WATER - precious WATER

Thought this short student produced, directed, and created film that has won numerous awards since being released, fit well with my recent post with the photo of Praise's children getting water.

Just another ~ creative ~ perspective on the world water crisis.

I would SO love for Praise and her kids to get access to CLEAN WATER!!!

In Memory of you ...

... SWEET baby ELIZABETH

 

You were abandoned

malnourished

depressed

sick

longing for belonging

love

from a mother and a father.

NOW

you are healed

well

happy

whole

in the arms of JESUS.

There are many of us who are grieving for you, sweet princess - and we miss you:

Remmie, who took you in

and cared for you since you were 2/3 months old

staying many days/nights/weeks with you in the hospital

even though you were just one of 20+ she was caring for.

She truly loved you

even though she knew you were not hers to keep.

Remmie, the Baby Home director - with the older children just before school

The "aunties" at the Baby Home who loved you and cared for you

tirelessly 

The other children at the Baby Home.

Your adoptive parents, who were just waiting for the complicated adoption process to be finished,

so that you could be in their arms forever. 

And there's our family - especially me.

Shayden (and often Kylie) and I prayed for you almost daily since last September.

My heart is in much pain - once again.

I've also loved you - and one day I know, I will see you again!

Until then,  ENJOY heaven - and your NEW LIFE there!

SOOOO MUCH BETTER!!!

P.S.: I will never EVER forget you!!!

I don't know why...

... I keep writing about Praise and her children...

There are so many other things to write about, too.

I guess, when I first met Praise last year, I felt a strong connection with her and was DEEPLY moved after I left her place.

She's doing exactly what I've felt I was supposed to do since I was a little girl:

taking in abandoned babies and little ones -

I just find my heart so strongly connected and constantly praying.

Praise was really encouraged about the money that has been given to help her with the debt for the house and she 

THANKS EACH ONE VERY MUCH!

Here's an excerpt from her email yesterday:

...Since now many people know that i stay with children so i find that 

almost every day i get more than one phone call telling me
about cases of suffering children and even last week they brought  a
baby and left the baby in one of the class rooms  at night and in the
morning we found a child  crying wrapped in rugs and i took it to
police and they the police asked me to keep it... 

God helped and found a pastor who took the baby.

There's much more to say - Praise also goes out and shares about the love of Jesus with the street kids, she tries to find families for the many children that end up at her doorstep.
She cannot possibly take on more at the moment, as she cannot even properly provide for the ones she's got.  But she's got a HUGE heart!

this is where the children get their drinking (and other) water - NOT clean!

Some mighty beautiful school-kids for ya!

While my heart is about to burst with blog-posts,
I'll refrain myself and take it slowly...

For today, just a lil treat with a couple of short video-clips from Praise's school, started just over a month ago..

Explanations are on the vimeo site where the videos are.

 

AND - an excerpt from an email Praise sent me last week, after I told her I had arrived back home safely but my heart was pained with all that I saw and witnessed in Uganda.

I just LOVE her heart!

"I know my sister, Africa makes me cry too though i live in it but
what people pass through here also make me cry tho i'm an African
too but i know where there is God, there is hope that one day one time
God will hear the cry of His people here and things will change."

THANK YOU if you have prayed for Praise's situation (see last post) or given!

EVERY prayer and EVERY gift counts!

So far, close to NZ$700 (US$500) have been either given or pledged. 

I'm so excited as I know what JOY and RELIEF this will mean for Praise! 

What I DON'T like about Africa

There is ONE THING that I really don't like about Africa:

It's a certain automatic mathematical equation.

Wanna know which one???

 SKIN-COLOUR WHITE = MONEY

I know this may seem blunt - but it is true.

When people see you as a "Mzungu" - white person - 

they automatically think you've got money.

 

Ahemmm

 

As much as there is truth in it

It bothers me, because it is NOT ALWAYS true!
{just take me as an example... hehe}

And by the way, not everyone in Africa thinks this.

On our first trip to Uganda, Rich and I were told that

more than anything,

more than money,

what our African FAMILY REALLY want is

our FRIENDSHIP

our LOVE

us WALKING WITH them -

letting them feel that they're not alone in their intense struggles.


BUT - for the majority, the above equation is what they've got in mind when they spot white skin,

as wrinkly and freckly as it may be - haha!

{of course, with the exception of the children}

Remember Praise?

If you're new to my blog, you can read about my recent visit with her here and here.

Well, after my visit, the team from International Voice for the Orphan that I wrote about also visited her.

They took pictures of the children so that they can find prayer sponsors for them as a part of this beautiful ministry they have recently started.

This was supposed to be a blessing for Praise and the children

And I believe that it WILL BE - some day.

But at the moment, our/their visit is more of a "curse" for Praise

WHY?

Because she's now got PRESSURE from her debtor to repay the loan she took to get the house into a live-able state before she moved there with the children early February.

some of the children with Irene Kisolo, who is over-seeing Praise together with her husband Sam on the day we visited from Jinja (2 1/2 hours drive one way)

He saw the Mzungus visit - and concluded that they must have left a lot of money for Praise

{which I'm sure we ALL would have LOVED to do!!!}

But unfortunately, this was not the case.

So now she's got the debtor at her heels, demanding a prompt repayment of NZ$2,600 {US$2,200}

This makes me  ~  mad!

All I can do is PRAY - for GOD to intervene.

Will you pray with me, PLEASE?!!!

THANKS for letting me vent!
Boy, this blog is therapeutic for me :)


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

IF you want to GIVE towards this need, you can do it through

Orphans Aid International (mark: Orphans Know More, Praise) if you're in New Zealand

YWAM Cimarron (mark: Orphans Know More, Praise) if you're in the USA and

from any other country, just email me.
{and please also let me know with a short email if you give through the above websites - THANKS!}

Hilarious!

My heart's been SOOO heavy - and my body SOOOO weak.

 I am really struggling to readjust after this trip.

Yesterday was my birthday - spent most of the day laying around - resting, grieving.

What made my day

and caused the biggest laugh I can remember in a long time

was my sweet Kylie's note for my birthday:

 In case you can't read it:

I love you, Mom.

You are the bravest Mom I know.

You go to dangerous places

you have a kind heart

but sometimes you leave the hard jobs to Dad.

Happy birthday!

When I asked her later what she meant by me leaving the hard jobs to Dad

(she was in school when I read the note),

she said, 

"Oh well ~ ~ ~ you know ~ ~ ~ taking care of us kids!"

I KNEW it (that's why I laughed so hard!) !

What does the proverb say:

"A cheerful heart is like medicine!"

Sure was for me yesterday!

Oh, how I love (my) KIDS!!!

 

A king, a horse, turtles and apple-pie

... or in other words:

FAMILY-TIME!!!

Today was the first day that I felt like myself again - since arriving on Wednesday night.

Pouuaaahhh - it's been a tough few days.

But so much better now!

Kylie's way of spending quality time is role-play.

She's quite the determined little leader-personality

and full of creativity.

I just have to do what she asks me to do

follow her cues

and she's happy!

In case you need an explanation:

Kylie is the royal horse, pulling the carriage with King Shayden.

That was yesterday.

Today we made turtle houses for them and played in the "pretend" pool...

Kylie and Shayden also helped me make an apple-pie with apples from our garden(!!!).

What else can you do on a rainy day, trying to be quiet,

 with Rich catching up on sleep after his busy night-shift.

And of course, my knight was most delighted to wake up to one if his favorites!

Fun times!

HOPE arising!

“Sometimes I would like to ask God why he allows poverty, famine and injustice in the world, when he could do something about it, 

but I’m afraid He’ll ask me the same question.” 

Anonymous

As I am still struggling to digest my recent heart-breaking Uganda-experiences,

I need to lift up my spirits tonight.

I'm by myself, Rich is working a night-shift at the ambulance,

the kids are gone or asleep.

And my thoughts drift to Lydia...

If you've been following my blog for some time, you'll remember me first meeting this young widow in December of 2010. 

Well, SOMEBODY did decide to DO SOMETHING to be Jesus' outstretched hands to this precious woman - and she is in a COMPLETELY different place today!!!

No, actually, she still lives in the same place, but already during my last visit, there was a huge change.

Please read this blog-post before scrolling further down. 

C'mon

read it first 

please!

Well, I found out some more bits of information on this last trip that made me even happier about stepping out to help her:

Her late husband came from a Muslim family.

 After his death she was to become her husband's brother's wife, according to Muslim tradition.

But since she was a Christian, she refused this.

As a result, she was ostracized from the whole family.

She really was in a VERY HARD place when I met her!!!

TODAY, she has HOPE for a future as a seamstress with a sewing machine.

God is also restoring the relationships with her husband's family.

They respect her and are starting to be involved in her and her children's lives.

This is SOOO COOOOL and I am in AWE of what GOD has done!!!

She recently gave her testimony to a group of women who are still in great poverty and desperation and her encouragement made them all cry...

Don't get me wrong:

Lydia is still struggling to feed her kids,

I am still committed to {somehow} paying her 3 children's school fees for 2 years,

she'll need some time to develop her skill and build up a business

 

and she is longing for a decent place to live.

But she has HOPE!!!

Have a look at Lydia last week, as she was sewing bags for me to bring back home.

Her (female) pastor has allowed her to keep the sewing machine at her place and work there, too, 

as she can't work from her tiny rented room without windows.

She is hard-working and very motivated.

Look at the beautiful bags as she was bringing them to me on my last day in the Jinja-area!

I will try to sell them and the profit will help pay off the loan for the sewing machine.

Actually, come to think of it:

If you'd like to buy one, email me and I'll send you one.

Anywhere in the world!

They are light and the postage won't be much.

There is only one model

 - reversible - 

with a pocket for cell-phone/keys

straight from the beautiful continent of AFRICA!

INCLUDING the very special smell of smoke coming from the charcoal fire that food gets prepared on (will go away with washing)!

  

YUP!

VERY SPECIAL INDEED!!!

The cost for one bag:

NZ$20

US$15

13 Euro

(plus shipping)

Leilani already snatched the first one from me as soon as I arrived back home.

Only 14 left...

Oh well, if this story {hopefully the first of many more to come!} didn't make your day  -

it sure made mine!

WARNING!

DO NOT even 

THINK about 

asking GOD 

to BREAK your HEART 

with what BREAKS HIS

AND

expose yourself to the ORPHAN/AIDS-crisis in Africa

{especially more than once!}

UNLESS

You are ready

for your heart

to be 

COMPLETELY

UTTERLY

DEVASTATED,

SHATTERED !!!

Children desiring to throw themselves in front of cars

to join their parents in death

because NOBODY wants them!

Widows/single moms

throwing themselves

and their children

into the river Nile

because there is no HOPE for a future,

No food to feed the kids except one meal every 3 days

let alone sending them to school...

CHILDREN

HUNGRY

THIRSTY

SICK

ALONE

NOBODY that cares

NO PLACE OF BELONGING

MOTHERS

GRANDMOTHERS

DESPERATELY trying to feed and care for the children

WITHOUT prospects

of a FUTURE for them...

Those who CARE for the orphans

continuously struggling for survival

NOT ENOUGH MEANS

to provide for their needs,

YET

continually MORE

knocking at their door...

SERIOUSLY!

DON'T ASK GOD 

CUZ WHEN HE ANSWERS YOUR REQUEST

IT HURTS

IT MESSES YOU UP

BIG TIME!!!

H.O.M.E.

just letting you know my facebook update:

 

Back home! YAY! God is SOOO good! 

Had an incredible divine appointment on first flight. 

After Dubai, I had 3 seats to myself and was able to lay down! 

Shayden, upon seeing me: "Nice to see you, Mum!" 

10 minutes later: "I was worried about you ~ ~ ~ in Uganda." 

10 minutes later: "I'm so proud of you." Me: "What for?" Shayden: "For coming back from Uganda."