An Imperfect Offering

Sorry for the lack of updates.  I’ve been so busy, but have been having such a great time.  My friend Rachael and I went to Sipi Falls for the day on Tuesday and it was incredibly beautiful. Rachael is a dear friend to me.  I love her heart, her humour and her beautiful smile. So many days I wish we lived half a street apart instead of half a world apart.  I’m so happy we went.  I’ve been having so much fun hanging out with the youth fellowship here where I’m staying as well. 

 

After the first half of my time here had passed, I had began to think that nothing in Uganda could surprise me.  That I was used to the poverty and the heartbreaking situations that are found around every corner.  But yesterday I realized that was not at all the case.  We stopped to visit one of the little boys I sponsor and my heart was shattered once again. This boy’s teacher had told us he hadn’t been able to attend school in recent days because his aging grandfather was very sick.  Upon arrival at his house, he and his twin sister greeted us and told us about their sick grandfather and invited us in. We entered their humble mud hut and in that moment I was confronted with death in a way that I haven’t ever been before. This grandfather is not long for this world and took great effort to extend his hand from his bed to greet us.  It broke my heart to see this small boy that I love witness his guardian like this.  But I was also reminded that this is reality in much of Uganda, and for that matter much of Africa.  However, this one, he is not just a statistic, he is one that I love. It is so easy to come here and think that all of Uganda needs “fixing.”  But really it doesn’t.  I am the one who needs to be fixed.  All I have to offer is an imperfect offering, me just as I am, and I hope that God can turn that into enough.  These people, this place, they are not a project.  Can I see past all of these differences, past the poverty and right in to who they really are?  To see what makes us the same and also what makes us so very different?  Can I love them without seeing the need to fix?  To offer what I have and to humbly learn from them?  I do hope so. Although I so often feel the weight of humanity on my shoulders, I hope that when I leave the people I’ve met remember that I love them. That I miss them every single day that I’m not here.  We went shopping today to bring this small boy’s family some food.  I know that it won’t make but a small difference, but really what I want is to remind them that I love them with a love that bridges oceans.   

Some days I think I should pull a Katie Davis and get on a plane to Uganda, adopt 13 kids and never look back.  Maybe someday I will. As it gets harder to use my time off to do this work, there are days when I really wonder where I’m meant to be.  But I also love and appreciate the community I’ve built in Canada.  I suppose having such a love affair with both my home country and this beautiful place is a good problem to have. Having two places that feel so much like home can’t be a bad thing can it? Only the Good Lord knows what my future holds.  You and I?  All we can do is wait and see where it is I’ll end up.

 Me and Rachael at Sipi Falls

 Meeting some local children on our hike

 Isn't it breathtaking?

 The third and largest falls

Meeting Jenipher that my small group sponsors from Eagles Wings Children's Village

 Visiting with Wasswa (right) that I sponsor at Eagles Wings.  His twin sister Anitah is on the left.