Today we hear from Brittany, who has the biggest heart for kids I have ever seen.
We began the day with an early start in the Pugwini Village. After introductions, and a welcome song and dance by the village, our team split into two groups. Matt, Nicole, Amy, and myself joined the teachers to teach the children bible school activities. Craig, Chase, Alex, and Ali remained with the adults for discipleship.
Being in a teacher position daily, it is such a treat to step back and really get to learn from the students themselves. The students, under the leadership of their teachers, sang songs, recited rhymes, and danced to show their love for Jesus. It was an incredible encouragement to see the children have such a passion for learning and life, despite the struggles they face on a daily basis.
At the conclusion of the welcome festivities, Amy and I branched off to teach our lesson about the Armor of God to the group with the youngest children. These children were so excited to hear scripture, dance to a version of “Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”, and of course to color.
When this group had completed coloring, it was time to switch to Nicole and Matt’s group. However, one little boy was unable to move. I was informed that he had a “swollen” leg and could not walk. He remained to assist his friends in the next group with coloring, and was very happy to see the dance again.
During this time, Nicole and Matt shared the gospel by means of bracelets we had made for the children. Each color on the bracelet represents a different competent of the gospel, with Black representing sin, red representing the blood of Christ, and so on. The children were thrilled to receive their bracelets and began singing songs with Nicole and laughing.
Once the lessons were finished, the team headed over for a snack, where I learned the story behind our friend with the swollen leg. According to a church member, this young boy’s father became abusive, forcing his mother to flee with him to this village. On the journey, he fell and greatly damaged his leg. The hospital stated that is was not broken, but was unable to offer a further diagnosis. His leg continues to swell and cause great pain, with no known cause. Due to this, he has been unable to attend school or play with his peers. Thankfully, the team that is set to come after us is hosting a medical clinic, where this boy, and many others, will receive care.
The highlight of every bible school lesson has been the bubble machine. The smile on the faces of the children could not be matched. There was so much excitement over a simple solution of soap and water. There was a moment here, where I paused to reflect on the innocence of a child, and how much we begin to take things for granted as we age. It was the first real life experience I have had that truly showcased child-like faith. (Luke 18:17)
The next part of our day came with emotions not anticipated by most of our team. We began home visits with families in the village. These stories are not for the faint of heart. All the children we visited have experienced things often unheard of back home. Osama was our first visit, he is an orphan who has been taken in by a member of the village. While he is provided for with food and shelter, he is unable to attend school, and still goes hungry often. I wish I could explain what was stirring in me, while hearing this child's story. There was no small still voice, God might as well have screamed that Matt and I needed to sponsor him. We followed God’s lead and became his sponsors. Osama’s dream is to become a pilot, and I cannot wait to see him succeed.
We heard the story of Trinity, the brightest student in her class, who was often unable to eat or have school materials. We also heard the story of Costmos, an orphan taken in by his widowed grandmother. His grandmother is very weak and losing her eyesight in her old age. Costmos often finds his food by climbing the mango trees. However, he will lose this food source as the dry season continues.
While all the stories were extremely emotional, the one that completed wrecked me was the story of Patricia. The little girl was taken in by her Uncle, his three wives, and their twenty children. She is responsible for all of the cooking and cleaning for the family, as well as hard labor. At nine years old, she has the responsibilities of an adult, while being HIV positive. Patricia is treated as an afterthought to her family, since she is not a biological child, and has not had treatment for her condition in over two years. It is by the grace of God that this precious child is still alive, especially with the Uncle wishing she was dead. I walked away from her home unable to hold back the tears. This child is a fighter and she has a purpose on this Earth. We are all praying for her healing.
The day settled on a happier note once we headed into Lagutu Village. Here, we were once again treated to welcome festivities, including a song a dance. Then, we split into three groups, with Nicole and Alex taking the choir members, Matt and Craig going with the youth group, and Ali, Amy, and myself teaching the children. Each group had so many stories to share, as well as smiles. The small children put on cow headbands from Chick-fil-a and pretended to be cows, the choir group sang silly songs, and the youth group played a riveting game of soccer. It was difficult to say goodbye, but we were ready to head back to the hotel to debrief and rest.
Little Ugandan Chick fil a cows
I think I can speak for the team when I say this was the hardest day yet. But, as we discussed, even though we cannot help all of these people who are struggling, we can be their voice. We have to shine a light into the darkness and help those that cannot help themselves. We have been blessed in order to bless others. Just a side note of God’s handiwork, He laid a different child on each of our hearts for sponsorship. These people are truly becoming our family.
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