We’re living at the Jesus House in Uganda under Kyampisi Childcare Ministry. Upon arriving, there was a bright atmosphere hanging around. We stepped out onto the property and arrived to a beautiful house, with rooms and bathrooms—real toilets, bunk beds, and a living room—it's deluxe this month, I tell you! There’s also a small front yard with a porch, and we have a pet monkey!
Yesterday George, a new 10 year old friend, and I played guitar out there. The feeling of this place was so bright and happy.
Then, on our way to dinner, I heard what ministry entails this month, and the story of one of the little girls—Hope. I began to understand as to why the place we’re living in is called the Jesus House, and why the atmosphere there was so bright and happy there.
Ministry this month in Uganda focuses on “stamping out” or eradicating CHILD SACRIFICE.
You read it right..
“Witchdoctors around here kidnap little children from the villages and use them for witchcraft.” Apparently, child sacrifice is a pretty big deal here in this part of Uganda. People in this culture view children as pure, and they’re so desperately in need of help that they think if you sprinkle some baby’s blood into your business walls’ foundation it’ll bring about more wealth, or if you cut off a kid’s head, you’ll prosper. (excuse me, WHAT.)
“Hope, (a 7 year old beautiful little girl) is a rescued child sacrifice victim. When she 18 months old, she was kidnapped from her family, the witchdoctor cut out her tongue, would continuously drain her blood, and kept her tied up for years.” She’s now mentally handicapped. “George’s genitals were cut off when he was younger and was thrown into a bush to die…” “They sliced Alan’s head and shoulder open with a machete, but he managed to escape…”
Are you freaking kidding me? This is the 21st century here people! Crap like this shouldn’t be happening anymore!
I stepped in the house from dinner, decompressing the story I just heard, and that’s when we caught each other’s eyes. Hope. She was in a chair, just like Debra’s from Cambodia. She has big beautiful brown eyes, and smiles a mile wide—cracks up from anything too. I literally forgot everything, and was immediately drawn in and would NOT stop playing with her. It was about 20 minutes until I remembered that one of the stories I heard earlier was hers. (video coming soon!)
That’s when the tears came. I didn’t want to cry around her and bring down her happy mood, so I prayed that God would send someone in who could take over for me for a little bit while I could get a chance to talk with Him. I did as best of a job as I could, masking the tears that kept brewing in my eyes as Hope and I played, laughing at how silly the sound of blowing into an empty bottle is, and that’s when Angela came in. Praise the Lord. She was drawn in too, I told her I needed some time with God and I left them both.
I went out onto the porch and cried hard angry tears for a long time. Hope was handicapped, and will be for the rest of her life, because of what man did to her. I cried for Alan and George… All the other children that I haven’t met yet that went through that tramatic experience and yet praised the Lord that they all were alright now… Then I cried even harder for the ones who weren’t as fortunate as these living breathing rescued beautiful children that I'll never get to meet…
Witchdoctors, and these people—mere freaking men…
Mere freaking men did this to them. Why? I'll tell you why.
The age old problem of self trying to fix the hole inside the heart caused by sin, unknowing that it’s the Lord Almighty alone who can fill it. He alone satisfies! He is the solution to their problem—but they don’t know that, they think they’re saved from voodoo enchantments, baby’s blood, and mantras.
REASON #20672 WHY WE NEED TO BE UNASHAMED IN SPREADING THE GOSPEL!
Pray for my team, Cool Runnings, this month; pray for Kyampisi Childcare Ministry; pray for the children and the people of this community; pray for the witchdoctors.
May we ALL know and live by the Father’s unwavering inconceivable redemption, hope, and love in Jesus Christ our Lord!
Now check out this link to our ministry partner, and actually do something about the terrible reality of child sacrifice, instead of shaking your head, taking a sip of your coke, going on with your life, and clicking the next link/story.
