. I brought a backpack filled with toys - bubbles, a slinky, an etch-a-sketch, paint, markers, a notepad, balls, glowsticks, candy - so I got to show Eric and his siblings how to play with all of the new toys. Eric's family gave me an amazing array of fruit - bananas, mangoes, guava, passion fruit, jac fruit - and Eric gave me some other special gifts that I will treasure forever. It was an awesome experience!
As far as Jireh goes, the kids have been teaching me more Luganda words, they finally approve of my clothes washing abilities and I was given a Luganda name, "Sanyu," which means "happy." I have been spending every moment of sunlight (when the kids are not in class) with the kids, just enjoying the time that I have left. I have had some amazing, encouraging, comforting, and inspiring conversations, made some new friends, and gotten more attached to the old ones. It has been great.
I am so grateful that God has brought me to Jireh. Everyday I am reminded how amazing God is - whether through the beautiful landscape, children singing, a conversation or a simple moment. It's so easy for me to see His presence here. The trick will be understanding that God has equally amazing ways of revealing Himself to me when I am back home. I know that He does, I just need to work on not getting distracted and looking for Him in everything.
I have only two weeks remaining, and I know that it will be extremely difficult to say goodbye, but I am so grateful for the relationships that I have developed and the lessons that I have learned. They are remarkable - far better than I ever could have imagined.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Lessons.
The past week and a half has gone by so quickly and has been so filled that I find it difficult to organize and recount the events.
Janet (the sponsorship coordinator), Heather, Jacob and I spent a week taking photos of and getting information for each of the 250+ children at Jireh. We had the sponsored children write letters and draw pictures for their sponsors. We compared family lists to the information we had to figure out who actually lives at Jireh and who are the day scholars. Heather, Jacob and Julie then put all of the information in the computer. Needless to say, it was a lot of work, but we accomplished a lot!
The Texas Team left yesterday morning and it was sad to see them go. They really became my team and they accepted me as one of their own. Watching their tearful goodbyes made me so glad that I don't have to leave yet, but it made me realize how difficult it will be to say goodbye. The kids have become my life and each of them hold a different piece of my heart and my day. I am going to make the most of my last three weeks here, because time is too short.
We were faced with several small injustices this past week and I am in the process of learning how to handle them in a healthy way. Whether they are in the form of jiggers in a boy's foot, sores on a girl's head, having to send barefoot pre-schoolers to walk home in the rain without jackets, or children not receiving enough food, I can't break down crying and I can't write it off with a simple "This is Africa..." I am learning to be a problem solver and to simply love when nothing else works.
I am learning to focus on the good, to see past the pain and hurt and to remember that God is good. I got to give out 300 glowsticks and hear the kids laugh and play. I have had the chance to spend a couple evenings in the Nissi girls dorm talking, laughing and building relationships. I have a nursery child named David who runs to me with open arms every morning, whose smile lights up my life. I have a crazy 16-year old "little brother" named Rock...an answer to a Christmas wish from long ago. ;) Really, the list goes on and on. God is good.
I am reading The Irresistable Revolution by Shane Claiborne and he talks about a Mother Theresa quote that says, "Following Jesus is simple, but not easy. Love until it hurts and then love more." I think that has been the biggest lesson I have learned here. Loving with everything that I have because THEY hurt. Pouring myself out in hopes that they can be filled. Being fully here because there is nowhere else I'd rather be. Falling in love, giving everything that I have because I just dont care about myself anymore.
The lessons I am learning are difficult, but they are beautiful. And I know, without a doubt, that there is nowhere I'd rather be learning them and no one I'd rather learn them from.
Janet (the sponsorship coordinator), Heather, Jacob and I spent a week taking photos of and getting information for each of the 250+ children at Jireh. We had the sponsored children write letters and draw pictures for their sponsors. We compared family lists to the information we had to figure out who actually lives at Jireh and who are the day scholars. Heather, Jacob and Julie then put all of the information in the computer. Needless to say, it was a lot of work, but we accomplished a lot!
The Texas Team left yesterday morning and it was sad to see them go. They really became my team and they accepted me as one of their own. Watching their tearful goodbyes made me so glad that I don't have to leave yet, but it made me realize how difficult it will be to say goodbye. The kids have become my life and each of them hold a different piece of my heart and my day. I am going to make the most of my last three weeks here, because time is too short.
We were faced with several small injustices this past week and I am in the process of learning how to handle them in a healthy way. Whether they are in the form of jiggers in a boy's foot, sores on a girl's head, having to send barefoot pre-schoolers to walk home in the rain without jackets, or children not receiving enough food, I can't break down crying and I can't write it off with a simple "This is Africa..." I am learning to be a problem solver and to simply love when nothing else works.
I am learning to focus on the good, to see past the pain and hurt and to remember that God is good. I got to give out 300 glowsticks and hear the kids laugh and play. I have had the chance to spend a couple evenings in the Nissi girls dorm talking, laughing and building relationships. I have a nursery child named David who runs to me with open arms every morning, whose smile lights up my life. I have a crazy 16-year old "little brother" named Rock...an answer to a Christmas wish from long ago. ;) Really, the list goes on and on. God is good.
I am reading The Irresistable Revolution by Shane Claiborne and he talks about a Mother Theresa quote that says, "Following Jesus is simple, but not easy. Love until it hurts and then love more." I think that has been the biggest lesson I have learned here. Loving with everything that I have because THEY hurt. Pouring myself out in hopes that they can be filled. Being fully here because there is nowhere else I'd rather be. Falling in love, giving everything that I have because I just dont care about myself anymore.
The lessons I am learning are difficult, but they are beautiful. And I know, without a doubt, that there is nowhere I'd rather be learning them and no one I'd rather learn them from.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
My dreads are gone...
Yes, it's true. The secondary girs have decided that my dreads were not good enough and took them out! It was quite a long and painful process, but they have assured me that they will fix them African style. Hooray! I am not really sure why I mentioned that first. It definitely was not most important...
Anyway, this week has been pretty great, how could it not be? I am in a beautiful place, surrounded by beautiful people, loving on children all day long. I LOVE IT! Because there is no electricity on the mountain, I gave my camera batteries and charger to Jim and Robin to be charged, but they have not made it back up yet, so I am at a standstill as far as progress goes. I only have pictures finished for part of one family. AY! I am working on complete lists for each family and figuring out who actually lives at Jireh and who is a day schooler. It's quite tedious, because records are all handwritten and much of the information is inaccurate, but it's all good.
The kids are amazing and I absolutely love spending time with them, asking questions, answering questions, pretending that I know Luganda, having them teach me Luganda. We
laugh alot and I am cherishing every moment, trying to spend every second of daylight with them!
I spoke about Mackie's sister, Susan, in a previous post, but have since found out that she is not Mackie's sister afterall. WOW, crazy, eh? Susan was just her best friend, NOT her sister. There is another girl at Jireh named Winnie who has the same dad as Mackie, but a different mother. Mackie's mom raised Winnie as her own, though. Winnie and I have been spending a lot of time together the last two weeks. She told me about the day that Mackie died, and she even showed me the letters and pictures that I had sent to Mackie. She has a picture of my family that she keeps with her and she prays for us everyday! I am just glad that I get to love on her sister still, even though it's not who I thought it was! Haha...
I have a wonderful new friend named Sara who will be at Jireh for nine months! Her and I have been spending a lot of time together and she has been a real encouragement. It's really nice to have a fellow mzungu around...someone who really understands (and speaks your language)!
Time is running low...long story short, I LOVE BEING HERE and things are going great. God is amazing and His presence is obvious everyday. He has blessed me with wonderful friends - mzungus and ugandans. And my phone is fixed so I got to talk to my momma!! Thank you all for your love and support! I will write again next week!
Anyway, this week has been pretty great, how could it not be? I am in a beautiful place, surrounded by beautiful people, loving on children all day long. I LOVE IT! Because there is no electricity on the mountain, I gave my camera batteries and charger to Jim and Robin to be charged, but they have not made it back up yet, so I am at a standstill as far as progress goes. I only have pictures finished for part of one family. AY! I am working on complete lists for each family and figuring out who actually lives at Jireh and who is a day schooler. It's quite tedious, because records are all handwritten and much of the information is inaccurate, but it's all good.
The kids are amazing and I absolutely love spending time with them, asking questions, answering questions, pretending that I know Luganda, having them teach me Luganda. We
laugh alot and I am cherishing every moment, trying to spend every second of daylight with them!
I spoke about Mackie's sister, Susan, in a previous post, but have since found out that she is not Mackie's sister afterall. WOW, crazy, eh? Susan was just her best friend, NOT her sister. There is another girl at Jireh named Winnie who has the same dad as Mackie, but a different mother. Mackie's mom raised Winnie as her own, though. Winnie and I have been spending a lot of time together the last two weeks. She told me about the day that Mackie died, and she even showed me the letters and pictures that I had sent to Mackie. She has a picture of my family that she keeps with her and she prays for us everyday! I am just glad that I get to love on her sister still, even though it's not who I thought it was! Haha...
I have a wonderful new friend named Sara who will be at Jireh for nine months! Her and I have been spending a lot of time together and she has been a real encouragement. It's really nice to have a fellow mzungu around...someone who really understands (and speaks your language)!
Time is running low...long story short, I LOVE BEING HERE and things are going great. God is amazing and His presence is obvious everyday. He has blessed me with wonderful friends - mzungus and ugandans. And my phone is fixed so I got to talk to my momma!! Thank you all for your love and support! I will write again next week!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Week Three.
I only have 18 minutes on this computer, so here is a quick update on the past week...
Saying goodbye to the team was pretty hard. I met some absolutely amazing people, but they left me with wonderful, encouraging letters that I have loved reading when times get tough. I love you guys!
I have moved into my room on the mountain and it's actually quite nice to have my own little place to retreat to once the day ends. I spend two hours a morning with the nursury class helping them paint, sing, and draw. They are probably the most precious kids in the world and I am loving the time I get to spend with them. The rest of my morning is spent doing random projects for Jim and Robin...whether typing or painting rooms. The afternoon and evening are spent with the kids. I didnt think that it was possible to fall more in love with these kids, but they are so amazing. I love getting to know each and every one of them.
I had a rough day earlier this week feeling lonely, unproductive, frustrated by the language barrier, but God is faithful and blessed me with special words from a child and hugs and smiles all around. I know that there will be rough days, but in the end, it is so worth it.
Jim and I toured Uganda Child Care earlier this week and got a bunch of ideas from them. They support 6 different schools with sponsorship and have been developed for quite some time so they had some great ideas. My plan for the rest of my time here is to focus on a family group a week for each of the six weeks remaining. During that time, I will have all of the kids write letters to their sponsors, take new pictures, update the database with the children's information and take video of different aspects of their family life (family worship, meal times, tours of their dormitories). The videos will then be available for the sponsors.
The woman who is in charge of the sponsorship program arrives next on Friday, so pray that we will be able to work effectively together and that she will be open to my ideas.
Thank you all for your support. I love and miss you guys, but I am really enjoying my time here and am dreading the day that I have to say goodbye to my kids. Yes, I said MY kids. haha. :)
Saying goodbye to the team was pretty hard. I met some absolutely amazing people, but they left me with wonderful, encouraging letters that I have loved reading when times get tough. I love you guys!
I have moved into my room on the mountain and it's actually quite nice to have my own little place to retreat to once the day ends. I spend two hours a morning with the nursury class helping them paint, sing, and draw. They are probably the most precious kids in the world and I am loving the time I get to spend with them. The rest of my morning is spent doing random projects for Jim and Robin...whether typing or painting rooms. The afternoon and evening are spent with the kids. I didnt think that it was possible to fall more in love with these kids, but they are so amazing. I love getting to know each and every one of them.
I had a rough day earlier this week feeling lonely, unproductive, frustrated by the language barrier, but God is faithful and blessed me with special words from a child and hugs and smiles all around. I know that there will be rough days, but in the end, it is so worth it.
Jim and I toured Uganda Child Care earlier this week and got a bunch of ideas from them. They support 6 different schools with sponsorship and have been developed for quite some time so they had some great ideas. My plan for the rest of my time here is to focus on a family group a week for each of the six weeks remaining. During that time, I will have all of the kids write letters to their sponsors, take new pictures, update the database with the children's information and take video of different aspects of their family life (family worship, meal times, tours of their dormitories). The videos will then be available for the sponsors.
The woman who is in charge of the sponsorship program arrives next on Friday, so pray that we will be able to work effectively together and that she will be open to my ideas.
Thank you all for your support. I love and miss you guys, but I am really enjoying my time here and am dreading the day that I have to say goodbye to my kids. Yes, I said MY kids. haha. :)
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Masaka
Wow, the last week has been so busy! We are now in Masaka, which is where I will be spending the rest of my time in Uganda! I will try to recap the past week as much as possible, but I am sure that there will be details that I will forget about. Anyway, here goes...
The first day here, I was overwhelmed with the idea of going back to Jireh and not seeing Mackie. I actually spent about twenty minutes crying that morning. (Yay for being open about emotional breakdowns! haha.) Luckily, there were a couple people on my team who knew the story and they provided a lot of comfort and support. One of my friends told me that even though I had lost one, I had many more to reach. That really encouraged me and helped prepare me to go.
Robin and Jim (the founders of Jireh Ministries) met us at the hotel and rode with us to Jireh. As we reached the top of the mountain and could see the Children's Center, Robin said "Welcome home, Lauren." Immediately I felt a peace and knew that this is exactly where I am supposed to be.
One of the first kids I saw when I got off the bus was Susan, Mackie's sister. She seemed very happy to see me, but at the same time, she seemed unsure. A group of other girls from last year crowded around and they were talking to each other in Luganda. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but I kept hearing Mackie's name and then they would point to me every once in a while. I kept saying, "I know about Mackie," but they didnt understand me. Finally, one of the girls said "Mackie is dead." I told them that I knew and then I gave Susan a hug. I told her that I was there to spend time with her and with all of the other kids there. She smiled, and she has not left my side ever since. I have a sweet group of girls and a couple of rockin' boys that I spend most of my time with and I am really excited to get to know more of the kids.
The biggest highlight to the week was a mzungu (white people) vs. Uganda football (soccer) game on Thursday. We basically got a bunch of street kids and village people together and had them watch the mzungu Americans play a ugandan team. At half time, one of the pastors spoke and shared the gospel. My team leader, Natasha, and I were able to talk with a very confused man about Jesus. He asked a lot of questions and the Lord gave us a lot of answers and his mind was cleared and he accepted the Lord. It was an AMAZING experience and I am really glad that I got to be a part of it.
The team leaves tomorrow and I am not excited about saying goodbye. I have met a lot of great people and they have become a great support system and encouragement for me. It will be really different to be on this journey by myself, but I am really excited to see how it goes. I found out that I will be living in a back room of the clinic at Jireh. It's quite...quaint. It will be an adjustment, but I think it will be good. I will only be using the computer about once a week when I can make it into town because there is no electricity at the Children's Center.
Sorry if this is messy, I dont have time to proof-read. I hope that all is well with you in the states, I can't wait to get some emails and hear some stories! All my love!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
On traveling, babies and prayer.
So, I suppose I should begin this by saying that I am safe and sound in Uganda and completely loving my time here already. I would like to tell you as much as I can about this past week, however, it is currently 12:12 am on Friday morning and we have breakfast at 7am, so I should probably attempt to get some rest!
Traveling here was long, and...well, long. We arrived at the hotel at 5:30am on Saturday, my direct flight to London left at 1:10pm. We had an eleven hour layover in London and we were able to leave the airport and experience the city. We rode the Underground, visited Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace (saw the changing of the guards), and Big Ben. You know, the works. It was quite wonderful until we arrived back to the airport to find that my baggage claim tickets were the only ones of the group that had been misplaced and they did not know where my luggage was. Due to the fact that I had not truly slept (with the exception of a two hour nap on the plane) since Thursday night, I broke down in tears. in the airport. in front of my team who were strangers to me. Not the highlight of the trip. Anyway, they were able to locate my luggage (personal and ministry bag) and I was able to identify it and see it put on the plane before we took off for Kenya. We had a four hour layover in Kenya and then landed in Uganda on Monday morning. Luckily, my ministry bag made it to the airport in Uganda, unfortunately my personal bag did not. Bummer. Long story short, it arrived by Wednesday. Yay for showers and clean clothes!
This year, our orphanage ministry in Jinja has been quite different because we are working at two different orphanages, instead of staying only at Amani like we did last year. My half of the orphanage team spent the first two days at Diedra's orphanage which is quite amazing. Diedra grew up in California, but moved to Uganda and started a beautiful orphanage which she built from the ground up. She also has a primary school (preschool) on site. Much of our time spent there was spent doing work projects such as washing the walls, curtains and cushions, painting and whatnot. The kids there were wonderful and it didnt take long for three of them to find their way into my arms and heart. One was Benja (short for Benjamin) who actually started out at Amani, but because he is HIV+ and had slim chances of being adopted was moved to Diedra's. That child was so full of life and energy that it was impossible not to smile when he was around. I dont really have huge stories for Robert and Nora, but they were precious as well. When I said goodbye to Robert, he said, "But Auntie, I love you!" and he kissed me on the cheek. Nora simply said, "I will just go with you." PRECIOUS.
Today (Thursday) and tomorrow was/will be spent at Amani. We are doing work projects in the morning and playing with the kids in the afternoon. This morning we cleaned all of the cribs and kid's beds, mopped floors, and cleaned walls. This afternoon, my heart was once again taken captive (maybe I am not holding onto it very tightly?) by an adorable toddler named Nathanael. He was the first child I picked up today and the last one I put down, for the sole reason that he would not LET me put him down. Tonight our whole team went and had dinner at Amani and they let the toddlers come out to visit. Immediately, I felt a tug on my arm and turned around to see him standing there with arms wide open. I picked him up and he stayed in my arms until he fell asleep and I layed him down at the end of the night. I can't wait to see him tomorrow!
I really need to get to bed, but I just wanted to share that we have implemented a 24-hour prayer room for the trip and people are allowed to sign up for hour-long blocks of time to pray. Well, two friends and I decided to take the hours of 4-6 am this morning. We didn't sleep well, so we went down to the room at 3:15 and stayed there until 6:30. There were six of us total in there praying for eachother, for our team, for the people of Uganda and for our families and friends back home. It was a really amazing time...probably the most memorable and powerful times I have ever spent in prayer. To show the effects of prayer, today was also the most AMAZING day of ministry for all of the teams! We serve a mighty God who is mighty to save and faithful to His people!
I wish I could go into more detail, but my time is up. I love you and thank you for your support. Amazing things are happening here. Continue to pray and I will do my best to update as often as possible. To those who have sent me emails, thank you! I read them all but dont have time to reply. Mom and Dad, I haven't been able to get the phone to work yet. My friend Tyler is going to take a look at it in the morning. We shall see. I love you guys big time!!
Traveling here was long, and...well, long. We arrived at the hotel at 5:30am on Saturday, my direct flight to London left at 1:10pm. We had an eleven hour layover in London and we were able to leave the airport and experience the city. We rode the Underground, visited Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace (saw the changing of the guards), and Big Ben. You know, the works. It was quite wonderful until we arrived back to the airport to find that my baggage claim tickets were the only ones of the group that had been misplaced and they did not know where my luggage was. Due to the fact that I had not truly slept (with the exception of a two hour nap on the plane) since Thursday night, I broke down in tears. in the airport. in front of my team who were strangers to me. Not the highlight of the trip. Anyway, they were able to locate my luggage (personal and ministry bag) and I was able to identify it and see it put on the plane before we took off for Kenya. We had a four hour layover in Kenya and then landed in Uganda on Monday morning. Luckily, my ministry bag made it to the airport in Uganda, unfortunately my personal bag did not. Bummer. Long story short, it arrived by Wednesday. Yay for showers and clean clothes!
This year, our orphanage ministry in Jinja has been quite different because we are working at two different orphanages, instead of staying only at Amani like we did last year. My half of the orphanage team spent the first two days at Diedra's orphanage which is quite amazing. Diedra grew up in California, but moved to Uganda and started a beautiful orphanage which she built from the ground up. She also has a primary school (preschool) on site. Much of our time spent there was spent doing work projects such as washing the walls, curtains and cushions, painting and whatnot. The kids there were wonderful and it didnt take long for three of them to find their way into my arms and heart. One was Benja (short for Benjamin) who actually started out at Amani, but because he is HIV+ and had slim chances of being adopted was moved to Diedra's. That child was so full of life and energy that it was impossible not to smile when he was around. I dont really have huge stories for Robert and Nora, but they were precious as well. When I said goodbye to Robert, he said, "But Auntie, I love you!" and he kissed me on the cheek. Nora simply said, "I will just go with you." PRECIOUS.
Today (Thursday) and tomorrow was/will be spent at Amani. We are doing work projects in the morning and playing with the kids in the afternoon. This morning we cleaned all of the cribs and kid's beds, mopped floors, and cleaned walls. This afternoon, my heart was once again taken captive (maybe I am not holding onto it very tightly?) by an adorable toddler named Nathanael. He was the first child I picked up today and the last one I put down, for the sole reason that he would not LET me put him down. Tonight our whole team went and had dinner at Amani and they let the toddlers come out to visit. Immediately, I felt a tug on my arm and turned around to see him standing there with arms wide open. I picked him up and he stayed in my arms until he fell asleep and I layed him down at the end of the night. I can't wait to see him tomorrow!
I really need to get to bed, but I just wanted to share that we have implemented a 24-hour prayer room for the trip and people are allowed to sign up for hour-long blocks of time to pray. Well, two friends and I decided to take the hours of 4-6 am this morning. We didn't sleep well, so we went down to the room at 3:15 and stayed there until 6:30. There were six of us total in there praying for eachother, for our team, for the people of Uganda and for our families and friends back home. It was a really amazing time...probably the most memorable and powerful times I have ever spent in prayer. To show the effects of prayer, today was also the most AMAZING day of ministry for all of the teams! We serve a mighty God who is mighty to save and faithful to His people!
I wish I could go into more detail, but my time is up. I love you and thank you for your support. Amazing things are happening here. Continue to pray and I will do my best to update as often as possible. To those who have sent me emails, thank you! I read them all but dont have time to reply. Mom and Dad, I haven't been able to get the phone to work yet. My friend Tyler is going to take a look at it in the morning. We shall see. I love you guys big time!!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
13 days.
Bright and early on the morning of June 7th, I will begin my journey to Uganda. The first two weeks of my trip will be spent with a team from Believer's World Outreach - the same organization that I went with last year. Our first week will be spent at Amani Baby Cottage in Jinja, Uganda and the second week will be spent at Jireh Children's Center in Masaka, Uganda. After the BWO team leaves, I will remain at Jireh Children's Center for seven weeks to help with their Children Sponsorship program until August 8th, arriving home on the evening of August 9th. I am, without a doubt, very excited to see what amazing things will take place on this trip! I know that I will experience some awesome things while I am there and I am prepared to fall in love with this beautiful country all over again.
I am very excited to meet up with the BWO team because the people that I have talked to thus far have an overwhelming excitement and passion that is contagious and I am sure that God will use us to accomplish amazing things! I am also excited to love on the babies at Amani, to watch them play, to sing with them, to hear their sweet voices pray and to watch them put on their smart clothes. I am excited to dance with the kids at Jireh, to have them show me that they know how to do the macarena, to crack the tough shells off the boys who think that they are just too cool, to hear them sing praises, to learn Lugandan and to tell them that they are loved. I am overwhelmed with joy when I think of spending nine whole weeks with these kids and I know that it will be the hardest thing ever to say goodbye at the end of the summer. The impact that they have already made is unbelievable.
I must admit, however, that my anxieties are building as the date draws nearer. I will only have nine weeks - seven weeks, really - to focus on the sponsorship program at Jireh and I want to use that time as wisely and effectively as possible. I have some great ideas and dreams of what can happen and what can be accomplished, but I have no idea where to begin to execute these things. I would love to take new pictures of all the children and make sure that they are all on the website. I would like to set up a new filing system with detailed information about each of them. I would like to have the children who are already being sponsored write letters to their sponsors. I would like to record lots of footage with the kids in hopes of making a new sponsorship video. There are many more things that I would like to accomplish while I am there, but I do not know where to begin or how to fit all of that into a mere seven weeks.
Also, a very special little girl that I grew attached to while I was there last summer, Assimwe Maclin, passed away in February. I think that there is a small piece of me that is holding on to a hope that it was all a mistake and I will still see her when I arrive there. I understand that it is irrational, but I am beginning to realize that my arrival there and her absence will begin a whole new step of the grieving process and I am not sure how to prepare for that.
I say these things so you can keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I prepare to leave. I really appreciate all of the support that I have received from my family and friends thus far and I am grateful that you are letting me go and live out the dreams that God has placed in my heart.
I am very excited to meet up with the BWO team because the people that I have talked to thus far have an overwhelming excitement and passion that is contagious and I am sure that God will use us to accomplish amazing things! I am also excited to love on the babies at Amani, to watch them play, to sing with them, to hear their sweet voices pray and to watch them put on their smart clothes. I am excited to dance with the kids at Jireh, to have them show me that they know how to do the macarena, to crack the tough shells off the boys who think that they are just too cool, to hear them sing praises, to learn Lugandan and to tell them that they are loved. I am overwhelmed with joy when I think of spending nine whole weeks with these kids and I know that it will be the hardest thing ever to say goodbye at the end of the summer. The impact that they have already made is unbelievable.
I must admit, however, that my anxieties are building as the date draws nearer. I will only have nine weeks - seven weeks, really - to focus on the sponsorship program at Jireh and I want to use that time as wisely and effectively as possible. I have some great ideas and dreams of what can happen and what can be accomplished, but I have no idea where to begin to execute these things. I would love to take new pictures of all the children and make sure that they are all on the website. I would like to set up a new filing system with detailed information about each of them. I would like to have the children who are already being sponsored write letters to their sponsors. I would like to record lots of footage with the kids in hopes of making a new sponsorship video. There are many more things that I would like to accomplish while I am there, but I do not know where to begin or how to fit all of that into a mere seven weeks.
Also, a very special little girl that I grew attached to while I was there last summer, Assimwe Maclin, passed away in February. I think that there is a small piece of me that is holding on to a hope that it was all a mistake and I will still see her when I arrive there. I understand that it is irrational, but I am beginning to realize that my arrival there and her absence will begin a whole new step of the grieving process and I am not sure how to prepare for that.
I say these things so you can keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I prepare to leave. I really appreciate all of the support that I have received from my family and friends thus far and I am grateful that you are letting me go and live out the dreams that God has placed in my heart.
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