They call these children “street kids” because well they live on the streets. Some of them are orphans and some of them have just one parent, all of them beg on the streets. The first child is a little boy who is about two years old, his guardian sits him on a street corner every day for hours to beg for money. As we were leaving (it was around 6:30 pm) he was literally falling asleep on the corner while sitting up. Many of the younger children were almost unresponsive when we talked to them because they were so exhausted from begging all day, some without food or water. The first day when we worked with the street kids we met a little girl who was about four years old. She was walking around barefoot with a bloody, split open big toe. I had the privilege of cleaning the wound and bandaging it up while Africans circled around us and the little girl cried relentlessly, okay she screamed relentlessly. Some were shocked that we were actually taking time to care for these children (they are everywhere, there are thousands of them in Africa) and some were just shocked to see some mzungus (white people) hanging out with Africans. My teammate Sarah told the group of onlookers that we weren’t caring for these children just because we are some mzungus but because we want to live as Jesus lived and we truly believe that he loved the least of these, that he would cheerfully scoop up each one of these street children into his arms. You know, he would have and he did.
I have felt my heart break a lot on this crazy wild journey called the World Race but I haven’t felt it break like I have this past month in Uganda. When I was eighteen years old I came to Kampala, Uganda on my first overseas mission trip for just two weeks and I knew that I would be back. Guess where my team was put in Uganda this past month?…you guessed it…Kampala. This past month has consisted of some intense ministry: evangelism (door to door), visiting an orphanage, working with the street kids, and hospital ministry in the cancer and HIV ward. Lets just say that I have shed a lot of tears. The first week we did evangelism and Jeremy and I went to a witch doctors house. Yep, a witch doctor…they do exist. I know that in America many people have a veil over their eyes to what goes on in the spiritual realm but let me tell you, there is a lot going on. If you know me well then you know that I have really terrible demonic nightmares, lets just say that I am well aware of what goes on in the spiritual realm and the thought of demons and witch doctors scare the crap out of me. So it was only week one and I had already gone to a witch doctors house and meet a man that was literally possessed by demons…I knew this was going to be a good month. Ha.
“The enemy runs at the sound of your voice. When you stand up, the nations flee!”
Isaiah 33:3-I repeated this verse over and over to myself while chit chattin’ at the witch doctors house.
I am a WARRIOR in the spiritual realm.
Week two we went to an orphanage and to the hospital. Guess what ward we went to first?…the cancer ward. I found out that my Mom has cancer month 6 in Thailand. The cancer ward was hard for me, actually hard is an understatement. I met a lady who was in the hospital for stomach cancer. I also got to meet the Daughter, Son, Mother and Grandmother of the patient. The Mother and Grandmother were old ladies from a traditional village in Uganda, they didn’t speak a lick of English and they thought that I was literally hilarious when I tried to talk to them. The Daughter and Son of the patient both spoke good English though and they translated for me. We ended up praying for the lady who had stomach cancer together and I told them about my Mom and the two little old ladies prayed for my Mom with me in their native tongue while holding my hand. It was beautiful, a beautiful divine moment from God. How crazy awesome is it that God hears and understands all languages.
Then we headed to the HIV ward and I was able to meet some more really awesome people and prayer with them.
Week three we worked with the street kids that I spoke about at the beginning of this post. What did I tell ya…what an emotionally exhausting month! And there is NO WAY I could have made it through this month with my own strength but I know that the holy spirit lives inside of me and I lean on his strength and not my own.
“If it’s a question of strength, he’s the strong one. If it’s a matter of justice, who dares to summon him to court.” Job 9:19
“He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.” John 3:30
Witch doctors, orphans, street kids, poverty, and HIV-T.I.A.-This is Africa
but there is HOPE.
“He will once again fill your mouth with laugher and your lips with shouts of joy.”
Job 8:21
I just have to believe that there is hope, I have to believe that the Lord can bring light in darkness (and that he does) and I have to believe that he sees each and everyone of those street kids and that he has plans to prosper them.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a HOPE.” Jeremiah 29:11
