Have faith

Day 5 in Uganda

This morning we got up and got ready to take Moses to school. Christie, Josiah, Moses and I headed out to Munta Royal College in Bombo. I held Josiah as we went down the dirt road. Car seats aren’t necessary here and we never hit a main road the whole 10 miles. I enjoyed the scenery on the way. When we got to the school, we all got out to say our goodbyes and Moses wanted to show off his baby brother. Next thing we knew they were gone. He had taken Josiah on the school tour to see all of his friends. Moses unloaded his things and we were on our way back home. The rest of the day, with the power going on and off, we worked on the pictures for my blog posts for the previous days.

(Josiah sweat all over me.  It is SO hot here!)

While Christie and I worked on the pictures, the siblings of the baby we met on our walk yesterday showed up at the door.  We had told them we would come around with clothes but they misunderstood us and brought her to us to get them.  When Christie laid the baby down to find her some clothes, she started crying. I noticed she had some congestion and a cough. The baby girl continued to cry. She is very small for a 2 month old. She may weigh 7 pounds. As Christie undressed her, she saw a ringworm on the bend of her arm. She was so tiny. Christie showed her older sister how to put on a cloth diaper. Christie dressed her in a new outfit. The baby girl looked so precious. We showed them how to swaddle her in a blanket to hush her from crying and it worked. The baby seemed so happy. We told them to bring her to the doctor Saturday to be checked for her ringworm and sickness. How wonderful it is for these people to have free healthcare. 

Later on, Christie and I went on another walk. Some kids carried water as we walked behind them. At the end of the road there was a boy hiding behind a barrel at the corner house, peeking over at us. A woman was in the yard with a baby tied to her back. We were taking some formula to the youngest son of an Ekubo Ministries’ shoe maker here in the village. The mother spoke great English, so we stayed and talked for a while. We told her how to mix the formula and if the little boy doesn’t like it, to mix a little sugar with it. 

She looked ashamed and told us she couldn’t afford sugar. Sugar here has gone up 3 times the price it was just a little while ago. She told us how there is no money in Uganda. She had left her home here in the village to work at a school serving food in Kampala. When she returned home the youngest son looked poorly because the father was not taking proper care of him. She has no job now and told us how they couldn’t afford food. Her husband hasn’t been able to work because of lack of sponsors for shoes (Ekubo Ministries finds people to sponsor the shoes for $10/pair and they’re put right onto the feet of children here in the village). 

Christie explained to her that she was overwhelmed with trying to tie up loose ends because school was about to start that she hasn’t found time to seek more sponsors for the shoes.  Over and over again, the lady spoke about different struggles.  Christie kept telling her to have faith.  Just have faith that God’s timing is perfect.  She asked her what she wanted to do for work and she told us how she wanted to sell fish from her front yard, but didn’t not have the funds for food let alone for a small business. Christie told her that George had just had a meeting and they were discussing seeking some micro finance loans that would lend her the funds to start up a business and when she had a steady income, the funds could be repaid and lent out to another person.  

Their house was very small. Mats were piled up inside. Six people are living in that house. Two of her children have already died of malaria. She wants a future for her children. My heart was broken. Two of her children are sponsored. One of the others is too old for the school here. She wants him to get a higher education but can’t afford it. Christie and George have plans to build a bigger school so that they can have additional grades. They currently have pre-primary through P4, but the students that pass P4 have nowhere to go next year. The problem is money. There again money stops something so precious to these people. We started to leave because it was getting dark. The families here always escort you to the end of the driveway.  But this family continued to walk with us.  All of them. It was so dark I couldn’t see anything. I hit my toe on a rock and kept going. Then I almost went down when I hit a hole in the road.  During the dry season, it’s really dusty on the red dirt roads.  I almost went down when my flip flop slid on a pile of dust and I went into a hole in the road.  Abbas and his older brother (about 13) each grabbed one of my hands and helped me down the road. Kids here are so sweet. 

Christie said to the lady, “Goodness!  Your English is so good.  Have you ever talked to George?”  They lady replied “no, I fear him”. Christie asked, “Why do you fear him? Don’t fear him.”  We found out later that, because he is the leader here in the village, that it just meant that she respected him so much that she couldn’t approach him. She said she has always wanted to talk to him but hasn’t. She walked us to the top of the compound and told us to have a good night. Christie had already told her that she would give the youngest child some clothes. Christie stopped her and asked, “Aren’t you going to come get some clothes? I will drive you all back home.” The lady approached the house meekly. She seemed ashamed to enter. Christie told her to come in. They came in and we found clothes for the youngest. Christie had given the older siblings clothes not long ago, but she didn’t have any for the little one at the time. Christie told George how well the lady speaks English. George said, “then she needs to come teach at the school.”  I was blown away. Here not 20 minutes ago, she was telling us how she didn’t have a job. God is good, people! All the time. We loaded the kids and their mother in the van. I got the kids some water. Christie asked George to put some sugar in a container. We headed down the road to their home. We dropped them off and said our goodbyes. As the lady rounds the corner of the van, Christie says, “Mama, come.  Here is some sugar for your family” and handed her the container. The look in the lady’s eyes was priceless. She was so humbled.  Her husband is Muslim, but the lady said “God bless you.” My heart is full.