Where to Begin....

WOW…Where to begin???

We have been without power for 4 days, which is why I haven’t blogged since I have been here so I will try not to write forever, but I can’t make any promises!

On Tuesday at 5pm I boarded a plane that would take me to Amsterdam. The plane ride was 8 HOURS LONG and I watched 3 movies, 1 episode of Two and a Half Men and one episode of Friends while staying awake the whole time until we landed in Amsterdam. It took us an hour to get to our next flight and through security again when we loaded for a flight to Nairobi, Kenya that took another 7 hours long and by that time it was 9am in Amsterdam but 1am in Alabama so I was beginning to get very very tired! But I was able to make it without falling asleep again because I didn’t want to be to bad off my sleeping schedule when we got to Uganda. We got one last flight from Nairobi to Entebbe that was only 1 hour long and FINALLY we made it to Kampala, Uganda and after a 30 minute taxi ride we arrived at the Sozo house, but the kids were already asleep because it was 12am, so all I could so was go to there rooms and just look at them and at that moment I realized that after 5 years of trying I was finally in Africa!

The next day (Thursday) all we did was sleep and rest so that we could get back on our sleeping track as fast as possible. At 1 pm the first group of kids cam home from school (the youngest ones). Then I was able to meet: Mercy, Fatuma, Kirabo, Julius, Jaylia, Freedah, Dennis, Michael, Vicki, and Vivian. As they entered the fence all I could do was just watch them pile on top of me and after about an hour I was known as “Uncle Will” For the next 2 hours we ran around and played soccer because they didn’t have homework (how cool is it that God worked in the littlest way by them not having homework so that we could play as soon as they got home). At 3pm the second group got home (the middle kids) that were: Deborah, Weiswa, and Ronald and later at 5pm the oldest kids got home that were: Ivan, Vanitah, Sharron and the oldest, Esia.

About 30 minutes after the oldest got home and we were all outside running around before they had to start there chores…I pulled myself to the side of the yard sat down and began to tear up because I realized that after many years God was still faithful to His calling he had put in my heart. For 5 years Africa has been a huge burden on my heart and I was finally here, and the most incredible thing was that I didn’t feel like a stranger, I didn’t feel lost or confused, I didn’t feel like I didn’t belong or feel like a Mazungoo (white man)……I felt like…..I was HOME……

On Friday we went to Rays of Hope, which is the school that is in Kapalagala that is the slum right outside of Kampala. When we arrived I got a hug from about 125 smiling/screaming children and it was an incredible feeling! These kids have absolutely nothing and all around were there homes that were basically nothing, but yet, through all that they were still laughing and smiling because they were alive and at school. They find there joy in thing that in America we hate…uniforms, school, homework, etc. and I became jealous of that joy and above all else whenever I said Mayama ye bisibway (probably didn’t spell that right) which means “Praise the Lord” all around I would hear “Amen”. And knowing that a lot of these kids also found joy in Jesus Christ overwhelmed me! It became clear that I was not going to do all the teaching, but at the same time these kids were going to teach me just as much, or even more over the next 40 days.

Then…Saturday came…”Women’s Day” at Rays of Hope, which is a day that Lauren Bond had been planning from the beginning. That day we had 55 women from the city of Kapalgala, but what they came with was not smiling faces or screams of excitement… but they came with heavy hearts, and sad smiles and a will of not looking forward to another day.  They did not share the same feelings of Joy that there children or grandchildren had, but feelings of loneliness and sadness. It took the 6^th women to come in before I saw my first smile and even after that the smiles were not very common, but God laid a prayer on my heart, that before these women left they would all smile at least once. We started the day off by sharing the story of Jesus washing the disciples feet and afterwards being able to wash the women’s feet and showing them that we are here by the Grace of God to serve them and to love on them for the next few hours. After I was able to speak to them for a little bit and I told them all we wanted to do wash serve them and show them that they are loved and appreciated for what they do each day for there children. After we served them lunch Lauren spoke a powerful message to them about being the Holy women God intended for them to do. That meant to stop going to the witch doctor, stop selling themselves for money or to stop worshipping false Gods. After Lauren spoke and we began to line them up for a group picture God answered my prayer and in between thank you’s and goodbye’s I got to see each women there smile for just a little while…and knowing that God had spoken to each of them for just a little while made me light up and get so anxious to see how the city of Kapalgala will change due to the changes of each of the women. I know that without a down, the next time I come to Uganda and visit Rays of Hope, that I will see a change in Kapalagala for the better.

Sunday and today were pretty regular. We got a schedule together on Sunday and today we began work on the Sozo house doing some sweeping, mopping and landscaping and already I can see the changes that we have made and the place looks amazing!! God has already shown up so much over the past week and through tears and laughter and joy I have gotten to see His good work being done by myself, my brother and the rest of the team here and it pumps me up to think about the rest of the work we are going to get done the next 30 days, but only by His hand we can do the work He wants us to do.

Psalms 91:15 is my verse for the trip…” He will call upon me and I will answer Him. I will be with Him in trouble, I will deliver Him and honor Him.” And that truly is my prayer. That without a doubt He has called me and I have answered but not only that, my prayer is that during trouble I will be with Him and during that I will still proclaim His name no matter how hard anything get. Last thing before I get to a few fun things ( and yes, there is more.) While I was reading James yesterday I was reminded of a verse that I have always known and a verse that begins the book of James. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of any kind. Because you know that testing of your face develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish it’s work, so that you may be mature and complete, and not lacking in anything….Over the nest 30 days I must be reminded of that. That within any hardship I face I must keep my chin up and know that when I make it through the trouble, I am stronger and wiser because of it and only through that, may God be glorified in the Highest!

Now for a few fun things…..First….I HATE ROOSTERS!!!! Dear Lord, if that thing wakes me up one more time I will personally ring its neck so that it will never crow again, and recently it has found a friend in the form of a dog that, of course, has to yelp at the same time so the duo combined is enough to wake me up, which some of your know is a very very hard thing to do!

2^nd…we are going bat hunting soon so I will keep you updated on that!....to be continued…..

and Lastly I will be posting picture tomorrow or Wednesday of Rays of Hope and all the kids and Sozo, but before all of you see the pictures and start claiming one of them as your own, know that Deborah is already mine, so back off!! Haha. This girl is so full of life and joy and makes me laugh with everything she does….she is a little sassy too so again, for those who know me, that works well with my sassiness to! Her and Vanitah taught me how to cook Irish Potatoes last night over an African fire and it was the funnest 3 hours I have had at the house so far. So as much as I love, love, love every one of the kids…Deborah is untouchable to everyone….end of story…haha.

Thank You for all who have read this (including my mom) because I know it was really long. I promise the other ones will not be near this long, unless we lose power for along time again.

May God Bless you and all that encounter you!

More Stories to Come Soon….James 1:27