"Take my yolk..."

Hello again from beautiful Uganda!

I've been learning SO much in the past few weeks about Ugandan culture, and about Mirembe House as a ministry. This place is amazing.

I guess the reason I haven't updated in a while is that I haven’t figured out exactly how to portray everything that I'm seeing and experiencing. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the situation at Mirembe House is challenging, but also leaves room for Christ to do amazing things.

Getting to know the girls here has been a challenge, but has brought SO much joy to my heart. The small attempts at learning Luganda, the native language, have blessed me with beautiful opportunities to connect in that way. Their faces are now permanently stamped into my brain, and my prayers—I’ve just fallen in love with these girls. They’ve taught me about strength, given me insight on how Ugandans see Americans, taught me how to have joy in dire circumstances, and so much more.

A little bit more about the situation:

Last week was especially draining. All the girls are due at different times, which is exciting. One is due any day now, and a few are due next month. Last week, one of the girls went in to have her baby on Thursday night. This was right before a big celebration and reunion, which was amazing; I was able to hear the stories of many mothers that had been through Mirembe House, and whose children are now being sponsored to attend school. I video taped countless children and Mothers thanking their sponsors for an opportunity that they never would have seen otherwise. It was a beautiful day, but in the back of my mind, I was aching to know about the young girl that had been taken in to have her baby.

The weekend came and went, and I came to Mirembe to find out that she had her baby on Saturday, and lost it on Sunday. Mirembe house is only for those who are pregnant; which naturally means that after they have their baby, they’re gone. This was especially difficult-- knowing that this young girl had been reworking her life and preparing for a beautiful baby, just to lose it… and the people she had been living with for the past half a year couldn’t grieve with her, or pray with her. I thought about the shame and the heartbreak that she had already faced finding out she was pregnant, and just as she was getting used to the thought of a baby, this happened. I was a little upset with God.

It seemed like situations kept piling up on the other. The girl who is due any day went to the hospital, sick from malaria combined with asthma. A former volunteer passed away from complications with AIDS. Needless to say, after a week prior of celebration for what God was doing here, the mood around Mirembe house grew solemn. I suddenly remembered the enormous difference between these girls’ situations and my own. I felt helpless.

The week continued; shock after shock came, with more intense home visits to mothers, and hospital visits that tore my heart apart for the lack of appropriate medical care. Mirembe house is doing wonderful things for these girls; but resources are still slim and funds are tight.

         Mixed in with the challenges are little things that bring large amounts of joy, and moments of obvious God-given strength. Smiles, or jokes, or conversations about how great God is.   

As for what I’m doing, I’ve been given a great amount of freedom. So far, I’ve taught the girls how to make bracelets, taught them a few games and songs, talked about relationships, about God’s beautiful design for their lives, and about encouragement. It’s challenging but really exciting to be given so much freedom. It’s certainly something that I can’t do without God’s grace.

I find myself in circumstances that are simply unbelievable. The day of the reunion, I led a discussion about knowledge and wisdom. I laughed before, during and after about the irony of the situation. I was there, speaking to 30 plus mothers (or grandmothers) in between the ages 20 and 70. I was caught off guard when I was towards the end of my “talk” (speak for 20 minutes, you say? what?! Ok..), and a woman that looked old enough to be my grandmother was staring at me as my words were being translated into Luganda. A smile crossed her face, and she gently raised her hand and added to my comments about wisdom. Praise the LORD -- He equips the called, instead of calling the equipped. There was no other way I would have been able to do that.

I know this has been a long post—but I want to finish with something I’ve been convicted with this week.

All of these moments, even the small ones—when the girls feel comfortable enough to joke around with me, or when a sponsored tells me he’s at the top of his class, or when I’m able to listen as one of the girls pours out her heart, and thanks God for allowing her earthly father to forgive her—these moments would never be possible without God’s outpouring of His love. I was reading to the girls today—speaking about the passage in Matthew that says, “Come, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” I was struck by how much I was trying to do these things by my own strength. I told the girls—God just wants us to come to Him with our hands open, ready to receive HIS rest and HIS peace. As I said it, God was reminding me to rely on HIS strength that is perfect in my weakness.

PRAY :

-That I would continue to rely on Him. He can’t use me if I’m not open to it.

-That the girls would be covered in God’s grace and mercy, and that the truth of that would be made REAL to them.

-For protection over everyone at Mirembe House

-Provision for the ministry: medically, financially, food, etc.

THANK YOU for every kind of support—the messages, letters, prayers, and contributions are all SO SO appreciated. God’s provided entirely for finances—PRAISE Him—and provided so much in other ways as well. Prayers are felt J Love you all.