Yesterday, we went out to a VERY small village (yes, I am staying in a SMALL village so this one was tiny!). We split up talking to the adults and the kids. This time I ended up with the kids. I told a story about the little boy who gave his fish & bread to Jesus to feed the 5,000 people. The boy had faith that He could multiply this food even when His disciples did not. This is often the case with kids; they haven’t learned to not have faith.
Afterwards, we asked what they could do at home to help God, and frankly I just wasn’t prepared for their answers… fetch water, gather the cattle, sweep the compound, help cook, watch my little brothers and sisters, wash clothes, and run to the market. These answers came from children under the age of 9. NINE YEARS OLD!!!! I don’t even think my teens back in youth group would give these answers.
I walk around the village and I see these scenes: children with 20 kg of water on their head, teens in rubber boots gathering the cattle in the fields, young girls with babies strapped to their back… and I just have to scream in my head:
‘God, I am so so so so sorry for ever thinking my life was difficult. While it may have been trying at times, I am so incredibly blessed! I thank you for my education, that I never had to drop out or pay for it. I thank you for my parents, who loved me and took care of me and who lived. I thank you for opportunity, the classes and teams and organizations I was a part of. I thank you for everything I am forgetting. Lord, my heart breaks for these kids. My heart hurts for them. I thank you for giving them joy. I thank you for giving them resilience. I thank you for letting me meet them. Please please please bless them for showing me love.’
The church we work with has a Compassion program. I always thought this was just another program that barely helped. But I have learned that the 230 kids they serve receive home visits, medical assistance, food, clothing, extra schooling, Bible studies, prayer, housing, mattresses, and so much more. These kids are the top of their classes and they will receive assistance through college. I know this is what Compassion does for kids around the world. If this story of how kids work & strive in Uganda has touched your heart, please look up Compassion and see how you can help one around the world today!
