On the street

Yesterday after being diagnosed, finally, with Giardia (a parasitic infection that has left her sick on and off for the past 6 weeks, ugh!) the missionary, Joanna, was all ready to pay at the hospital by credit card but their network was down. I was able to loan her most of the cash but didn't have it all, so we set out for Garden City, a mall with an ATM, to only have it eat her card, I felt so bad for her! Last night we were discussing what her facebook status should read: I got diagnosed with Giardia, haven't pooped in 5 days, the ATM ate my card, Emma fell in the toilet (oh yes, the tiniest little Emma at 3.5 years and 24" tall, went to sit on the toilet, but the seat wasn't down and he fell bum first into the toilet with his legs and head popping out...yes, please laugh!), and then I burned my eye with icy hot. Poor Joanna!!

So we went to try and retrieve Joanna's card from the bank this morning, and after sitting in a traffic jam for an extra hour this morning, she successfully got her card returned to her! The traffic jam was the beginning of a hectic morning in which we got in two minor accidents, but serving turned it all around! Oh, what another wonderful day serving. We've made Mondays our day to go to Sanyu Babies Home in the morning and then A Perfect Injustice (API) street ministry in the afternoon. They are both ministries that leave you feeling like you helped. I might get frustrated at times, like when no Ugandan is around and I've got 20 children aged 1-4 in front of me, most of them crying and none of them knowing English, but then I just start singing a random song from VBS 25 years ago, start clapping my hands and stomping my feet and suddenly the kids stop crying and start staring at me in amazement, or when you walk to the dining hall and the mama walking in front of you just left the kids in the dining hall without supervision to walk down to the play area, or out to where the plumber left all his tools and they are hitting each other with wrenches...hello!!

Today, because of the generosity of friends and family I was able to purchase two large saucepans (ok, think 2'-3' in diameter) and a charcoal oven for the street ministry, we also brought some medical supplies to leave. I led a lesson today on Uganda, showed them a map of the world, talked to them about some geography terms, showed them some photos of Uganda and then told them about the Ugandan flag. I broke them in to 6 groups and each kid got to make a Ugandan flag. These kids, because they don't have access to a formal education, really want to experience that, so doing things like writing on a board of chalk (notice I didn't say chalkboard, we meet in a structure with a tin roof, no walls and a dirt floor; no walls means no walls for chalkboards, so they carry around a board of chalk), asking questions and having them raise their hands, and doing artwork is really effective. I then taught them another VBS song that would get them active, and they loved it, can't wait to share the video! After playing soccer I led them in a devotion on friendship, the red in the Ugandan flag represents brotherhood and I translated that to friendship, I told them the story of Jonathan and David being friends. They always seem to ask, but then what happened? I like it, they're interested!!

Its amazing how different these kids are, one might want to sit next to you and hold your hand, the next kid will hardly bump fists with you, they all have varied pasts, most of them sordid and sad. The slums of Kampala are not pretty, they don't smell good, and these young teenagers sleep on the streets every night. Their clothing tells it all, with one shoe, shirts 3 times too big and full of holes, a sweater in the middle of a 90 degree day, or wearing a girl's shirt, its a sad picture to paint, but it is real for these kids. I was remarking the other day how you could walk into a store and see a kid playing on a phone, wearing matching clothes and looking well taken care of, but then you walk just up the street and you see a child that looks like its been featured on the Save-A-Child infomercial.

Today I met a guy at API who was at the beginning of his week of spending it as a boy on the street, voluntarily. He was going to eat with them, like them, only what they eat, and he's going to sleep on the streets. I doubt he'll steal for his food like these kids do, or beg like they do, or try and swindle you like they do, but he's going to survive as honestly as he can as they do. Will you please join me in lifting Justin up, for perseverence, and for God to not have it rain a lot this week? And, also, please pray for all the ministries of Uganda, for the workers, those being served, and those supporting them. Thanks!

While I was at the street ministry I finally got to capture a picture of the biggest bird I think I've ever seen, well, next to Big Bird! The boy that pointed it out to me thought I was crazy cause I was so excited to finally get a picture of it! I have no idea what it is, a stork of some sort maybe, but they are bigger than Emma!

I've been praying in earnest for all of you on the east coast!! Hunker down folks and heed all warnings!