Reality hit home this week in Uganda. It began on Sunday when I nearly broke my toe because I tripped over a rock. I learned something about myself… don’t look at your blood or else you will throw up… 3 times to be exact, with African kids staring at me the entire time.J A police lady/ ex EMT was here and gave me an intense bandage. It is definitely not broken, Hallelujah, it just needs some time to heal. Next comes Monday night. Due to fear and worry I thought something was terribly wrong at home. I was awake from 1 am to 4 am until I was finally able to go to sleep in hopes that God had his hand over my friends and family back at home. Once I found out that things were okay, I felt silly. God is teaching me a balance of what it means to “fear god” and to not worry. It’s a tough lesson, a lesson that made me extremely sleepy the next day.
On Tuesday, the day seemed to be going about its normal routine; devotion in the morning, planning and projects in the afternoon, money management, and teaching in the school. As the 12 of us were eating our dinner, Andy and Sylvia (our leaders), told us that they had news to share with us. A new team had arrived and they had gone to Barlonyo earlier that day. If you have been following my updates, you can remember that my experience at Barlonyo was heart breaking. Hundreds of people lost their lives here, many women were raped and killed, children abducted as soldiers, and many staff members shared the gruesome details of what cleaning up the next day was like. When we went to visit, we met Flavia. The 3 year old was as small as a 9 month old and was thought to have HIV. We desperately wanted to get this child medical attention and seek out a way to adopt her into the COTN full time care program. When we met her June 21st we sat in frustration trying to figure out a way to help her. Since then teams have gone back and have been able to give her and her siblings food and the staff has been considering practical ways we could help her. On July 25th, only a month later, a team went with supplies and food for her. When the asked about her, they told her that she had died just a couple of days before. She died. Flavia died. I touched this child’s tiny little legs and many people on my team held her in their arms.
Before coming, I asked that God bring me to the forefront of His reality. I didn’t want to have a sugarcoated experience in Africa; I wanted to be in their world. Well that did it for me. I am humbled knowing that she is free from pain and in the arms of a loving Father. However, I am still left with frustration toward an imperfect system. The reason we could not take in Flavia was because not every child at COTN is fully sponsored. It makes sense; you shouldn’t have more kids if you cant feed the ones that you have already. You see the commercials of starving kids, you hear the HIV statistics, you hear that it is less than a dollar a day to provide for a child here, but sometimes it takes seeing it to actually break your heart. My heart breaks over the system. Its not that they don’t want to help every kid in Uganda, they just cant. They need help. They need businesses. They need communication. They need sustainable products. The problem is bigger than my mind can comprehend. Once again, I am trying to solve poverty. To be honest the week got even more real. But I really cannot do it justice with words. I am willing to share it with you, but in person would probably be better.
On the brighter side of things…. My relationships with Janet and Jeffery continue to grow. Janet ran for “dom capitain” this week. Despite being incredibly nervous she practiced her speech for me, it was precious. After a vote, she lost by one vote. I was so proud of her though. When she found out she lost, she was still filled with joy because her good friend had won. She even led worship for the kids after the election. Jeffery, my African papa, is just the best. He is unlike other African man. He actually works, is willing to help, and loves on the kids. He is such a great example to the other men. He is respected and loved by all of us. This week he told me he had a dream that he and my dad (American dad) were in a river splashing around together. It was so funny. He didn’t know why he had this dream and didn’t know what river it was in. He also told me has been praying that I come back and said if I don’t come back, he needs mommy and daddy to come. He asked questions about Sarah this week too. I think he understands that even though I love being here, I have to go back because I have people who I love and love me back at home. I feel very blessed by my relationship with him, I truly feel like I have an African family.
On Thursday we had the most intense rainstorm yet. It often rains at night here and is so refreshing after a hot day. This storm was unlike the others. At 4 am rain came through the windows and lightning brightened up the room. Alyie and Megan’s bunk bed became a lake of water. After the rain stopped, we had to double up. Megan slept with me and Alyie slept with Laney. Four girls on a squeaky bunk bed. TIA.
Please be praying for the next week that we have here. As our last week here, it is very busy and extremely bittersweet. Thanks again for your support, love, and prayers.
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