Kakira...an introduction Day 1

Friday brought with it mild temperatures, manageable humidity, breakfast and then sorting through some suitcases to gather clothing for the families we would be visiting today.

Janet and Sharon met us early and we were grateful to have some time with Pat Mendoza whose experience, pursuit of justice for vulnerable children and encouragement have paved the way for us.  “Amazing testimony by Mama Pat this morning. She has been a missionary in Uganda since '94 and is part of CHAYAH's legacy. She has fought the good fight and given up everything, been chased by Rebels and had to minister in disguise. What a gift she is to us and our ministry.” #chayahhome.  Her passion many years ago, burdened as she watched a young boy being used as a house servant, has had her every which way but lost from the grip of Gods calling.  The half hour we had with her left us thinking it would take a month to learn all she could teach us, about both children in this of the world and the faithful God we serve.




We studied Hebrews 1 together and prayed for our day and those we would see today. 


We left the hotel in two vans, stopped for rice, sugar and soap.  These would be gifts to families along our way today.  Chayah supports 10 children who remain with their families.  10 could be a hundred, could be a thousand.  Children were in school today, so we stopped by to see them in the middle of the day and quickly became both the entertained and the entertainment! 

 It’s a tricky thing to have checking to do, people to visit and the gospel to share and be such a spectacle.  We don’t yet know how to accomplish the former without the latter, so we press on the best we know how and pray there is a message in some of the madness.


The two youngest of our group packed their backpacks today with tiny toys and were so eager to distribute them when our calculations told them it was safe.  There may be 8 children in our sight, but pull out a piece of candy or a trinket and 8 can become 20 can become 40 in no time.  Though we stood close by visiting with moms, at one stop Micah was overhead calling out “Hey I could use some back up over here!”. 

At each stop we tried to give some clothing, sugar, soap and encouragement.  We prayed for God to come alongside the ones that were discouraged or sick and prayed against the alcoholism that has drowned so many minds.  
  We went back to the home that was built last year for 5 brothers being raised by a grandmother.  She left two weeks ago, and hasn’t been back.  She left them without food or soap.

 The twins Robert and James, the youngest, were at school.  
One boy was missing all together.  David was found hiding in the bushes afraid we would be angry that he wasn’t at school and Peter the oldest was out trying to work for people in order to provide food for his brothers.  

Micah and Elton gathered the children nearby for bible stories and the team prayed for them while the rest of us shook our heads and fists in frustration.



We have done everything we know to do to help these boys survive and go to school, get medical care and enough to eat only to find that their own grandmother has squandered what has been provided and left them alone with nothing.  Peter has missed the last 3 weeks of the term and will miss the end of term exams next week as he has taken over the care of his brothers.  Every day and bit of effort he put into his own schooling this term will be lost without the passing of the exams.  Already behind in school, this 15 year old man-child will at best repeat and at worst give up, humiliated and burdened.  I am so sorry we were not able to talk with him today, see him, pray for him and try to find another way to help him finish his childhood and education…I fear neither of those are realistically possible.




It was difficult to leave.  We tried to stock them up with snacks from our bags, rice, sugar, soap and some money to buy more food.  We have someone lined up to check on them in a few days but are praying there will be some more permanent solution and help.  They were the faces we saw today, the ones with names and details that were right in front of us, but knowing that there are so many more is impossible to forget.




We headed back into the busier part of Kakira town, purchased some fabric for projects next week and visited at the home of our Pastor.  We have been praying for him that God would  heal his family and he humbly and gratefully told us all the ways that has happened over recent months.  A father of 6 daughters and a son, he has a perfect balance of enthusiasm and sense of humor as he talks about them and it is clear that his calling as a loving father is what brings such tenderness and care for our own Chayah children.
 



A loud thunderstorm played in the background of our meal with his family and a certain couple of Muzungu boys entertained little ones with their antics outside in the red clay dirt-turned mud.



Exhaustion hit late afternoon, everyone took an hour to refresh and then we did our best to debrief over dinner as our droopy eyelids took on minds of their own. 



Tomorrow we head to Chayah…introduce some of our very favorite children to some of our very favorite people!  Day 1 and that’s a wrap!  

Please pray for us tomorrow as we spend some time in the afternoon visiting our neighbors at the new property.  Please pray for opportunities to share the love God has for them.