Planting seeds

Ken and Gary helped dig and plant 150 small bushes for the new site at Amani Baby Cottage. The new site will be the new home for the babies and they need help reaching their final goal so that they can move in. If you feel led to assists them financially, please go to amanibabycottage.org for more details. The fact is, the plants would have been planted regardless. But to be able to have hands on opportunites in serving orphans is a remarkable feeling.

I went into Bujagali the other day to assists and learn about making home visits with the Amani social worker. Home visits are hard. We think we go with an objective point of view, but we don't. The best possible situation is for children to be reunited with their families if the families are capable. After going on several of these visits and talking with family members, I realize the tremendous burden and responsibility that places like Amani Baby Cottage have gone through. It is not easy. Sometimes the decisions are so difficult to make because it is the life of a wonderful child that you are dealing with. I see the pain in so many family members' faces when talking to them about what to do with a child that needs to either be placed in another home or be returned to the family.

The other day, I got to see the joy in an uncle's eyes when seeing the picture of his nephew. This particular nephew was not known about by many family members. His family (clan as he described it) have not even known about the little boy. The parents ran away and the grandfather passed away. What I appreciated about this great-uncle is that he is willing to listen, and willing to discuss the problem with the rest of the family members and tribe that he belongs to. We will make a visit back to see what they decide in a month or so.

I heard back about the little boy that we took to the clinic this week from Masese with the malaria and pneumonia. He is doing well and recovering fine. I'm very thankful. I also heard from one of the young teenage girls that I have gotten to know at the Crisis Pregnancy Center that just had a healthy baby boy. I cannot wait to meet with her and meet her new baby. She is keeping him and I'm praying for her new life and new responsibility. We also stopped by my friend's house that I have blogged about several times, Fazirra. She is the lady in the village that has six children and two were dying. What a joy it is to see Vincent (the little boy that had typhoid and malaria) run up to me smiling. They are doing great! I see the joy that results from family intervention.

Everywhere I turn, I see progress. It may not look like alot of progress to the outsider, but I get the joy of being here and seeing week after week transformation in the lives of those I serve. The transformation is visible and it is a gift from above. Young girls are learning to care for their babies and making decisions to keep them. Young mamas are seeking medical assistance for their sick babies. Widows are taking care of babies when mothers run away. Family members of tribes are taking responsibility for their children that are being abandoned. Women are showing up each week for Bible studies and each week I see the joy grow in their eyes. Children are more joyful each week at church and in the villages as we learn simple Bible stories.

This morning at church, we talked about the seven days of creation with the children at Sunday School. They made a bracelet with 7 beads to represent the 7 days of creation. This is a small way to plant a seed all over the villages because it is a visible symbol that can be asked about that and the children remember.

Whether our teams come and plant bushes and seeds literally, or whether they are helping to plant seeds by teaching Bible lessons, seeds are being planted in Uganda. God is at work and He is in-love with His people here. He is calling them all to Him. I am fortunate enough to have a front row seat during this season. I get to see the joy that happens with team members, family members and those we serve. Right now, I'm experiencing the JOY of spending time in the land I love with my own family.