Day 2

Once again, I'm sitting in complete darkness under my mosquito net  in the early hours of the morning. Have already been awake for a couple of hours.

Isn't technology amazing? Here, we have no electricity, running water or proper toilet 

(and newspaper for toilet paper), 

but I can be connected to YOU via a mobile internet stick I got after I arrived at the airport.

AMAZING!!!

Had a good time yesterday, ministering to Remmie, spending some more time with the kids and a smooth drive to Jinja, during which I got to hear LOTS more about the healthy kind of community development and also learned more about the African culture! WOW!!! What incredible people the Lord is allowing me to partner with! Such a rich well of wisdom, knowledge and experience.

So true how much of the charitable work that's been done in Africa over the years has been ineffective at best and harmful at worst - quite sobering. Hand-outs are the worst, as they stifle the people's motivation and even rob them of their dignity and JOY of being able to do something to better their own circumstances! (of course, there IS need of help, but it's gotta be done right)

Am just pondering a comment Fred made:

"If a community exists - however poor and desperate it is - they must be doing SOMETHING right, otherwise they would not exist. So our job is to find out what they are doing right and help them do it better."

Hmmmmmm....... true!

On another note - my heart was once again deeply touched by what I found out at the Baby Home yesterday:

Remember what I wrote yesterday about the 3-year-old twins who called me Mom and wanted me to pick them up?

Well, the back-ground for this is:

2 weeks ago, an American couple arrived at the Baby Home to pick up twins that they are adopting.

They (and I) are/were staying at the same guest house right next to the Baby Home.

As the purpose of the Baby Home is to get all the children adopted out, this is something the children are familiar with, and most often they get adopted by Americans or Europeans.

As a matter of fact, when I was visiting 5 months ago, I was told that only 1 of the children was being pursued for adoption.

Now, I heard that quite a number of them either have been or are in the process of being adopted out.

What an answer to prayer!!!

The little children of our church (5 and under) have adopted all the children in prayer and their main prayer request has been for these children to find forever families.

So - it's a wonderful answer to prayer that these adoptions are in the pipeline - and this particular one actually happening!!

I was told that the 2-year-old twin (boy) went straight to his new adoptive Dad after they had arrived (and he had been told before that his and his sister's parents were coming to take them home) and told him, "I want to go with you - on an airplane".

So amazing that even the little 2-year-olds KNOW that some children will be chosen, get parents and then leave.

The adoptive mother told me that later that day, one of the twin girls came to her and pointed to the guest-house, confidently saying, "My mom will come next!"

So - guess who the next Muzungu (white person) was that came???

Yup - guessed it!

Now I understand why this same girl was so sure that I was her Mom - 

and her twin sister was right behind and joined in.

OH.MY.GOODNESS!

I felt like my heart was going to break all over again...

No wonder that her eyes got soooo sad-looking when I also picked up baby Elizabeth.

She was not only jealous, she had understood that once again - she wasn't picked

and still had no Mommy....

That's her - Nakato holding the cuddly and photo she just received from her prayer sponsor in New Zealand

I can't even begin to imagine what was going on in her little heart.

And Remmie told me later that, yes, it is VERY hard for the remaining children every time one gets adopted and not them.

These 3-year-old twin girls are absolutely adorable and I would scoop them up in a minute.

But it is not to be.

twin sister Babiyre as she receives her cuddly

As a matter of fact, they are not even adoptable, as their parents are still alive.

And that's a whole other post - - - so many "orphans" in orphanages that still have parents...

But they stay in the orphanage year after year without ANY interest from either parents or extended family.

'Nuf said - it's 6am, the rooster is crowing (has been for hours, haha), the family's getting up - even though it's still pitch-dark.

Today, 3 days of meetings will start with the YWAM leaders about the project

Hope In Villages+

Please continue to pray for me - strength (don't know why can't sleep after 3:30am, even with sleeping pills that normally work), protection (saw my first snake yesterday just as I arrived. It was in the house I am staying at...), wisdom and constructive, fruitful meetings so that we can lay the foundation that needs to be laid for this new partnership between the local YWAMers and our church in New Zealand.

Thanks heaps! Lots of love to each one of you following along on my journey! Really appreciate your on-going prayers!!!