#5 June email “Lovely… plain and simple”

Family,

Today was the biggest eye-opening experience yet.  We went to Namaseke where my dad built the school back in 1991 and visited there for a couple hours.  Moses is the pastor and he started a school there for the kids in village.  This village is high up in the mountains (amazingly beautiful drive), but it’s a difficult drive.  If it rains, you don’t get up or down.

Anyway, Moses showed us around the village (well, showed me, Dad had already seen everything).  He showed me the well Dad helped with in February, where they used to go to get water (WHEW!), and the school Dad built with Godfrey.  Since 1991, the government has taken over the building that Dad built.

After we ate our deliciously fresh pineapple, Moses took us to his present school building.  We met with the students and teachers.  They were all lovely, of course.  But, today was the first time the need of the people was so in my face.  They have dirt floors in these buildings and fleas are an issue.  The fleas are making the kids sick and because of the remoteness of the village and poverty, many people are dying.

Moses shared with us the needs of his people.  They need to finish the school building, which $4000 would totally do.  THEN, he shared that some of the parents can’t pay their student’s school fees.  School fees include EDUCATION, uniforms and TWO meals a day.  All of that for a whopping $50 a year!!!  I haven’t been able to stop thinking about what I waste $50 on each month.  Man…

You know, I have watched the commercials since I was a little girl.  I’ve seen the pictures and videos of the kids in Africa that need food, water and education.  I’ve even changed the channel NUMEROUS times because it made me uncomfortable.  But now… I’ve held hands with those kids.  I’ve laughed with them.  I’ve played with them.  African poverty is no longer an abstract idea.  It is no longer something that does not touch my life.

I wish I could share with you the beauty of these kids.  You just look at them and your heart melts.  I plan on coming back in December with the focus of working closely with children’s ministry.  I was not prepared for the love of these kids.  They flock to me.  I know it is mostly because I’m white and mostly because I’m as fascinated with them as they are me, but there is something special there.  There is a kindred spirit that I absolutely cannot put into words.  The kids here are just lovely.  (I simply cannot stop saying that word… it is the best word to describe Uganda and its people)

Beauty is being shown to me in ways I never would have expected.  Ten years ago I would have told you you were crazy if you said I would fall in love with Africa.  This is a perfect example of God changing hearts.  This love does not come from me… there is no way.  Selfish me wants to spend my summer doing what I want to do, not being confronted with poverty and beautiful, undeserving people dying.  But, this is the journey God has given me and I am so grateful for His faithfulness and grace.  God is good… all the time.

I love you all.

His,

Michelle

 

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