Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Sweet baby R...



And then she arrived just 2 days before we were to leave for the states...

Sweet baby R....
All of a sudden she was there... brand new to this place and with a expression on her face that immediately drew me to her... The hurt she was experiencing was undeniable... my heart TOTALLY went out to her...

Can you see that look in her eyes??  Can you see the distrust in her expression?  Her expression over our last 2 days was changeless... not one bit of change in it... The only thing that did change was the tears... Occasionally she would cry... other times she had silent tears falling down her face... (I have never seen that before, a child crying silently)

She had been left by her mom with her dad... then abandoned by him... My guess would be that she was around 18 mos... But clearly wasn't very healthy and was very small...  Can you imagine the fear in her heart as she now has to adjust to orphanage life... Life with not nearly enough care givers and way too many kids needing the attention offered... (please hear me...I am not coming down on the caregivers...  I think most of the mama's, what they call the care givers, really do try to care for the kids... it is just next to impossible to provide the adequate care that these little ones deserve)

She had scars that were suspicious of being used in witchcraft rituals... Can you imagine that precious little soul being used in witchcraft rituals?  BREAKS MY HEART!

She had some scars on her legs making it seem that at some point her little tiny legs were bound.  MORE PIECES OF MY HEART BREAKING... 

Her story is not uncommon... I will say it again... her story is not uncommon... I know... how can it even be possible one time... right???  Yes this kind of thing is repeated again and again... day after day in Uganda... babies abandoned by the family that is supposed to love them and provide the best care for them.  Some of those abandoned babies even found in the squatties (their deep pit latreens, toilets) left to die.  I DON'T THINK MY HEART CAN ACCEPT ANY MORE HEART BREAK FOR THESE LITTLE INNOCENT ONES...  I just wanted to hold her close, never put her down, and make sure she felt loved, safe, and cared for...  (Oh I would still be doing that right now if I could...)

That is the kind of trauma that many of these little orphaned souls need to recover and heal from.  Only by the grace of God can one heal from that kind of hurt...

That is my prayer for baby R... that God does a transforming miracle in her life and heart.  That He can slowly replace that look of fear and distrust with joy and confidence in the love and care that a forever family can offer her.  I pray that God heals her physically as well as emotionally so that her little heart can be receptive to the work of the Holy spirit in her life... She is a beautiful, precious little creation...

 Will you pray with me for  baby R's healing?
Will you pray with me for all the Baby R's in Uganda and the rest of the world?

Yep... you read that right...


Yep, you read that right... 3:03 am... I think I officially say I am over my jet lag and wide awake, feeling my best of the day at 3:03 am...

 Ugh... I was really hoping that my jet lag from Uganda would allow me to get into a new habit of early to bed and early to rise...

That is still my prayer and something I will try really hard to make a new part of my life... I think that the late night hours, while allow me a lot of time to get things accomplished around the house, aren't really good in the long run:) 

 I would love for you to pray for that with me... What started after Samuel died as a way for me to cope with hard nights by staying up really late so that when I did lay down I would be utterly exhausted and fall right to sleep... (instead of going to bed early and being kept awake my tormenting thoughts... ugh...) has now become a bad habit.  I  know that might sound silly to ask for prayer for this, but after 5 years of keeping not the greatest hours... I could use all the prayers that I can get to start and keep a new routine:)  I know the power of prayer works... for really big things as well as the small things in life... Thanks friends... 

Yep, you read that right... -9 DEGREES and frigid!!
Yes it is -9 degrees and that is not taking to account the wind chill... I think the news said last night that for the morning commute with the wind chill... it would feel like-37 degrees... Yes, that my friends is what I would call frigid... really, I think that is beyond frigid...

So we are hunkered down on the 2nd day of no school for all the schools around... my kids feel robbed that they still get to do school at home:)  Ahhh, the joys of homeschooling.  I keep reminding them of the time off they all had while we were in Uganda:) 

Tomorrow on the agenda... 
school... making a fresh batch of homemade hot cocoa, and a possible movie marathon with friends... 

We are enjoying the warmth and coziness of home these days... and thanking God that the church installed new windows this fall in our house... I had heard that you could literally feel the draft blowing in some of them before... Can you imagine with the weather we are having??

So how is the weather in your neck of the woods??:)  


Thursday, January 23, 2014

The time is now...





We sang this song in church the first Sunday after our return from Africa...

My heart was ready to burst...

My heart was full of total thankfulness to God for the utter fact that when I reach my heavenly home, I WILL SEE HIM FACE TO FACE...

And then I will see my Samuel face to face...

And then I will see....



Immediately the tears came to my eyes... who will I see?

 Will I see Daniel no longer longing to get off the streets?  Will I see Lawrence without his sweet little drooping eye then fully healed?  Will I see Akampa who stole my heart?  Will I see Hildie as we swing and sing in Heaven?  Will I see Ruth with her mischievous grin?  Will I see Josiah with those HUGE beautiful eyes?  Will I see precious Michael previously so badly scarred... but then in a perfectly healed body?  Will I see sweet, so sorrowful, so recently abandoned Robina...  but now healed from the trauma she experienced in this earthly life??

The precious faces were flashing through my mind... one after the other... sweet souls that my heart loves... Sweet souls that I want to see for all eternity...  

What a burden on my heart... pure joy and thankfulness to God for His faithfulness and redeeming power to die so that I will fully live... But yet a real burden... knowing I don't know...

The time in NOW friends... not a one of us is guaranteed tomorrow... heck, we aren't even guaranteed this afternoon.... there isn't time to waste... Our lives or our loved ones lives or our neighbors lives can change in an instant... We have lived that...

The time is now to forgive those that maybe you have bitterly held things against... The time is now to step outside our comfort zone and get dirty in the work of our Father's kingdom... The time is now to reach out and lovingly get to know our neighbors... The time is now to look beyond ourselves and invest in the lives of others... The time is now to love love love... (I am speaking to myself here just the same)  The time is now to be the hands and feet of Jesus right here in our backyard and beyond...

I pray that the seeds we planted while in Uganda will be nurtured in the lives of these little ones.  I pray that the Lord sends the perfect little helpers and people to love, nurture, and give these precious ones guidance as they grow in their faith... I pray that all those prayers uttered as I cuddled, prayed, and sang will come to fruition in time...

That is my most fervent prayer that one day... I will see... I will see them all... That when I reach my heavenly home my eyes will meet all of the precious Ugandan eyes of those little ones I miss so deeply...



Monday, January 20, 2014

HOME

I am so thankful to be home safe and sound back with my family...

Seeing every last one of my kids in the car as we jumped in at the curb at O Hare brought total joy and peace to my heart.

Not to mention the angst that I felt the week or so prior knowing that my sister had come into town to help and within 30 mins. of her arrival... my kids started dropping like flies due to a stomach bug... yes... 4 of my 5 got it... and then 3 of her 5 caught it.  OH MY GOODNESS!  That was my biggest fear...

Greg continually said how calm and not stressed out Beth was... and that totally is my sister... and Greg for that matter.  They handled it all extremely well...said it almost reached a comedic state at times... I just felt bad not to be able to love on my babies while they were sick and to have them bear the brunt of all that extra work... But praise God... it was a very short lived virus and all are well and back to normal now...

But MY SISTER BETH DESERVES A MEDAL FOR AUNTIE OF THE YEAR!!!  I owe her big time.  She was such a huge help!

So now comes the processing of all that we experienced while in Uganda...  Wow... it is WONDERFUL coming home... but it is DIFFICULT too! 

How do you leave that precious little girl who just was abandoned and dropped off at the baby home with a look of utter terror and sadness that was constant in her eyes knowing that she won't be getting the full love and nurturing care she so desperately needs and deserves ...  it breaks my heart!

How do you leave a certain street boy right where he is in the slums... KNOWING FULL WELL the amazing potential he has to make so much more of HIS life with the right guidance, love and support...  Oh he has my prayers!!!

How do you walk right back into a beautiful home on the church campus with a well stocked refrigerator and pantry... KNOWING FULL WELL that those boys on the streets may  not possibly have a thing to eat for 2 days... or maybe even longer...

How do you leave all that behind... 1/2 way across the world and not have it impact you every single day.

I can't and I won't let it not impact me or change me... Once you see them, live by them, experience them, hug them, love them, work with them... they leave their imprint right on your heart...

I am praying that we did the same... that the love that we showed, and the time we spent together will leave that same lasting imprint on their hearts...

Someone asked me yesterday... a very pointed question... What is my take away?... (I was glad that she asked such a pointed question... sometimes it is literally impossible to answer the question... How was your trip???  How do you articulate all that your heart is full of now??)

But a more pointed question helps with that processing... Yesterday I told her one thing... But today my take away is something different... (That will probably happen... my takeaways will change and be added to as the Lord reveals more and more from what we saw and experienced)  Here is my takeaway for today...

When all that we saw and experienced seems overwhelming or the problems too big...

I need to remember and  focus on the fact that what we did makes a difference... maybe to one, maybe to many...

Maybe to a group of orphans orphaned by a mudslide who are waiting for a home...  who now have a fully equipped orphanage to call home...

Maybe to the hundreds of kids who will come back to a new freshly painted school room after holiday...

Maybe to the kids from 3 orphanages who had their first Christmas party and got to actually pick out their very own presents... (oh the utter delight in their eyes I will never forget:)

Maybe to the frightened street boy who now has a bible to read...

Maybe to that toddler you pushed for hours on the swing  all the while singing to her of the faithfulness of God and His love for her...

Maybe to that baby who you cuddled and whispered the promises of God to over and over again...

Maybe to those lonely abandoned pregnant teens you shared your most difficult life experiences with...  and prayed for and encouraged them with the promises of God's word... He will NEVER leave or forsake you....


I could go on and on...

God calls us to love one another... God calls us to serve others... God calls us to be HIS hands and feet to the world around us... at our back door and beyond...  Giving ALL GLORY TO HIM!!

I have much more to share about our trip in the days ahead.... these are just my first thoughts back on the home front...


Tuesday, January 14, 2014

tomorrow



Tomorrow we will get in one more visit with all the special babies we get to love on here in Uganda... my heart is sad...

Today as I was snuggling and loving on the one above,  I was checking out this little guy... checking out every inch of his chunky face...  his perfect lips... his dark full eyebrows... his little bit of hair on top...

oh my yumminess!!  I loved looking over all the details that make him who he is...

I am smitten with him...

Then it dawned on me... No one pays attention to every last detail of his precious face...

Everyday some  one Is missing out on some seriousness preciousness...

He deserves to be treasured... every child does... he deserves to be gawked over, cuddled,  and totally loved on... Someone should know how chunky his thighs are... Some one should know How fuzzy his forehead is... someone should know how  his little lips curve and the shape of his nose... truth be told, he reminds me of my Isaiah a bit... He is beyond precious...

So so many orphans here... it can be too much for me at times... and honestly i dont even want to think about walking out that door tomorrow and having to leave him and the others behind...

Tonight my prayers is that somehow these little ones find their forever families quickly... that those caring for them will really look at what is the very best for them... that someday soon this little guy will be clinging onto his forever mommy like he was clinging onto me today...

We leave tomorrow night late after a full day at the baby home and the street boy feeding program in the slums... may God be glorified in all we do on our last day here in Uganda...

Prayers for safe travels home would be greatly appreciated...

Saturday, January 11, 2014

youth conference



We are so blessed to stay at our missionary friends house in Kampala.  She has a beautiful viewwas the city:)  we usually eat local food for dinner each night!  It
is delicious!  This night we had stuffed chapoti... kind of like burritos!  It was so good... I got to taste some and hit the sack early with a migrane...:(:( Thankfully, I felt MUCH better the next day!

Saturday we spent all day out in the village at a youth conference.  Our kids did an excellent job sharing with the teens.  There was around 300 kids there.  What a neat opportunity for my boys.  I am so thankful for how God is using this trip to stretch and grow my boys!  Caleb shared about losing samuel and had an opportunity to pray for others there that are hurting because of the loss of a loved one.  And louis shared on forgiveness... all 4 of our teens did great!
Our leader, pastor dwight and his missionary daughter, emma gave some great messages and testimony of what God is doing or has done in their lives!     . It was a great day filled with great worship, sharing Gods word, and testimonies.  This conference was held where we had the Christmas party.  A special little guy lawrence snuck in the back door, crawled in my lap, and fell right to sleep!  He is so precious... what a way to end my day being able to love on Lawrence!  Perfect!  I am so thankful to be here!!

Getting the orphanage ready for the kids...



Here is the delivery truck filled with bunkbeds for 24, blankets, sheets, cups, plates, and utensils.  The church had enough funds to build the orphanage, but not the funds to buy everything they would need inside to make it ready for kids.  International voice of the orphan was able to help with the funds and now the orphanage is ready... Ready for kids who are waiting that are orphans as a result of a mudslide... Can you imagine what those kids have gone through in their short little lives??
Caleb, Jillian, and Emma putting together the bunk beds.  You should have seen the villagers come from all around as they they saw and heard us there pounding a away as the beds were assembled.
They seem so excited to see it ready for kids...

This village was particularly beautiful... Rolling hills and so lush...  We have been commenting on how you rarely see elderly people here.  Our driver said that they usually stay home.  This is such a typical site... The women just sat in the doorway of her house with coffee beans drying closes by.  The people of Uganda are stunningly beautiful.

To me how they carry their baby is so precious.  All that is sticking out is their little head.  We also volunteered at the baby home again.  And then at the end of he day... Some of our St. Peter team had to leave and go home.  Big bummer!!! It is just not the same without them here.

Touching lives forever in Uganda... One smile at a time... One bed at a time... One hug at a time... One orphan in a forever family at a a time... One encouraging word at a time... One bible given at a time.... 

What a gift this trip has been to us...

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Day 2 in the slums

.Louis, Caleb, and Logan with their new friends... Some of the street boys...

We had another hard fought game of futbol out on the pitch... Today 4 cows joined us on the field... Only in Uganda do you share the soccer field with multiple grazing cows:). 

Our sweet new friend Daniel is between the boys in this picture... He was so excited to have the new bible I gave to him yesterday... He started reading it immediately... Tonight my heart was broken thinking of the possibility of never seeing him again... Or the possibility of not seeing him in heaven...

This life is short... This is not our home... And I desperately want to see him in my forever home...

He is an amazing worshipping young man... But life on the streets is hard... 11 years on the streets, really unfathomable to me... Fighting... Sexual abuse... Running from police... Hiding from those stronger than yourself... Huffing jet fuel... Extreme hunger... Desperate poverty... This is his life... Can you imagine the fear, temptations, and willingness to do things you might never want to do for food, or to stay alive??  What a reality check for us...

I encouraged him to stay in the word... Read his bible... Attend the church near the slums... Attend the outreach program and classes and to work hard to get into the program to get off the streets.   That is one of the main purposes of the feeding program... To get the boys to commit to making changes in their life and they then have homes to move them to... Our leader said he was shocked Daniel was still on the streets... He has so much potential... So much potential...

Louis even had a chance to pray with him... (So proud of him... And all the teens with us... They have stepped up and it has been awesome to witness!!)

Please pray for Daniel and the other boys... That God would draw them closer and closer to himself...
 
This is a great picture of where the street boys get a meal 3 times a week...  Right in the slums... The smell and the amount of garbage seemedP worse this year...

Can you believe this bit of preciousness?  I could just eat her up... We will see if I end up with ringworm... I gave another little boy a big hug.... Put my head right down and cuddled him up... Only to realize later that he had a really bad case of ringworm, noticeable the minute I lifted my head up... Oh well... It is so worth it to be able to love on these kids...
Pastor Dwight sharing Gods love and word with the boys... Worship was a blast with these boys today... I loved every second of it!! The boys loved the relay races our teens planned for them...

Sweet slum kids... Not a part of the feeding program... But ended up coming to the program anyways... A lot of times the kids of the slums (who do have parents) will tag right along as we walk up to the pitch where we play soccer... Then they follow us back and worship with us...technically they aren't supposed to be fed because they have families... But it is nearly impossible to not feed them...when they stare up at you with such longing in their eyes...

What a beautiful day..

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Firsts...


First Christmas party with 60 of their closest friends:)

First mini spa treatment... (Don't I wish.... We just painted nails and faces... But they loved it!!)

First time shopping to pick out his own presents... (It wasn't really shopping... But instead we set up about 10 different stations around the orphanage where they could choose their gifts...  The items included toothpaste and brushes, pencils, a shirt, candy cane, beanie baby, coloring book and crayons, balls, purses, play dough, and so much more... The biggest and probably most special was a new pair of shoes. They wanted to wear them right away:) You should have seen their faces... Some could not believe it...These kids may receive a small item here or there that was given to them... But to actually get a chance to choose what they wanted... This was a first...

This little guys name is Lawrence (that is how we would pronounce it). He is the youngest of all the kids at these three orphanages... Every time I said to pick something... He lit up... A HUGE grin from ear to ear... He was cuddled up in my lap most of the morning while the kids sang and danced for us.... Then we danced for them... A big mistake... But super funny!!
First group team photo!!!   It is even better with the 60 smiling little guys joining us:)
They were so thrilled with their new boxes:)

What an AMAZING day... One I don't think I will ever forget...
 The way they treasure each little thing... The way that they even want to share the little they have with us... The way their smiles floods your heart with joy... The way they ran out of the church screaming when we first arrived... The way they fed us first... The way they teach me to treasure ALL of my blessings:)

Today we gave them gifts... 
But really they keep giving right back... Our hearts are full...



Saturday and Sunday in Uganda:)


Jillian, Louis, and Caleb with heir new buddies.   I literally had to leave the painting to hear what all the fun was about... The laughing erupting from their game of hot corn (hot potato) was so awesome!!!  Beautiful day loving on kids!
Nicole from our team measuring feet for new shoes... That will be a part of our Christmas gift to them on Tuesday:)
Kim and a special from from the village orphanage... (Notice the paint on her glasses... We were covered)
Painting the orphanage out in rural Uganda.
This precious girl couldn't have been more than 4... Cared for her little brother ALL day... What a little mommy... 


Today we were so blessed by the amazing worship out in the village.  They built the church on the bottom floor and an orphanage up top... They believe it is the churches job to care for the orphans of this country.  What a beautiful ministry !!

 We had  the wonderful privilege of praying for the  members there during worship.  I actually had a mommy come up to me and say that when she gets pregnant she  loses every baby.  She wants to get pregnant and keep a baby.  I right away told her that I too had lost a baby... And could pray for her from my heart... I too know that pain... What a precious sister in Christ.  The Lord always brings the exact people right to us for us to minister to.  

Thanks for the prayers!





Saturday, January 4, 2014

My new son....



Meet my new friend Daniel.  Meeting him yesterday in the slums was a highlight for me... And the most heartbreaking...

After we were done  playing soccer I asked him how old he was... "16... Born in 1997" was his response...

I then proceeded to point out Louis to him... "My son, he is 16 too"  I stated... He couldn't believe it... Both 16... He is small... What a personality came out of him... We joked and laughed about how big Louis and Caleb seemed to him...  God was quickly chipping away at my thoughts of... how can I a 42 year old woman relate to a homeless street boy in Uganda?

During worship Daniel was one of the boys leading the singing... Worshipping with a passion that was amazing!!

After worship and program Daniel and I talked.  right away he told me... "You be my mom!"  I said, "Yes, you be my son!" He lit up.  I started asking him questions... he has been living on the streets since he was 5.  FOR ELEVEN YEARS!!  He doesn't have a mother or father... no family he can remember.  He told me that he sleeps with a few other street boys and that they must move sleeping spots every night so that they aren't caught by the police and put in a prison... not a nice place at all for street boys... worse than the streets... If you can imagine that.

Life is extremely dangerous for street boys in Uganda... child sacrifice still happens here and nobody would miss a street boy... they can be easy targets... it has been said that they will turn to drugs or huffing jet fuel to ease the hunger pains they feel.  They are often times beaten or molested.  They beg for food or collect scrap plastic or metal to sell for food.  Then they can easily robbed for what small money they can find or make.   It is a dangerous hard life.

We continued talking... mostly about God's word... he was reciting scripture and told me he only had a new testament but wanted the whole bible... I said  I would bring him one next week...  I am so thankful my friend from church, Kim, made sure to get bibles to pack and bring along with her.   I urged him to continue to hide God's word in his heart and never forget it.  And to draw upon that for strength When needed.

There were so many times while we talked that I had to look away.  I didn't want him to see the tears in my eyes.  The minute he said to me... "you be my mom"  my heart saw him in a  different way... what if he was my son?? My heart broke for him, and all that he goes through each day.  I don't know why He said that to me... maybe because he saw me with my sons so close to him in age... maybe because he longs for a mom, even at 16...

Tonight I just kept thinking... where was he?  Is he safe?  Is he sleeping?  Is he too scared to sleep?  Did he eat anything else today? (I know the answer to that one... he put some of his lunch in a bag he picked up and was saving it for later... survival)

Please pray for my new friend Daniel... and the rest of the boys that are sleeping on the streets tonight... pray that God continues to work in his heart and life and draws him closer to himself everyday. Pray that the Lord could use the life of my Daniel in an amazing way here... pray he will do whatever it takes to get off the streets...  I will share later next week about how that can be possible for some of the street boys through a great ministry here.

Friday, January 3, 2014

Street boys...


Today we were blessed with the opportunity to serve at the baby home again and then we headed to the feeding program ministry in the slums. 

We started out walking through the slums to the pitch, the soccer field.  There was tons of trash right next to the field.... Really...  lots of trash EVERYWHERE!!   Uganda does not have any trash system... Actually they do... Burn it wherever... whenever.  

The smell is strong in the slums... It is dirty...truly deplorable conditions.  It is very hard to imagine anyone living there amidst the tiny shacks.  But far harder to imagine the street boys living without any shelter... On the streets... It is a dangerous place.  I will share more about why it is dangerous tomorrow.   We fed beans, rice, jackfruit, and mango to the boys that was cooked in the back of this container.  

This is most of the team getting ready to pass out the meals.  I got to tip the big jug of water to wash hands... Ugandans are so dark so you can't really tell how dirty they are.  I have never seen such dirt.  It just kept coming off.  Then it dawned on me that they probably haven't washed hands in at least a couple days.  And touching all that they are exposed to as homeless street boys sleeping on the ground, you can only imagine...

Our kids with the street boys... I love looking at each and every expression on each face.  Priceless!
They were having a ball:)


Look deep into those precious eyes... They tell quite a story... 


To be a part of the feeding program the kids have to attend the whole program... Which always requires that they attend the bible and worship time.  These boys were worshipping their hearts... It was inspiring... It struck me that almost in a way, that because they don't have the over abundance they had less holding them back.  Their reality  is that their need for a savior and help, comfort and peace from Him in their lives daily are desperately needed.  

Louis was blessed with being able to share Gods word with the boys.  He shared Deauteronomy 31:6 

Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for The Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you!

Life as a street boy is scary... He wanted to encourage them that they are never alone... The Lord is always with them through all of the difficulties in life.  Precious words from my 16 year old son to boys his same age and much younger as well... 

Tomorrow I will post about a new friend of mine who gave me a MUCH clearer picture of what life as a street boy is like.  

We are thrilled that we will be back in the slums next week to do program again with the boys... Already on the hunt for a special gift for my new friend... God provided through a friend from church...exactly what he wanted... I Can't wait to take it to him next week.

Your prayers are much Appreciated... Our prayer has been as we prepared for the trip that The Lord would break our hearts for what breaks his... That is happening daily as the things we see and take  in are at times overwhelming... Prayers for the street boys would be great too...

Thursday, January 2, 2014

DAY 1

 Today we went to scout out a new orphanage to work with... it wasn't a new orphanage at all... but new to us... it was the biggest place i have ever seen as far as orphanges go.  They school 1500 kids... crazy amount and house all those kids almost year round. Right now they were on holiday so the school kids have to leave for some time... either to faimily or kin of some kind, according to the government policy... but in february they will all be back.

Can you imagine housing... feeding... caring for 1500 children???  The ministry was started 13 years ago... but 2 years ago the founder was killed and his wife had to take it over... what an overwhelming responsibility, especially for a grieving widow... my heart and prayers go out to evah who runs Destiny Orphange... such an amazing sweet lady!

 The babies were tired and about 8 of them immediately fell asleep... it was like with the tender touch of love they were relaxed and out like a light...  with no diapers on...
it meant for MANY wet buns... pants... couches ... in no time at all... and quite a few laughs...
the beautiful setting at Destiny Orphange:)
Caleb and louis were like little kid magnets...:) 

IT is always neat to see a new place and hear the vision of those who are on the front lines serving the orphans here on the ground in uganda daily! 

We headshots  to sanyu this afternoon to the baby home... my special felix was adopted... i am so thankful he has a forever family!! But many kids were still there doing th same thing a WHOLE year later... BREAKS MY HEART!! 

They had a BIG number of tiny babies... like 2 weeks or younger... brought by the police found abandoned in the city... some on the rubbish piles!  This is the reality in Uganda. While they work hard to care for the babies... these are tiny babies who are exposed to all sorts of illnesses being in this setting... my fist thought was... how will these tiny ones survive??

I Just kept thinking these precious little ones deserve the love of a family... each and every one of them... especially hannah (hopefully i can write more on her later) and my heart breaks knowing that some are still in the exact same spot another year later... will they ever get the love they really deserve from a forever family??  it seems so unfair...



Praises... emma got her passport updated in Illinois despite a record breaking snowfall in the city...
the rest of our St. Peter group made it safe and sound:)

prayers... the rest of the team comes over the next 2 days..
We are heading to the slums tomorrow for the feeding program with the street boys
And we had one lost baggage of donations...

Please excuse any typos... working off my phone:)  thanks so much for your prayers!!

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Safe on the ground

Safe on the ground in Uganda!!!!

Heading to a couple of orphanages today... Picking up more of the team tonight...

Can't wait to love on my babies here today!!!

Pray for a delay on some of the team with snow... Pray for them to make their connection in France...
Pls pray for the Thompson crew to get Emma's new passport today despite snow issues in Chicago!!! We know God can move mountains to make this happen!!

Much love friends!

Will post more soon!!!

Thanks for the prayers for safe travel!!!