2 Months to go!!

Happy Easter Everyone!! 

Update :   After 3 months I hit the point of I know what to expect at each ministry and feel much more comfortable in the different settings we go to. I have enjoyed taking on more responsibilities and am really pushing myself to the max and using my skills to the best of my ability as it hit me that I only have about 8 weeks left and want to make the most of every SINGLE day.  I count every opportunity to share the love of Jesus with the people around me an incredible blessing. I don’t know what my future holds but I know it is in God’s hands. All I have for certain is today, that’s all anyone has but if we have faith in God and believes Jesus died on the cross and rose again we will have eternal life. I want to make a difference every day and not let one day be an ordinary day but every day an extra-ordinary day because I serve an extra-ordinary God and he has plucked me out of eternity and placed me in the here and now given me gifts and talents to serve the people of my generation. I am striving to live a life that honors God every day. 

Some fun/interesting experiences the last few weeks.

I have had the opportunity to go spend half a day at bulrushes, at the hospital and at the detention centre for juvenile delinquents. I also had a really fun time teaching the bible verse and organizing games for the children at wells of hope (a school for kids whose parents are in prison)

On Wednesday this past week we were at our Living Hope client’s house helping out and visiting and I had my first real encounter with teargas as there was some rioting in Kampala because fuel and some other costs went up  but we headed back to the church early so we would be out of any potential chaos.                                                            

We had an extra day off this weekend so 3 friends and I went to the slums about 10 min walk from our house. We often walk through a path to the shop etc. We just wanted to get to know the kids and see if there was any practical needs we could help with. We hit up a shop on the way and took the kids, toys, juice boxes, cookies and bread for a few families. Normally there are a few kids that see us and like to hold our hands and walk us for a few minutes then head back towards their homes. We saw a few kids talked for a few then a Mom invited us over to chat and showed us her baby – very cute. When we whipped out the toys and candy  -- suddenly about 15 -20 kids had all found their way over to us. We were invited in a few homes to find out (we knew it way behind a police station as we all see many police offices on the corner just before the slum) that all of the families had police officers in their family. (In most countries police get paid very well – to live comfortably at least. These are the men and women who risk their lives every day to protect us and they are not paid well at all. That shows firsthand the corruption in Uganda and how hard it is for people to get by here.) We were invited in a few homes and one girl about 13 year old grabbed my hand and said, “ come and see my baby,” So me and my friend went with her into the tiny room where they live to find a 3 week old baby. The mother of the baby and another 7 year old were there and she handed us the adorable sleeping baby boy. She told us that the 13 year old girl that brought us over to their home was a government child (aka. Foster care – man that is caring they don’t have much –but they are willing to help someone else.) She told us that they were struggling to pay school fees for their 7 year old and that she couldn’t produce breast milk so her baby was drinking black tea  -- we couldn’t imagine how a baby can survive on black tea and who else knows what they were giving the baby – which she told us had a heart problem already. We prayed with them then went to get lunch and buy some formula to give to the family. When we went back the mother was ecstatic saying thank and clapping it was obviously appreciated in ways we couldn’t understand. We will look forward to going back to visit and building a relationship with the family and getting to know the children and helping in whatever ways we can.

I believe God has amazing plans for us over the next 2 months.   

Proverbs 3:5-6 

 ⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
   and he will make your paths straight.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Thanks to all who read and show you care!! 

Have an awesome spring and enjoy celebrating Easter with friends and family!

Love Amanda