It's all for Him.

Despite my bad day yesterday, and the broken times I had yet to experience in the coming day today, I had a good wake-up call this morning at devotions.  We sang a song that many of you will know: “I’m coming back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about you, all about you Jesus.”  I am reminded that even though I am sad about my friends not being here, the ones from home and the ones that have recently left, it’s not about me.  He calls me back to Him.  He takes my chin with His hand and turns my head back to meet His gaze.  My time here is all about Him, and it was great to be reminded that so simply this morning.

Our first ministry we went to was Katalemwa Children’s Hospital, and it was our group’s turn to talk with the moms.  I ensured that I got a different translator than last time so that hopefully I would have a better experience, and for the most part I did.  This time we spent a lot of time getting to know these women’s stories and listening to their struggles, and then we just prayed for them at the end or gave them any encouragement we had.  For the third time in three days, my eyes filled with salty tears listening to the first woman’s story.  She was a jaja (grandmother) and one of her eyes was missing.  We asked her why she was there, and about her life.  She told us she was there for her grandson, who was born with both of his legs crippled.  We asked where his mom was, and she told us she had died 1 week after he was born.  She told us she had given birth to three daughters, one of them died, and the other two have disappeared.  Her husband is too old to work, so they do not have any form of income.  She had lost her eye a few years ago when she got a disease and it became so infected that it was completely useless, and would have caused the disease to spread through her entire body.  When her daughter got pregnant, she was so ashamed of what happened to her that she refused to tell the jaja who the father of her child was.  She died before the jaja could figure it out, so she was now forced to take care of her grandson.  She started crying as she told us that she didn’t know how she was going to pay the balance for her grandson’s treatment at the hospital, so she was forced to stay there until she could figure it out, causing her balance to continually causing her more and more stress.  My eyes filled with tears as I watched the tears flow out of both of her tear ducts, even the one that was missing her eye. 

Again, I feel useless.  I’m sure we did all we could, but I still feel it is not enough.

After this we were supposed to go back to City Side Secondary School, the one we have been going back to for a while now.  There was another communication error, and the other teams went to City Side while we went to Clive College.  I think I was still so broken from yesterday that I didn’t think anything of it.  I don’t have much to comment on about this day except that Heath, one of the new guys who is one of my favorite people here, gave an incredible sermon that touched even me. 

Later on in the afternoon, I was supposed to go back to Kyambogo College with a few others to see Lydia and watch them practice basketball, as I usually do.  But the van that was going there left without me and another girl who was planning on going.  All these communication errors are getting me very excited for safari, when I can just get away for a while.  We ended up going with a different group to Bethany Secondary School where they played basketball with their school team.  We lost, but I had fun taking pictures and sitting with some 7 year olds as they laughed at my attempts at Luganda. 

Now we are back at the house, and I am looking forward to tomorrow, as hopefully it will be a better day.  We are going to Sanyu where one of my friends has asked me to come with her and take pictures of her last time at the Babies Home.  She is in her last year of university for occupational therapy and has been practicing the things she would do in her job here at the Babies Home and at Katalemwa Children’s Hospital.  She has not been able to take pictures at the Babies Home because we just recently got permission.  She has really appreciated a lot of the pictures I have taken and she asked if I would take some photos for her while she’s doing therapy.  I readily agreed, and am really looking forward to this job.  I am also thinking about asking one of the Ugandans if I could take a day this week to not actively participate in the ministries, but simply take photos, as this is where I have found my joy so far this week.  We are also going back to the Remand Home, so I will see how Irene’s case has worked out and will be able to give a Bible to Susan. 

I am simply praying for refreshing and for guidance on what I can do to help ease all these broken hearts.