HOLY MOLY!! It is crazy to believe this month has already come and gone, but it has been one that I will never forget and always treasure. Uganda is a beautiful country, but the best part of this country are the people. From meeting people at restaurants, to rafting, to taxi rides, everyone is so kind. They just truly seem to know how to love each other. Here are just a few of the people who have made a difference in the last four weeks.
Megan and Petek.
These girls truly made this month greater than great. They are both interns, who previously lived in the U.S., committing to CVI for one year. The way they love the girls and the girls’ children is truly beautiful, and it is so clear they are just filled with the Holy Spirit because it pours out on everyone they come around. Our team felt so loved all the time, and we were poured into by these girls each and every day. Whether we were laughing at the kids, dancing with the girls, having team time with these girls, or sharing a meal, there was no shortage of fun, laughter, and growing in the Lord. They were our team members for the past month, and we wish we could have taken them with us, but we know God has called them to CVI in Uganda for now. These two women became friends, sisters, and family for life. I cannot imagine this past month without them and am so excited to see where God calls them in the future.
Rita.
Rita is a sweet, sweet lady from Gulu, the closest town to CVI. It is 40 minutes away, but she and her friend James drive that on a boda every Tuesday just to bring Jesus to the girls at CVI. She works with a church in Gulu, and a huge desire of theirs is to reach out to the villages. She has a beautiful smile and an even more beautiful heart. She also works at a cafe named Iron Donkey, where we would go and get wifi once a week and eat the most delicious food ever. Rita has a heart for the people of Uganda, and she showed it so clearly each and every day.
Madame Cecilia.
This woman is the epitome of a woman of God. We were so blessed to have been able to hear her life story one night while in Uganda, and it is something that sounds like it came out of a movie, but it’s her real life. She was right in the center of the war and faced the LRA numerous times, but her faith never wavered. Walking to church her husband got arrested 8 different times, but he refused to stop walking because he said people needed to be prayed for and to hear the Word of God. The last time he got arrested, she followed the LRA for 20+ kilometers to ask for them to release her husband. His final words to her were to continue seeking the Lord and to take care of his children. Shortly after, she received notice that he had been killed, and a few months later, she gave birth to triplets. In a time where children were being abducted and adults were being killed, she stayed strong in her faith and never backed down knowing she had a much greater power on her side. Now, she is an Early Childhood Development teacher at CVI, where her 3-5 year olds and their mothers absolutely adore her. Getting to know this woman and her story will make you feel stronger in the Lord than you ever have, and I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to work alongside her this past month.
Richard and Mr. Okina.
These two men are what make up a lot of heart and soul of CVI. Without these two, that place would not run the way it does and serve the women in such a way that enables them to make a life of their own, but also grow spiritually as well. Richard felt like a big older brother, always making jokes and laughing (we even played a prank on him), but also having a serious hard-working side that knew how to get the job done. Mr. Okina felt like a grandfather, full of wisdom and knowledge, and apparently quite humorous as he made the girls laugh every single night at announcement time. We had no idea what he was saying, but they sure thought it was great. It was such a huge blessing to work alongside these men and see their heart for the ministry they are involved in each and every day.
The Staff.
The staff at CVI are not to be forgotten. The commitment they make every day to teach these girls life skills or to counsel them or to make sure they are healthy is what keeps the place running. Some of them take the 40 minute ride in from Gulu to get there, others walk, and they all take turns staying the weekend to be on duty with the girls. Whether it is catering, sweater weaving, tailoring, salon, business, farming or anything else, they teach these girls they can have a better future. We even had the chance to get skirts made and our hair done from a couple of the women.
The Kids.
These kids will melt your heart each and every single day. One minute you are loving on one and the next you want to chase one down for being mischievous, but boy the fun never stopped. The very first night we got there, we spent an hour playing soccer with the kids, and while there is no way to communicate in English, it is so clear these kids just want to be noticed and loved. Some of the shenanigans we saw while there was a pet bird on a leash, one kid decided since he couldn’t play cards he would eat the seven of hearts, and it was not rare to see a small child walking around with a knife they had found on the ground. It was even less rare to be peed or pooped on, which was always a good time. While this is not normal for the U.S, it became normal where we are and the opportunity to love on these kids was absolutely perfect.
The Girls.
These are the true heroes. These girls have either been abducted themselves, seen friends abducted, seen parents killed or worse, yet here they are at CVI working to make a better future. Many of them did not speak English, but the Lord taught me there are so many other ways to communicate, and sometimes that means just simply sitting near them or walking with them somewhere. Sometimes that is walking down with them to get water and causing quite the laughter as you struggle with one can that they easily carry back on their heads. Sometimes, it is letting 10+ girls braid your hair all at one time because they never see Mzungu hair. Sometimes, it is attempting to learn their language and causing a roar of laughter because you literally are unable to pronounce anything correctly. Sometimes, we played cards, and other times we prayed for them, but the one thing that was a constant was JOY. I have stated it many times, but these girls are full of joy, and it is a contagious joy that makes you want what they have.
My Team.
I should no longer call them my team, but instead call them my family. To have the privilege of working alongside these 5 beautiful women was a blessing and will continue to be as our journey continues. Christina is so full of joy and fun and craziness. She is the one I can make weird noises and faces with, get my hair braided with, and just be plain goofy. It is fun to be my loud and crazy self around her, but also to serve alongside her as she showed over the past month that you don’t need much time to make connections, just a lot of loving and caring in your heart for the people. Taylor Brantley is the chill, go-with-the-flow, lover of people. The way she loves each and every girl, child, staff, and friend is something that I want so bad. She truly has the eyes to see every human as God’s sons and daughters. Gabrielle is passionate. She is passionate about worshipping our God and using the gifts He has given her to do so. Gabe has a beautiful voice and is not afraid to use it for the Kingdom. Lindsay is calm, hard-working, and loving all in one. She is our team leader and could not have done a better job month one. The way she invested in the children and the girls over the past month was such a good example of how to love people in a short period of time. She also was part of the weave clan, and we have had more fun together whether it was squatty potty adventures, rafting the Nile, or just normal everyday fun like being peed on by kids. Taylor Baker is proactive, hut mate, person I can go to with anything, and passionate for the work of the Lord. She gets excited about micro loans, which may sound weird to most, but it was a blessing to see her get fired up about ways she can help the girls succeed. She is a good listener and is always there for our team no matter what we need. She is a city girl learning to deal with bugs and squatty potties and bucket showers, but is a champ about it every single day. The passions she has for the Lord and His plan for her will take her all over the world. I am blessed to stand by these 5 girls, and SO thankful, I get to continue this journey with them.
Lord, thank You for the people you allowed me to meet this past month. Thank you for the opportunity to serve alongside and with these people. They have all impacted my life in such an amazing way. They will not be forgotten, but continually prayed for and thought about. Thank You for the work at CVI, and how you are so clearly there doing Your work each and every day. God, You are good.
