Transition to Babies Home

Recently Laura and I have been helping with a conference funded by
Americans from Raleigh that are here for two weeks. It has been a real
blessing to us, and such a learning experience.  We are learning more
than I could have ever guessed about our place Biblically as women.
We are so blessed to be working with a good group of people who love
the Lord and help us to learn Ugandan culture and language.  After
staying in Jinja (the big city) for some weeks we are transitioning
into living in Bukaleba with the Babies.  We have spent time with the
Children and have become so attached! A few days ago we were dropping
some Americans at the babies home and Laura and I were staying in the
car to go on to the conference.  But the Babies were screaming "Auntie
Lola I see you!! Auntie Vevicka Come!" It was the sweetest beconing.
Of course we had to get out and visit for a few minutes.  The babies
have become so precious to us!

In so many ways I can't imagine leaving Uganda and all of our friends,
but we are planning to return earlier than expected-- January 9th.
Once we were in Uganda and began to understand what the organization
really needed, and it was so obvious to me that our place was to serve
them in Jesus' name in any way God allowed.  In Uganda there is not
healthcare in the American sense.  Disabled children are hidden under
beds, roped to staked to the ground, starved etc.  Among non beleivers
they are seen as a bad omen for the family.  Therefore it is rare for
families to bring those children out to meet Americans.  It is the
Ugandan way to be extremely hospitable and polite to visitors from
over seas.  Bringing out their weakest children is not an easy task.
Also, we found that the disabled children need so much more than
physical therapy, they need food, medicine, love and care, and
education.  We have seen some disabled children during our visits to
villages, and in the babies home and they have improved in their
mobility Mukama ye Bazi Bwe (Praise the Lord!). What this trip has
been is a starting place for a partnership, where more can be
accomplished.  Laura had been studying Luganda (the most commmon
language) and we have been trying to absorb the culture as much as
possible.  There are no words to describe how different the culture in
Uganda is from American culture.



With that in view, most of the donations have gone to food for ladies
and children in the different villages that we were in each day,
transportation for us and for the ladies to be able to come, and daily
living costs.  Nothing replaces time spent in Uganda when it comes to
becoming integrated with society. But my hope and I think Laura's hope
too, is to return to the US to get jobs and be a financial blessing to
them until the Lord allows us to come back.

I've found out that I couldn't show up in Uganda and plan something on
my own..ever. Even if I thought I could, I quickly found out that
something had changed and actually we are packing our  bags and going
somewhere else, do to circumstances we couldn't control.  Part of that
is because of the culture, but another part is probably because being
a part of any biblical body means being flexible and patient. In
American terms the best way to get what you want, or what God wants is
to pray about it. When we agreed to go to the villages and speak with
the Ladies, we ended up meeting some disabled children.  But most of
all we have a relationship with those churches and they know what we
look like and who we are.  It's a relationship that is so necessary if
we are going to be part of their lives long term.