Inspired by Kylie taking noticeable delight in reading my blog posts from a looooong time ago last week, (with me oftentimes recounting her little-girl antiques, with photos), I have decided to put together a short video about our latest adventure together to post on here.
After all, this blog is a cool platform and easy way to keep memories alive.
BUT WAIT - LET ME BACK UP
Prompted by God, Kylie came with me to Uganda last year and fell in love with the people and the country, especially the children. 😊😉
Shortly after returning home, God provided a part-time job for her at a bakery in walking distance to our (then) home. SUCH an incredible provision for a 14-year old to be able to make some pretty good money while still going to school and at the same time learning valuable skills!
She worked hard, sacrificed much and saved up for every last dollar needed to get back to Uganda with me (once again following a prompting from God), paying for all of her expenses, even with money to spare to treat different people to some pretty special experiences, including a dozen+ FIRST TIME EVER experiences
(Ask her about them.😀).
By the way, she herself also experienced around a dozen FIRST TIME EVERs during this trip.
So cool!
(once again, why don't you ask her about them?!)
She was an amazing travel-buddy and such a trooper! I just love her!
WHAT A JOY AND DELIGHT SHE IS!
I am SUPER proud of her and how she carried herself once again on this trip!
So cool!
(once again, why don't you ask her about them?!)
She was an amazing travel-buddy and such a trooper! I just love her!
WHAT A JOY AND DELIGHT SHE IS!
I am SUPER proud of her and how she carried herself once again on this trip!
She was very motivated to learn some Luganda beforehand, so that she could at least communicate a little better with the children/youth than last time. Quite surprising to me, as I have never been able to get her excited about learning German or French. Go figure... 😬😏
Thankfully, we found a Ugandan here in Tauranga who was willing to teach us and she made a fair bit of progress. YAY!
Thankfully, we found a Ugandan here in Tauranga who was willing to teach us and she made a fair bit of progress. YAY!
Anyways, here we are - came back from Uganda 3 weeks ago.
Every time I come back, I am so full of emotions, experiences and memories which I LOVE to share with anybody that's interested.
What a challenge to summarize 3 weeks in a 4-min video.... and lots of memorable moments didn't get filmed/photographed, but here it is.
Click on the link to see it
(or better yet, read on and find it at the bottom of this post).
Anybody out there???
Click on the link to see it
(or better yet, read on and find it at the bottom of this post).
Thank you for visiting with me/us for a bit!
OOPS - wait a minute - you may want to first read this
DISCLAIMER
Watching this footage might tempt you to conclude that my Uganda-trips are nothing but fun and games.
YEAH RIGHT
All fun and games?
NOPE - FAR FROM IT!
(If you want to know more, ask me about it.😃)
What you are going to see in the video are snippets of what we were up to,
highlighting the funnest moments.
Cuz
At the end of the day
When all is said and done
I am in my VERY happy place when I watch
CHILDREN
HAPPY
PLAYING
LAUGHING
HAVING FUN
LOVING GOD
AND EACH OTHER
Especially children who probably wouldn't be doing well at all right now if GOD hadn't intervened in their lives through people like you and me investing time, love, energy, passion, prayers and finances
to LOVE ON THEM and CARE FOR THEM!
(Insert Praise and Moses as well as every person that has been investing into the ministry of Maisha Africa - thankyouverymuch!👍😁)
YES
The children are now a part of a family, with consistent love and care.
They are getting educated
(oh, what a challenge to finance their ongoing education 😬!)
(oh, what a challenge to finance their ongoing education 😬!)
HOWEVER
Their lives are still VERY simple
even though they now live in a
VERY BEAUTIFUL HOME
VERY BEAUTIFUL HOME
as you will see in the video
God's miracle provision (see this post)!!!
(by the way, they RARELY, if ever, play in their living-room, the way you will see them play with Kylie in the video)
(by the way, they RARELY, if ever, play in their living-room, the way you will see them play with Kylie in the video)
They work HARD and a LOT, and play little.
Our primary/intermediate school still doesn't have a playground.
(only the preschool has some play-equipment)
(only the preschool has some play-equipment)
A swing, a pool, a bouncy castle, bubbles...?
Some had never experienced some of these things - EVER - others maybe once a year or less...
There are no public playgrounds.
Maybe someday that will change - hopefully.
Especially the PLAYGROUND AT OUR SCHOOL is something I REALLY want to see established as soon as possible!
The girl in the yellow dress you see playing with Kylie is SUCH a happy, delightful child now, thriving under the care of her mother, who she has been able to get reunited with thanks to somebody who read this blog post years ago and met the need.
No longer needy, empty - but secure and happy!
Some of the children you'll see in our video are the same ones as the ones who sang this song 6 years ago.
And the ones you can see in this blog post - almost 8 years ago!
As a matter of fact, the youngest in that last blog post, (first photo) has now become my apprentice photographer and has filmed some of the footage in the video. Haha!
He's so adorable!
(he's the one Kylie filmed while he tasted cotton candy for the first time)
You probably won't recognize these children, but - oh - what a JOY and PRIVILEGE for me to see them grow up and develop so well in different areas of their lives.
And many others have been added since then - each one with their own story of pain, loss and (ongoing) restoration.
Another one you won't recognize (the photos go very quickly) is a young girl, who
- also thanks to somebody who read my blog-post about her and responded to meet a need many years ago -
is now doing amazingly well, just finished her university degree that she financed herself after having been sponsored through high school. SUCH a precious young lady and lover of God!
SUCH a turn around from hopelessness to a future made of hope!
There are no public playgrounds.
Maybe someday that will change - hopefully.
Especially the PLAYGROUND AT OUR SCHOOL is something I REALLY want to see established as soon as possible!
BACK TO THE VIDEO
The girl in the yellow dress you see playing with Kylie is SUCH a happy, delightful child now, thriving under the care of her mother, who she has been able to get reunited with thanks to somebody who read this blog post years ago and met the need.
No longer needy, empty - but secure and happy!
WHAT A JOY!
Some of the children you'll see in our video are the same ones as the ones who sang this song 6 years ago.
And the ones you can see in this blog post - almost 8 years ago!
As a matter of fact, the youngest in that last blog post, (first photo) has now become my apprentice photographer and has filmed some of the footage in the video. Haha!
He's so adorable!
(he's the one Kylie filmed while he tasted cotton candy for the first time)
WOW~ WOW ~ WOW!!!
What a journey it has been! What a transformation!
You probably won't recognize these children, but - oh - what a JOY and PRIVILEGE for me to see them grow up and develop so well in different areas of their lives.
And many others have been added since then - each one with their own story of pain, loss and (ongoing) restoration.
SO BEAUTIFUL - AND HARD
(pray for Praise and Moses as they parent them!)
Another one you won't recognize (the photos go very quickly) is a young girl, who
- also thanks to somebody who read my blog-post about her and responded to meet a need many years ago -
is now doing amazingly well, just finished her university degree that she financed herself after having been sponsored through high school. SUCH a precious young lady and lover of God!
SUCH a turn around from hopelessness to a future made of hope!
HONESTLY
As exciting as it might seem to be able to do what I do,
It has demanded more of me than I ever thought I could handle,
with a HUGE price tag attached.
It hasn't been easy, friends - AT ALL!
(ask me about it 😉)
BUT
When I get just a few minutes/hours of watching the children and teens happy and having a good time once a year (wish it could be more often)
my heart melts and I know:
It is all worth it! So very worth it!
SO - WITHOUT FURTHER ADO:
1 comment:
I've just finished watching the videos and reading your blog, Isabel, and I'm truly inspired and blessed by what God has been doing through Praise and Moses and through you and all who have been so faithfully supporting your ministry! Kylie has clearly caught your vision and your passion and put her whole heart into her trip to Uganda! What a blessing she is! Eternity will reveal the fruit of all the seeds that have been and are being planted in the hearts of these children.
I will be praying more earnestly for all the needs that remain, including the boy with HIV, and also for you and your own needs, especially in the area of health and finances. I long to do more than offer prayer support and am believing God to make that possible in the near future. In the meantime, I pray that Jesus will cause you to know every day how precious you are to Him and how much your ministry means to Him.
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