Day 5: I Was Naked, and You Clothed Me

Yes, I know it has been many days since my last post. But some things just take precedence over everything else, and one of those things is getting a new grandchild! That’s right! On Thursday, July 16th, Selah Noel Guthrie was born to Travis and Kristen way down in Austin, Texas, weighing in at 8 pounds, 2 ounces. This caused a great deal of excitement and was a major distraction for me this week. Imagine that! So without further adieu, here she is!













I will be spending two weeks in Austin, starting July 31st, and a week in Dallas chaperoning a youth group trip the week before that. Therefore, I have to get busy and finish blogging about my Uganda trip, because many of you are waiting to read the next installments, and I assure you there are many great things to come! Lord willing, you can expect new posts nearly every day this week.



24 June, 2009

The weather was beautiful today. I have marveled at how the rain has never interfered with our plans. This evening was a perfect example. It rained only after we returned to the hotel, cooling things off nicely. We are very near the equator here, so the sun feels hot, but it isn’t muggy, and there is nearly always a breeze.

This morning I told Pastor Ruth that I would like to buy fruit for the children with some of the money friends had donated, so she took us to the Tororo market, which is tucked in the center of a “block” behind storefronts, and covered with canopies. It is a very large market, and overflowing with produce of every kind. I bought around 800 bananas for 90,000 shillings, or about $45.00.

























I was still in the van talking when we got to Smile Africa, but suddenly I heard the children shouting and cheering. “What’s going on?” I asked.

“They see your bananas!” Denise replied. Sure enough, the bananas were being carried toward the kids, generating great excitement. The teachers got them all seated in rows, and then the children began to sing a song of gratitude. I will post the video of their “Thank You” song. If you gave money toward this trip, this song is for you. Even if you didn’t contribute, it will bless your heart to hear their voices.





We all helped pass out the bananas through our tears. It is truly humbling to observe such gratefulness for something we normally take for granted. Not one child turned down a banana, and we had enough for two a piece for the older children.




A couple of my neighbors had donated clothing, and I also bought several skirts and dresses at Goodwill to take along. Today was bath day, so I took the clothing into the office and sorted it. As the children were bathed, they were brought a group at a time for us to dress –lots of little naked children lined up with great anticipation. They just beamed, once they were dressed in their new clothing! So, of course, we took a lot of pictures. The hard part was seeing how disappointed the rest of the children were. Many had taken off their clean clothes and crowded around the office, hoping to be included in the “new clothes group.” I simply could not have brought more clothing with me. But the experience helped me to consider a direction for more of my donated funds. Later in the day I talked to Pastor Ruth about purchasing clothing in Uganda for the rest of the children. We will be looking into that.




































































































This afternoon I was able to visit the classrooms. I began by teaching the song, “Who’s the King of the Jungle?” The actions made them giggle. They loved it!


Next, Eli the eagle puppet shared his story, and then we talked about caterpillars and butterflies and the new life that Jesus Christ offers. I also handed out cards printed with II Corinthians 5:17, and they practiced memorizing the verse. The students then made butterfly pencil toppers, something that many volunteers had helped me to prepare before the trip. Here are a couple of things to note about the classrooms. First, the children are literally packed in, wall to wall. Those taking pictures had to do so from outside the room. Secondly, you may notice that some children are holding babies. These are siblings that they are responsible for. They are carried to Smile Africa on their backs, up to 3 miles each way (see the top photo). Many children play, eat, and go to class with babies on their backs or in their laps.

Side note: Have you noticed how many of today’s blessings were made possible through the generosity of the wonderful Christian friends and family members who gave as unto the Lord Jesus? I keep thinking of the passage in Matthew 25:34-40, in which Jesus says, “for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat....naked, and you clothed Me...Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?’...Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.” I am fully aware that I am just the “middle man,” but I feel so privileged to be the one passing on all of these blessings and seeing first-hand the expressions of joy on each face.

Jan followed up in each classroom by handing out pins with various colors of ribbons representing the gospel, which she explained in detail. The children heard the gospel message loud and clear today, but we are confident that they have heard it before. Pastor Ruth and the teachers of Smile Africa love Jesus, and they are continually reminding the children of His great love for them.













We again handed out candy as the children left today. With each gift throughout the day, the teachers and children exclaimed, “Thank you for blessing us!” Yet we were the ones being blessed repeatedly. It is truly more blessed to give than to receive, and possibly more of a blessing still to give what you have received for the explicit purpose of giving!

Day Four: A Glorious Day!

Day 4

23 June, 2009

Denise and I awoke early to the sound of roosters crowing once again. We thought it was 5:30, but when we showed up downstairs for breakfast two hours later, it was 6:30. Since we are nine hours ahead of Central Standard Time, I guess our bodies are still a little confused. It made for a very long day!

Denise’s bag was delivered to the Entebbe airport last night. Praise God! Saphon was able to pick it up, and he and Alex will bring it today. They wanted to come for the vision celebration, anyway. The way it all worked out is just one more miracle to add to the growing list!

We had brought with us around 1,000 pair of eyeglasses which had been sorted, cleaned, read, and tagged. Many donors, including the Lions Club of Toddville, Iowa, had contributed to this vision project. Dr. Dan Bwonya had brought his mobile clinic to Smile Africa in May to screen the children and any adults who showed up as well. Today he would be able to distribute glasses to those who needed them.

After breakfast we loaded up the glasses and went to Smile Africa for the vision celebration, which was supposed to start at 9:00 a.m. Several people had already arrived, and the crowd eventually swelled to around 300. Meanwhile, Pastor Ruth gave us a tour of Smile Africa, and Dr. Dan Bwonya, Grace, and Denise sorted through the glasses to match up prescriptions.













The celebration finally got underway about 11:30. We’ve been assured that many events such as this run on “African time,” which is much more relaxed than “English time.” I gathered immediately from all the formalities that Africans like official titles and decorum. Four government dignitaries, the chairman of Smile Africa’s board of directors, Dr. Dan, Pastor Ruth, and Denise all gave speeches. Each speech was translated into Ateso or Swahili for those who do not speak English. One of the officials made the statement that Tororo has 400 registered humanitarian organizations, but only 20 of those are actually credible and successful in achieving their goals. Smile Africa, he said, is definitely one that is successful and benefitting the community. It is especially notable that Smile Africa was originated in Uganda by a Ugandan.























Finally, the glasses were presented with much ado and clapping. The recipients were all extremely grateful and overjoyed! Dr. Dan instructed them in the proper care of their glasses. He is a very kind and gentle man, who is also a believer in Jesus Christ. As a result of his screening, Dr. Dan identified nine people who needed cataract surgery. He told us that his cost for these surgeries would amount to $20 per person! We were amazed that cataract surgery could be so inexpensive, but thrilled that we are able to cover the cost of all nine surgeries! Praise God! Dr. Dan also offered to screen several more people today who had missed the earlier screening. What a blessing he has been!




















The children sang for the dignitaries and then they were fed a special meal of rice topped with beef, which Heart of God had requested and paid for in advance. Meat was quite a treat for them.






























I can’t sufficiently communicate to you how those children immediately stole my heart! They warmed up to us quickly, attaching themselves to us by grabbing our hand or finger or a piece of our clothing. Just like kids everywhere, they vied for attention in other ways, too. They loved posing for pictures, and especially enjoyed viewing them on the camera. Some of them shouted, “T.V.!” when they saw the camera screen, and everyone came running to see, nearly knocking me off my feet!

When lunch was finished, Denise got out the bubbles she had brought along. The kids squealed, catching and chasing them! They even invented a way to catch them on the stem of a particular plant, and soon many of the children were equipped with one. Their resourcefulness was obvious in other ways, as well. We had brought jump ropes to leave with them and wondered whether they had any experience jumping rope. Before our U.S. version of a jump rope was introduced, we found some little girls jumping a rope made of weeds tied together. (see the video at the end of this post) When we pumped up nine soccer balls and two basketballs and threw them out in the field for everyone to play with, the excitement was unbelievable!





























As the children lined up to leave for the day, we handed out suckers at the gate. They were so happy and excited that we almost got crushed! Even the teachers and our driver, George, were thrilled to get a piece of candy!










We were exhausted by the end of the day, but also very pleased with how it all went, and overjoyed to see the joyful expressions on the faces of young and old alike.

This evening we met two young girls from the U.S. in the hotel. They are both students at Yale University and are here to work with a humanitarian organization. Pastor Ruth is familiar with that organization and knows the founder of it, who is supposed to arrive tomorrow. We are beginning to believe that Pastor Ruth knows everyone, and vice versa!

We were hungry, but had a difficult time knowing what to order from the hotel menu. I settled on chicken stir-fry, which came with rice. It was pretty good and also quite a large serving. After we finished eating, Pastor Ruth came to visit with us. She was so happy about the day! The government officials had made some wonderful observations about Smile Africa, and they had made many promises, too. The vision screening and eyeglass distribution were all a success, with the added bonus of the provision of nine cataract surgeries.

What a glorious day this has been! God has been so good in laying all the ground work here, and in allowing us to come alongside Pastor Ruth to encourage and build up the work she is doing for Him. And what a treasure we have found in Dr. Dan, as well!

DON'T FORGET TO PLAY THIS VIDEO OF THE CHILDREN JUMPING "ROPE" WITH WEEDS!

Day Three: On to Tororo

Day 3

22 June, 2009

Denise and I awoke around 5 a.m. to the music of crowing roosters, even though the sun was still nowhere to be seen. Soon another distant sound caused us to wonder who was up that early chanting and beating drums. Stephen later told us it was the Muslims at a nearby mosque.

It felt good to shower! We strolled around the yard and discovered another set of rooms across the patio that house Stephen and Mary’s daughter, her husband, and their baby boy. Stephen presented us each with a copy of his worship CD, and we gave each of them a book.

At breakfast Stephen read the June 22 devotional from the book we had given him. Amazingly it was on the passage from Matthew 28:18b-20, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

The devotional centered around God’s power, both infinite and infinitesimal. It emphasized that God’s power is all we need to go with us anywhere and to do His work of bringing others to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Stephen read with such expression and authority that we were all deeply moved, and of course we all agreed that it was a perfect message for us to hear on this particular day as we began our work in Uganda.

After a breakfast of hard-boiled eggs, toast, bananas, and African tea, we loaded up the 14 passenger van and left...the four of us, plus Pastor Ruth and George as the driver, looking like the Beverly Hillbillies with several of our suitcases tied to the top of the van. Our first stop was the bank, where we stopped to exchange our money. I exchanged five hundred U.S. dollars for 1,053,000 shillings –what a deal! The bank was guarded by men armed with rifles.

Military personnel carrying rifles were also positioned on nearly every downtown street corner. It is a crime to take pictures of the military, so we were very cautious with our cameras, but there were so many things that caught our attention: Women carrying large bundles and baskets on their heads; motorcycles with three or four passengers; bicycles carrying everything from large crates, to giant bunches of bananas, to women riding sideways, cradling a baby. George navigated the streets like a pro, but again, there seemed to be few rules of the road besides “Chicken.” All drivers are constantly honking their horns. At one point a turning car clipped the side of the van. We Americans all gasped collectively, but both George and the other driver continued on as though nothing had happened.

















Our next stop was at the Bible Society of Uganda. There we purchased 15 boxes containing a total of 300 Bibles to take to Kings Primary School later in the week. Mind you, we now had fifteen boxes, 20 suitcases, and 6 passengers in and on the van as we headed north toward Tororo.




The rural roads also have many bicycles, motorcycles, and pedestrians, especially near the villages and towns. But now animals were added to the mix: goats, chickens, and small herds of cows frequently walked alongside the traffic or even wandered onto the roadway.

Pastor Ruth filled us in on some personal information and on Smile Africa’s history as we traveled. She began the ministry in 1997 as a ministry to those suffering with AIDS. Hers was one of the first Christian-based ministries to reach out to that group. The focus shifted in 2007 to ministering to the street children of Tororo. In that year many children were rounded up in Kenya, driven to Tororo by the pickup load, and deposited there. These children were regarded as pests and left to survive on their own. Today Smile Africa ministers to around 450 children daily. Around 2/3 of the children are from the Karamajong tribe, nomadic herders who engage in violent cattle raids and send their children out to steal on the streets. Many of these children have traveled to Tororo by attaching themselves to the underside of a car or by some other resourceful means. Smile Africa provides the children with a cup of porridge in the morning and a noonday meal, plus classroom instruction six days a week. They also teach the children many life-skills such as gardening, washing dishes and clothing, making brooms, etc.

We were so engrossed in Pastor Ruth’s stories that George’s sudden veer off the road caught us by surprise. Ruth had told us we would be stopping for lunch, but nothing could have prepared us for “chicken on a stick”! About twenty youth converged on the van on every side, many holding large “bouquets” of roasted meat on long sticks. Others extended baskets of avocados, bread, or fruit. All of them vied for our attention and our business, some even reaching inside the van. It was quite entertaining, though we felt bad. We really didn’t feel that it would be wise to eat the meat, not knowing how it was processed and prepared, or even how fresh it was. Chicken on a stick was clearly a favorite of Pastor Ruth and George, however!


























It was difficult to see out of the van as we traveled because the windows are below easy eye level, and the van was so packed, there was little wiggle room. Still, I kept my camera ready and bent to peer out as much as possible. We drove through small villages; past rice paddies; and past fields of tea, maize, and sugar cane; through a large national forest, and even across the Nile River.























Our hotel in Tororo is new and quite beautiful! Our rooms are on the second floor. (There is no elevator, but I am perfectly fine with that.) Denise and I are roommates again. We have one double bed and one single, which I will sleep on. One mosquito fits over both beds. We are glad the room has a fan since there is no air conditioning. We also have a balcony and a window in the bathroom (yes, we have our own private toilet, sink, and shower head!) and a nice large fan. Jan and Jeanice are two doors down, and Grace, Pastor Ruth’s daughter, will be in the room between us. We have a perfect view of Tororo Rock from our balcony.




















We just got checked in, and then we went to Pastor Ruth’s home for dinner. Grace had been busy cooking for us. We met Pastor Ruth’s husband and sons, Albert and Gilbert. They have a total of nine children, but only four still living at home. Their home is comfortable and homey. The meal was very good...samosas, chapati, rice, chicken, beans, cabbage, and soda pop. I wish I had been less tired. I regret not taking one picture at Pastor Ruth’s home, and I also regret eating only a little of the delicious meal. I have wonderful memories of the hospitality we received there, but sadly, my body was calling so loudly for sleep, I could only long to sink into the covers back at the hotel.

Unfortunately, back at the hotel we discovered that one of Denise’s bags was missing –the one that contained all of her clothing and personal items, plus the soccer balls she brought for the children. (She was clearly most concerned about the soccer balls!) She couldn’t remember specifically whether or not she picked it up from the Entebbe airport, and when we started looking at the lost baggage instructions they said that all lost luggage must be reported within 24 hours. That deadline had just passed. We sat down and prayed. Then she called her husband in California and asked him to contact Northwest Airlines. We learned that the bag had never made it to Entebbe. She also contacted Saphon (the former soldier whom we had met in Entebbe). Since he lives there she thought that he might be able to go to the airport if the bag was found. I promised Denise I’d take good care of her in the mean time, and we found a skirt and top of mine that she can wear tomorrow.

Day Two

Note: If you have come to my blog to follow my Uganda trip this is the second of two posts. You may want to start with the one preceding this.

21 June, 2009

Today was a very long day! We arrived in Amsterdam early in the morning, with three hours to wait for the next flight. I was so tired of sitting that I walked circles around the automatic walkways for three hours. It felt good to move, even though I was tired from lack of sleep.

Denise and I were seated together for our next flight, and what a rough one it was! We were served two meals and two snacks, but who can eat on a roller coaster ride? The passengers erupted into applause when the plane finally landed at Entebbe. (Many eruptions of a different nature had occurred before that time!)

It was late in the evening when we arrived, and of course we had to go through immigration and then collect our bags. Each of us had between three and five bags, plus a carry-on and a purse! Just outside the baggage claim area Pastor Ruth awaited us with her entourage and many open arms: Sanon, Saphan and Alex, and George. Our bags were loaded into two vans and we began our trek through Entebbe to the guest house.

Vehicles travel on the opposite side of the road in Uganda, so that was an immediate adjustment in thinking. Since Pastor Ruth occupied what we in the U.S. would consider the driver’s seat, I fought panic each time she turned around to talk to us. Although it was nearly 9:30 p.m. (their time) the road was buzzing with activity –pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, vans, and cars. It was all a bit much to take in, in my sleep-deprived state.

Soon we left the main road and began bouncing down side streets toward our guest house. I have never seen such cavernous potholes! After many bumps and turns we soon came to a gated home. We had arrived at Stephen and Mary’s guest house. All of our bags were carried inside for the night, filling a hallway. Mary had a meal prepared for us: chicken, rice, cabbage, brown nut sauce (which tastes like peanut butter, but is poured over the rice), and pineapple.

We learned that Stephen is a music minister, who writes music and leads a traveling worship team. He and Mary started the guest house because they have so often been on the receiving end of hospitality and wanted to be able to “pay back” to other believers. Their home is very nice and comfortable, and includes several bedrooms and two bathrooms.



















Saphan and Alex are a couple who recently lost a two year old daughter to cancer. Saphan was serving as a soldier with the Ugandan army in Iraq at the time and received materials from Jan through Heart of God International’s soldier ministry by way of a U.S. chaplain. When he learned that our Heart of God Int’l team was visiting Uganda, he was determined to meet us.

As we all visited and shared a meal around the table we felt such kinship. It seemed as though we were all old friends. Pastor Ruth summed it up by saying, “The body of Christ is spread throughout the entire world, so it should not be surprising to find that no matter where you go you have family.” It’s not that I’ve never considered that fact before. I’ve just never experienced it quite like this. Besides, it is obvious that Pastor Ruth has a way with words. Her accent is beautiful, her voice low and resonating like a cello, and she frequently ends her sentences with “mmmmm,” for emphasis, like a noble story teller.


























We have now retreated to our bedroom. The windows are barred, but not screened, so we are thankful for the mosquito netting provided. Denise and I will share a bed, and I doubt either of us will find it difficult to sleep. God has been so gracious in providing this lovely home for our first night’s stay, and for demonstrating to us so clearly the bond of Christian brother and sisterhood.

Come, Journey With Me to Uganda

After ten days in Uganda, I have now been home for six days. What an amazing trip! My three travel companions and I all agreed that God’s handprints were all over this trip. He intervened and superintended too many times to count, both during the planning and preparations, and throughout the trip as well.

Surprisingly, I found it much easier adjusting to being in Uganda than adjusting to being back home! I came to love the people there so much it was hard to leave. John was ready for me to be home, however. He did a great job of keeping everything under control at home while I was gone.

Many have already asked when I planned to start blogging about the trip. Well, today is the day. I have decided to simply start with day one and follow up with an entry for each day. You will basically see my travel journal with photos inserted. Are you ready to board the plane?


20 June, 2009

John drove me to Chicago today. It was a pleasant trip and I enjoyed his company. When we reached O’Hare, he helped me unload my bags at the curb, and after a long embrace, he left. I must say I felt very alone at that moment, but soon I was checking bags and then heading for the gate. This is the day I have been awaiting for many months.

Now, at thirty seven thousand feet above the earth, I look out and wonder what the line is called between the clouds and the space above them where we glide along. Surely there is a name for it, unless it is still considered a horizon line at this altitude. Mental note to self: Look it up!

The sky around me is turning beautiful shades of pink and purple. Isaiah 66:1 says, “...Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool...” I must at least be above ankle level, don’t you think?

I just reread Psalm 36. A couple of weeks ago, on a particularly harrowing day of preparations, I asked God what He wanted me to hear, and He directed me to Psalm 36:5-12. As if to confirm that this was indeed a message from Him, Third Day was singing their rendition of it when I got in my car to leave that day! These words that God gave me for this trip take on new meaning here. I will quote Third Day’s paraphrase:

Your love, oh Lord
Reaches to the heavens
Your faithfulness stretches to the sky
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains
Your justice flows like the ocean's tide

I will lift my voice
To worship You, my King
I will find my strength
In the shadow of your wing

Just as I am seated behind the wing of this airplane, with the wing constantly in view, so it is with my Father God. My eyes are trained on Him, the One who has raised me up, and on whose strength I rely. I can no more see where He’s taking me than I can see beyond the clouds below or the pink-purple line that separates them from the heavens above. But here behind the wing, in the deepening shadows, I feel secure and awed by the power that is so far beyond anything of which I can boast. Still, I am being propelled onward and upward.

I met Jeanice at the gate in Chicago, but we were seated two rows apart on the plane to Detroit. I briefly met Jan and Denise at O’Hare before boarding this plane headed to Amsterdam. We are now scattered throughout this monstrous bird. At first I was disappointed that we weren't seated together, but I’ve enjoyed the solace, too. I have also had the opportunity to get acquainted with my seat-mate, Frankie, a fellow Iowan who is on her way to Macedonia to work for Habitat for Humanity. She is going through a divorce and a lot of soul-searching. I promised to pray for her, and she told me that she believes there is a purpose in everything, including our being seated together!

The fact that Jan, Jeanice, Denise and I are scattered no doubt has other purposes, too. It has occurred to me that although we are unified in this mission that is really God’s mission, we are no doubt each on our own personal journeys as well. I hope to get better acquainted with each of them and learn more about their journeys, and how far they have come to arrive at this place.

The last few days have been emotional ones for me. I am mostly filled with anticipation and excitement, but I also feel so humbled by all the support, both emotional and tangible, of friends and family. My bulging bags are a further testimony to that fact. I am honored to be in a position of serving the Lord among the Ugandan people, but I also feel inadequate. I know the physical needs I witness will be impossible to meet. Even with our bulging bags, we can offer little to alleviate their hardships. I pray that God will fill me up as full as those bags, so that His river of life will flow out of me and surround, refresh, and satisfy those He has sent me to meet. (John 7:38) It is becoming increasingly clear how little I can offer on my own –nothing, really, since everything I have is His, and is only lent to me for His honor and glory.

My personal journey with God has brought me to this journey that will surely change me in ways I need to be changed, and mold and shape me for whatever lies ahead. For now, I will continue to rest in the shadow of His wing, knowing that I can’t escape His love, His faithfulness, His righteousness, or His justice.