Surprised by Hope Blog

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Paidah Financial Management

Participants were leaning forward in engaged anticipation so much so that I thought they might gobble me up. So many familiar faces lined these benches as the pastors and other leaders learned about product pricing, budgeting, bookkeeping, and financial reporting. Pastors must have additional sources of income to support their families, but we made our learning relevant to the church as well.

Most of these people indicated they’d never learned about money management before and, as much as I hate to say it, it showed in the way they’d planned for this event. Our mistakes are often our best learning opportunities, aren’t they? Real life examples and solving those real life problems are the best teachers and I’m thankful for the ability to make relevant our learning on the fly.

The sounds of heavy downpour on the iron sheets disturbed us just a few times but we loved the worship that filled in those gaps.

Sensible Shoes from Barb

Children crushed in with the hope of receiving a pair of shoes to separate their feet from the perils of jiggers and other horrible things hiding in the bare ground. My joy, though, is found less in the shoes and more in the tender washing of those tiny feet and the prayers and prophecy over them. Yes, I cringe when I scrape thick layers of earth from between those toes, which have obviously not been washed in any recent weeks. I wince when I find open sores hidden by loose flesh also caked in dirt. But Jesus loves these children and accepts them dirty feet or not.

A simple thought passed through my mind, ever so quickly. Can’t we at least have some clean water for each child? The answer, I already knew was “no.” Their only access to water was several kilometers away, downhill. To ask my host or anyone else, for that matter, to traipse up and down that hill for hours so that I could wash the feet they failed to wash themselves would be ridiculous. And so the basin gradually provided something more like a mud bath.

As I prayed for these children, I found myself praying that the girls would have the boldness to break out of the stereotypes so heavily ingrained in them and for their freedom to live and love as the Lord does. I found myself praying that the boys would recognize the way Jesus loves his church and that they would grow to be men who loved their wives in the same way. On and on the prayers for these children went until finally I asked the adults surrounding me as I prayed and washed these feet whether they too prayed for their children. We had the perfect opportunity to be an example to these parents of how to love and pray for our children.

I was so humbled and thanked the Lord for this specific appointment. I asked his blessing for Barb because she made this ministry opportunity possible. Tender, sweet, and life-changing. I admit that I had hoped, though rather foolishly, that I’d be able to make some kind of exchange – old shoes for new shoes – so that I could create a simple gift for Sharon, the inspiration for this small ministry endeavor. But I quickly new there would be no shoes to exchange. And so, we shared 10 pair, but there are so many more in need.

The story of Surprised by Hope and Sensible Shoes goes back a bit and is filled with some very meaningful moments. Feel free to read all about it on my blog and then go to the Sensible Shoes website to find out how you can buy a copy of the book that inspires so many.

The man who was kind enough to help me with photos
had never used a camera before and so didn't understand
the importance of getting the shoes in the photo.
Each of these children received a pair of sensible shoes.

These and so many other children in this area are in need of sensible shoes.
The one boy in the front who has two pair of shoes was so proud
that he owned these shoes he wanted to be in the picture too.
He is one of three children I saw who had a pair of shoes in this whole community.
Even several of the pastors who attended the workshop in the next blog post
didn't have their own shoes.

Shading? What's That?

About 60 children were quietly seated on their rocks when I entered the very small one-room school. The darkness combined with their deep brown skin challenged me. I explained through an interpreter that I desired their help in making beautiful cards on which to send thank you notes and they were happy to help, though they really had no idea what it meant to send a card to a friend.

Armed with a box full of markers, crayons, and colored pencils, as well as some note cards already outlined with the shape of Africa (which the children could not identify) I invited them to begin. Shading? They had no idea what to do with this stick and paper in their hands. After showing them how to shade, and how to do it in a train to avoid turning every card to the color of clay, they quickly caught on.

Teachers in remote villages rarely have a blackboard let alone supplies for themselves to use as teaching aids. Children who, in the city would be required to wear a uniform, wear black shoes, and have books and pencils to write with come to school even without lunch. But they come, praise God!

So, think of these children in Ojigu when you receive your Africa-shaped thank you card. Remember they didn’t know what crayons were or what it meant to color or be creative. And remember that because of you they got a taste. Thank you!

Rachel & Chrystina's Jinja Adventure

I just loved the warp on this taxi.

Crossing the Owen Falls Dam

Sole Hope

Sole Hope is a group of passionate, committed people who are putting closed toed shoes on African children, one pair at a time. Jiggers are a very serious problem in Africa and in a place where so many children don’t have shoes, even more serious. Check out their website to learn more about this organization.

We had the blessing of sleeping in their guest house and learning a bit more about what they do.

I received a box of dollies and was acquainting them
to Uganda while lounging in a wheelbarrow.

Looks like she's wearing a pillow case dress.
Anyone have the desire to make such dresses for some of my kiddos?

Apparently we are "The Rest of the World"

A kiss for Gandhi

A view of the actual source, where Lake Victoria enters the Nile River

Prison Ministry

As always I love joining Carpenter John for his Bugembe prison ministry services on Thursday or Sunday afternoon. He’s been serving as chaplain for more than 10 years and I’ve been joining him about once monthly for almost 4 of those 10 years. Initially we were allowed to sneak a few photos but as the prison system tightened up, photos were no longer permissible. These photos are from early visits but nothing much has changed since then.

Chrystina did a wonderful job relating the story of Queen Esther to the male prisoners and we even had an opportunity to talk about how to treat their wives (i.e., not as the king did Queen Vashti). Sorry no pix of the girls (sniffle).