Uganda 2012 Day 8

Uganda Day 8

Its 10:48 and we are finally back in our room for the night.  Pictures uploaded from the day and

Another huge VBS...728 today. I don’t know how we pulled it off, but God is providing strength and peace, excitement and joy and stories and music and enough food for all that came.

Anyone else thinking "where's waldo?"

  I so wish every one that contributed to the team could see the faces of each child as they sit on the floor of a church building, knees touching and hungry enough that as they eat with their tiny brown fingers, every single grain of rice is picked off their plates, any juice from the beans poured into their mouths.  It just seems right to fill their ears with music, their hearts with a bible story and send them home with their tummies full.  We are spent before its over.  Have just enough time to jump in the van to travel to the other church about 1/2 mile away.  We get out, go straight to hand washing and then walk to the front of the meeting room to sit around a table full of plates and pots of rice, beans, and cooked cabbage.  As the women’s leader, it is my responsibility to serve each one on the team.  Dann hates that he cannot help me, but has to sit and be served first.  I love that about him.  When he suggested we keep this up back home, I told him that what happens in Uganda, stays in Uganda!  We have had a ball serving together, him leading at VBS, me teaching at the women’s conference and the two of us teasing each other in between.  After we eat, the conference begins with the praise and worship portion, so demonstrative and sincere.  Sometimes there is power for the microphones, sometimes the rain on the tin roof is so loud, everyone scoots in close and it feels like bible study in the home.  It is a bit more casual this year than in 2010, but has purpose and I can only pray is making some impact in the hearts of Kakira.  Of course Olivia is there each day to help both with the women in the afternoon and helps with leading the music and parachute time with the littlest ones.  She is as sweet as I remember and if I thought coming to the US would not wreck her contentment when she got home, I’d love to have that child come visit for oh 100 years or so! 

We left the village today, dropped off about 8 along the way at several stops, stopped by the hotel for a quick break and to pick up some things and off we went to Raining Hope’s Home for children.  I think there are about 25 or so living there.  They offered us their great appreciation and sang a couple of songs as a group.  Why is it just so touching to see them respond to visitors this way and offer the only thing they have, something of themselves.  We got to tour the house, visit for a little while and hand over about 12 of each of the dresses and shirts.  The children don’t know about them yet, I suppose they will be handed out at a later time.  Some of you gave puzzles and some tic tac toe pads of paper. This was a new game to them and was fun to teach.  Thank you. 

We left and Dot asked the Pastor who oversees the home, for a “spread sheet’s” worth of information just in case we might ever want to know if having a home in Uganda for orphans would fit in anybody’s budget.  Always thinking, that girl, always wondering what more can be done for someone else.  She sees with her heart, and its so obvious her vision is tinted with Jesus.  If we could only see just as he does, respond with gifts that are truly sacrificial, and watch the Lord take what we’ve offered and rescue the hungry and hurting, well that will be a great day. “you are not your own, you are bought with a price”, if only we would respond as slaves doing the master’s work at every turn. 

We got back to the hotel about 8:30 I guess, ate dinner and 9 of us met in Maggy’s room to prepare crafts for the kids tomorrow.  She has done such a great job choosing things that she could pack and carry here, that were affordable and somehow turn supplies for 550 into whatever the number is for the day...yesterday, 450 or so, today 728!  The room was packed!  But completely under control every minute.  Some of the women from the church were responsible for deciding who got to come in and who did not.  They did a great job, but this was still difficult to see...outside the fence

, this little guy could see and smell the food, hear the voices of the children and still not get inside for either.  Breaks my heart and I know yours, but the building just could not hold another body.  We heard today that the children began arriving and waiting for us at 8am.  We get there at 10 to start.  This may be the biggest thing they’ve experienced in a long time.  126 kids came forward to accept Jesus as their savior today. I’m praying it is a seed the gets firmly planted and that they experience great blessing in their village and in their generation.  Tomorrow we finish up the last day of VBS, how will we walk away and lock the gate on that many is beyond me.  But this is what happens on short term mission trips when you give your whole heart right from the beginning.  We have been asked to return next year and do an entire day with them.  I have no idea how that will work out, but trust God to guide and direct it if he thinks it’s a good idea.  Everyone is asleep but me AGAIN...so I’ll wrap it up for tonight and try to get it uploaded in the morning.  Thanks again for sending us.  You have made a wonderful investment in the lives of grateful people.  Amen.