Well, technically, it wasn’t HER who stole it, but...
...what’s a big brother to do if little sis cries
uncontrollably and persistently, begging to eat chicken?!
After all, it was
Christmas Day!
Tantalizing scents of
delicious chicken being cooked on charcoal fires all around were making her mouth water like crazy.
Praise REALLY wanted to also indulge in this very special and extremely rare treat!
She was going to turn 6 the next day. But nobody even wasted a thought
on that.
Remembering birthdays wasn’t exactly part
of the culture of the day.
Survival? Yup, more like it!
However,
Christmas was - and still is - a BIG DEAL in Uganda!
So here was Praise, the youngest of 7 children and the only
girl. How in the world were her brothers going to make sure her little heart
wouldn’t be broken today?
There was no chicken, the ONE special food that was a
MUST for Christmas in Uganda.
Not only that.
It was worse.
There was NO FOOD AT
ALL!
While the children spent most of their upbringing with their
grandmother, there were certain times when they knew they weren’t welcome at
her home. Because of their step-aunty.
Christmas was
one of those times.
The aunty was the one who had built the grandmother’s home
(photo see last blog post), and she was going to spend the special day with her
mother.
Sadly, she did not like Praise and her brothers and made sure they knew
it.
So, off they scadoodled to their mother’s tiny rented room.
Their brave mother had banded together with a bunch of other
people and hired a truck to take them deep into the village.
The mission?
Fill
up the truck with bunches of bananas that were then destined to get sold in
Kampala for Christmas.
This was her industrious attempt to provide her children
with a meal worthy of Christmas.
Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out as planned. The truck
broke down.
Even worse, their mother had no way to contact the children to
let them know.
We’re talking pre-historic-cell-phone days.
So, imagine the distress of the brothers:
Not only did they
have to deal with their crying sister that they didn’t want to disappoint, but
they were convinced that their mother must have died. Why? Because she was
meant to have already come back days ago and there was no news from her at all.
With so much grief and death being a part of their tender lives already,
this was a pretty realistic conclusion.
So, here were the brothers, convinced that their mother had
died.
And it was Christmas.
There was no food.
No chicken.
Just a crying little sister.
(Her primary worry wasn't so much about the mother having died.)
She just wanted to eat chicken. And she wanted it now!
When all of a sudden
A chicken happened to flutter into their room!
Well – well – well, thought one of the brothers.
If that isn’t
the solution to our dilemma...
Before anybody had a chance to put their
thinking caps on to decide what should be done, the chicken was killed and
getting transformed into – you guessed it: Christmas dinner! YAY!!!
Praise was overjoyed!
But her joy didn’t last long.
The owner of the chicken apprehended them, realising one of
her chickens had escaped and hadn’t made it back alive.
Uh – ohhhh…. Trouble!
Before they knew it, they had been dragged to the Local
Council (L.C.) – equivalent to the police.
Accused of theft, Christmas was looking grimmer by the
minute.
BUT – and aren’t you glad there was a BUT?
The L.C. – instead of punishing the children for their theft
– rebuked the neighbour for being so heartless with the children.
Seeing that
they were without food, she should have let them get away with keeping the
chicken.
Not only that. She got told to go home and give them some other food
to complete their Christmas dinner.
All is well that ends well.
Christmas was saved!
A satisfying meal tickled the children’s tummies – and souls.
Her beloved grandmother, the one who had mostly raised her,
had died.
All 20+ children/teens, most of them orphaned by AIDS, were chased away from the small 1-bedroom-home they had shared with their
grandmother.
actual room - now destroyed
What now?
Where to now?
Praise's world - as she knew it - had collapsed.
She felt like fainting of despair.
Her grief was unbearable.
And hopelessness engulfed her.
What was going to become of her?
Her past 14 years on this earth – in one of Kampala’s slums
- hadn’t exactly been a bed of roses (unless you’re just looking at the thorns).
But at least she'd had a shelter at night.
Yeah, bodies squeezed like sardines (and worse),
covering
every square inch of the humble abode.
But nonetheless safety.
She had just recently encountered the life-changing love of
Jesus and joined a church.
So, first call of port?
The church – 'course.
She started sleeping there, together with several other young people without homes.
And if there was food, she would eat there,
too.
But many times, there wasn’t.
Hunger was an old companion - all too familiar.
😞
A lover of music, Praise had joined the worship team at
church.
The leader of the worship team and her husband, one of the pastors, had
an open home.
They would meet there often, worship and pray,
sometimes all
night,
and (at times) eat,
if they had food.
Usually runny porridge.
Other times just hot water, in an attempt to ease the relentless hunger pangs.
Life wasn’t
easy for this couple, but they shared the little they had.
One evening, Praise asked if she could stay at their home,
since she was freezing at church. (yeah, believe it or not, it can get cold, especially at night - even in Africa!)
And that was the beginning of her stay with
this young couple.
"We had 6 youth from church. The church would just forward them to me. We were like a referral home. They would just tell them, 'go to Pastor Brutus'.
My worry was so much about the young girls. Because this is a slum area with drug addicts around. I cared so much because I didn't want the young girls to get raped. So I said, let them come here. At least they are well protected, even if we don't have anything to eat." - Edith -
They were like family, had wonderful times together, and didn’t even mind all
that much if they had to go to sleep hungry – all of them – on the days when
there was no food.
But they had God, love, and one another.
It was from their home that Praise was soon going to launch her ministry with street kids.
Bringing them in, asking for them to sleep there instead of her,
One comment I will add now, is that Praise stood out from all the other youth the couple was helping, I was told.
Curious how?
She was so passionately in love with Jesus.
And she kept herself pure and undefiled of the world and its pleasures.
Unlike most of her peers.
(well done, Praise! Proud of you!👏😍)
Fast forward to March/April 2020. Enter Covid-19.
Oops, no, let me back up first.
During the days when
Praise struggled so much just to survive, watching her siblings/cousins
engage in different shameful activities for their survival, she held on to God for
dear life.
One time, she heard him whisper to her:
“What you are going through is temporary.
There will
be a better tomorrow and you will be of a great help to others.”
Listen to this song Praise wrote a few years ago about her story, if you'd like to understand better.
Okay now,
since Covid-19 has brought with it an extremely
strict lock-down in Uganda,
many people have been struggling BIG TIME to
survive.
Pastor Brutus and his wife still live in the same simple rental
home in the same slum
(yes, dreaming of their own home one day).
I recently visited them and
long behold,
they haven’t stopped reaching out - beyond their means - to care for
the vulnerable.
19 years later, not much has changed.
Meet a little one they
recently saved from abandonment and starvation and took on as their own.
Edith's small business has suffered since she took him on, as he's needed so much care and attention, but she humbly and joyfully carries on, trusting God for all of their needs.
You'd never guess his age. He is slowly healing in their loving care.
With the lock-down shutting down all non-essential businesses,
many families in their community were immediately plunged into utter despair.
Imagine living
day-to-day, no reserves, no fridges and no income.
And you are told to
stay at home.
Pastor Brutus’ heart was deeply burdened for his
community. He cried out to God for help.
He had no clue how God was going
to answer.
Well, totally unexpectedly to him
through the generosity of some of you friends (see my last post),
Praise
has been able to pass on funds for him to provide much-needed food to the most
vulnerable in his community, including his own family (not easy for a pastor to
survive when church is shut down – at least in Uganda).
God is using him MAJORLY to relieve the suffering of MANY and he is OVERJOYED!
What about that, my friends?!
God does hear the cry of the desperate. (in this case, Praise, years ago)
He restores what has been stolen by life’s unfairness.
But not only that.
When He intervenes, he’s not just
restoring what was lost
– but there is restitution –
with 'interest'!
😀
In the past month, Praise
– in partnership with us –
has been
able to reach 8 suffering communities!
The one she grew up in, yes.
Plus 7 others.
An estimated 2,500 people (500 families) have received food.
And more are being fed each day.
Many repeatedly - depending on the need.
snapshot of our 'secret mission', as distributing food isn't allowed.
Through that girl that once was in desperate need of help.
Tables have been turned for Praise - for Pastor Brutus - and MANY are benefiting!
THAT is what GOD can do!
Hold on, dear friend, if you happen to find yourself in a
tricky situation at the moment.
Tables can turn at any time.
Hold on.
Keep the faith!
And as far as the needy ones we may be reaching out to
today,
investing into their education/food/survival?
Never underestimate what your sacrificial love can achieve!
You might think you are helping a needy person. And you are.
But one day, that needy person may just be the one helping you.
In some unexpected way.
And possibly not just you - but MANY more!
JUST.MAYBE.
I have a hunch firmly believe- and I've witnessed glimpses of it already - that many of the ones being helped now will become world-changers!
When I was young, I would devour books on children getting rescued during wars, secretly wishing I could do the same.
While I have been doing it - somewhat - in the past years
~ with the help of many of you ~
(thanks heaps!)
things have gone to a new level since Covid-19.
And I now get to be involved in a 'real' rescue mission.
Sadly
Uganda's lock-down has imposed such drastic measures that there has been a tremendous spike in the suffering of the already vulnerable.
Many have not only lost livelihoods, but lives - literally.
And so many are suffering from hunger...
The government has been trying its best to provide ambulances to get the sick to hospitals, after all public and private vehicles were forbidden on the roads
(except for ones with special permission)
and to feed the people,
after all non-essential businesses had to close down and people were told to stay at home.
Sadly, there are a LOT of cracks in the system and it isn't working, leaving many dying and starving.
No surprises there, with 5 ambulances for a population of 2 million in the area where Praise and family live - and a complex housing situation around Kampala where many are left out of government feeding programmes.
Enter Praise.
From when I first met her, I have been drawn to the radical love she exhibits to needy children
(and other age groups).
She reaches out when she has nothing.
When it seems impossible.
YET
Where there is a will, there is a way.
(A German saying I grew up with.)
I suggest to edit this slightly:
Love will find a way.
And this is what's been happening in the past month.
Praise doesn't easily take NO for an answer.
While this has at times created some tension in our relationship over the past 8 years
~ just being honest here ~
😃
There is definitely a good side to her tenacity and stubbornness.
On one hand
Praise, Moses and their children have actually been enjoying the confinement in their beautiful home.
They have all the food they need
(mainly the simple Ugandan staples of posho/rice and beans).
They have more time with each other than ever.
Relationships are being strengthened.
Prayer is at an all-time high.
There's no fighting, just enjoying each other and peacefully working together
(according to Praise, and I believe it, since I find the atmosphere in their home always incredibly peaceful - especially considering they are over 20 people!)
It's been a really beneficial time and everyone is enjoying it
since they got over the initial shock.
Some children are memorizing Scripture or learning new skills.
Others are playing with the babies - the 6 under 4-year-olds.
The big boys have taken initiative to build a chicken coup and want to breed the few chickens that run around the property.
The motivating factor?
So that the family can enjoy eating a chicken once every 2 weeks.
At least that's the goal.
The children who are in the village where the school is, are being well looked after as well, and are actually able to work in our fields on most days.
HOWEVER
Praise can't handle staying at home when she knows that so many of her people are suffering.
So, what does she do?
* She's taken the kids' bike (for a 10 km trip one way to some places)
* She's walked (2 hours one way to other places)
* She's taken some very sick people to the hospital (including one of her babies) with the car
in spite of not being allowed to do this
(thank God, the soldiers let her pass without confiscating the car!)
* She's been picking up her pregnant friends - one at a time - and driving places she wanted to visit, as soon as the government gave permission for people to transport pregnant women
- and only pregnant women- in private vehicles.
(Most times, she's actually taking them for pregnancy related appointments, too.😀)
* She's contacted trusted friends in slums and other impoverished areas to find out how things are going there.
It is not good at all.
😱😰
And with a sneaky - yet legal, contactless and cashless - strategy of how to get food to the starving,
(when it's against the law to distribute food 😬)
- with the utmost integrity and efficiency -
we are now feeding hundreds of needy individuals and families in 8 different areas of Uganda.
Just this past Saturday alone, over 600 kgs of food were made available for the destitute.
100% of donations (minus processing and bank fees) go DIRECTLY to the most needy.
What a SUPERB way to help!
I feel privileged to be a part of this relief effort - this rescue-mission!
It's deeply disturbing when you come across
a single mother of 8 - plus 2 grandchildren - who have been staying in their tiny one-roomed home since the lockdown, going hungry, kids crying of hunger. (She used to have a small business to sustain the family)
a grandmother caring for 7 grandchildren who hasn't cooked any food in 2 days...
another grandmother who perks up after finally getting some porridge in her body and whispers, "I was about to starve..."
a whole slum-area in a no-man's land that's completely hopeless and without food
OUCH!
Praise is risking her health and safety - one time having to take back-roads as the trip had taken longer than anticipated (5+ hours of walking total) and she and Moses weren't home before the curfew. Yes, Moses is also a BIG part of the story.
However, he stays home with the children on most days.
But - can there be anything more satisfying than knowing that you've been able to bring some love, hope and relief - including much needed food - to most desperate people?
No, we can't show you photos of food getting distributed,
but trust me, it's happening.
Shhhhhh...
The biggest beneficiaries are single mothers with children, but also others are receiving help, like this man who lives in this shed with 5 other men.
And many elderly.
We can't show you photos or videos of the grateful people - with their tears - when they receive food.
But that's okay.
This is the advantage of working closely with people you can fully trust and who are giving sacrificially whatever they can from their own pockets -
Be this Praise, Moses, or any of their contacts on the ground.
Bingo!
There's more to the story - which I want to write about some time.
But 'nuff for today.
Lord, have mercy on our planet and eradicate this nasty virus!
