Yesterday was great! I arrived at our street kid program to find many new kids. I also saw Wasswa and Brian. Brian agreed to go to bible study this morning and Wasswa seemed too cool to go but we’ll see if David can persuade him. Please pray for both of them as we continue to love these kids. Pray that God would work in their hearts. I feel so blessed to be one of God’s vessels in showing love and care for these two boys, no matter how tough and ‘cool’ they are.

I’ve mentioned in the past how God has used malaria and other times to allow us to serve the children and break down walls. Even the toughest kids need care when they are sick. Yesterday one of our new kids was very sick with a high temperature. I took him to the clinic and it’s amazing how I barely knew him on the way there but by the time we left he was noticeably more comfortable around me. It may help that I bribed him with a new pair of sandals :) I pray that Franco would recover quickly and continue to come to programs. I’m grateful for the opportunity to care for him.

Last and by far the best part of the day was last night. Several of us had dinner together last night at our favorite Ethiopian restaurant, it’s always fun to hang out and laugh. After dinner five of us went out into the streets in search of kids. We know there are hundreds of boys living on the streets of Kampala and last night our goal was to meet as many as possible. For three hours we walked all over the city and talked to as many kids as we could. After the first hour we met Alex and this kid is awesome! We asked him to take us to the places where the kids slept and for the next two hours he led us around the city. It must have been quite a sight; 2 Ugandans, 3 white girls and a young street boy leading us. As we met kids we encouraged them to come to Kivulu, the area where we have program. I pray that they come today. I pray that God would use us to get these kids off the streets.

That’s it - a wonderful day and I attribute it all to God.

Update 2 from Week of Fasting and Prayer

The original reason I fasted several weeks ago was for the boys living on the streets and our programs. My friends and I were worried the boys would scatter all over the city and not come to programs. With a feeling of frustration and desperation we decided to fast and give it to God. And God did amazing things with the kids and our program.

Our programs have not suffered at all, not even a little bit. The boys were kicked out of the room they slept in on a Friday and that Monday our program had just as many kids as usual. Despite the fact that many of our kids had spent the night sleeping in places all over the city, God brought them back to Kivulu on Monday. Before this all happened, there were several boys that we knew and saw regularly but were not close with. They were a bit distant and hard. Those were the boys I was concerned about the most. They were the boys that we didn’t have strong relationships with and I was sure they would move on to other areas in the city and we wouldn’t see them again. But they showed up that Monday and have almost everyday since. It is so clear to me that we are not in control of this program or situation. God is in control and apparently His work with these kids is not done and I feel so blessed that we still have time with them.

Not only that but since that time we’ve had many new boys come to the programs. Before the police got involved and told the kids they couldn’t sleep in the community, my friends and I had planned on going out into the city to find more boys and bring them to Kivulu. But when the police chased the kids we put that plan on hold. But God showed up and it is clear that he doesn’t need us to do His work. With or without us He is capable of reaching these children. The week we fasted new kids came to the program and our program numbers grew. Then last week a friend of ours went to another slum in Kampala and told more kids about our program. I counted 10 new kids last Wednesday!!! With new kids come new relationships and more opportunities to share Christ with them.

Lastly and probably most surprisingly and wonderfully is the work God has done with two of the boys. As I mentioned above we are blessed that several of the boys that are tough and distant continue to come to program and we have more time to build relationships with them. Two of them specifically were especially difficult and resistant to us, Wasswa and Brian. Wasswa is always around but rarely involved in our programs. When he is, we’re usually asking him to stop talking, stop fighting or something else. But then two weeks ago my friend David that leads our Bible study (The Breakfast Club) told me he wanted to invite Wasswa. I was absolutely shocked but very supportive. In the past we’ve invited kids that are involved in program, respectful and kids we think we can build a deeper relationship with. Wasswa does not fit that but he has gone for two weeks in a row to the Bible study and David said that he is extremely respectful, pays attention and actively participates. You have no idea how much this makes me smile. You have to know Wasswa to know how amazing this is – let’s just say that my friend and I have joked around that if you let Wasswa in your home he’d probably burn in down within minutes and we’ve joked that if we ever lived on the streets that we’d be scared of him. So to hear that he has joined bible study and is allowing David to pour into him is absolutely amazing.

Then Brian is a boy that has always seemed angry. He’s been around for months but never really comes to program. I would always greet him and rarely get a response. We’ve had moments when he has been downright mean and rude to us. But we always told him to come to program. Then one day about two weeks ago I get a text from my friend that Brian greeted her and then hung around program for the entire day. I was shocked! That same day I ran into Brian as I was going to program and he smiled, greeted me and as he was leaving program turned around and came back when I asked him to. To this day Brian hangs around; he is so polite and respectful. Honestly, I feel like I am witnessing the power of God’s love change people in big ways. These are both kids that were usually high, extremely dirty and often times rude. I feel so blessed that God has chosen me to love these kids and that He’s allowed me to see first hand the power of His love. Humans don’t do this kind of stuff, God does.

A few months ago my friend and I were joking around that if we got Brian to come to program regularly and if he turned out to be one of the respectful, kind kids that we would feel like our job was done. We joked that if Wasswa ever showed enough interest in the Bible or what we had to say to join the bible study that we could move on because we would have completed our mission. And here we are a few months later and what seemed like the impossible is now happening.

I never expected such awesome outcomes from our week of fasting but God has shown me once again that He loves us beyond anything we could ever imagine and He is our ultimate Provider.

I feel a bit overwhelmed with all that I want to write. There is so much to share and I think I’ll have to post a few updates to capture it all. However, all that has happened over the last two weeks comes down to the fact that our God never leaves us or forsakes us. He is our ultimate Provider and Father for all His children. He hears our prayers and knows our hearts desires and responds with love, grace, compassion and mercy.

Two weeks I wrote the previous post. I’m not sure it is clearly conveyed in my writing, but the feelings of desperation and helplessness I felt then was so real and intense. It was absolutely awful to look at my friends and know we did not have answer to the problem. I know without a doubt that while we may be helpless, God is always in control and that no problem is too big for God. I know times like that require an unwavering faith. But it still felt terrible.

So, two Sundays ago, I did the only thing I could think of at that time and that was to take two kids home with me, Bwanika and Isma, ages 12 and 11. I had no plan and no idea what I was going to do with two boys once morning came but it didn’t matter, kids were not meant to sleep on the streets. One night turned into two and two into a week and a week into two weeks.To say that the last two weeks have been a whirlwind would be an understatement. The last two weeks have been absolutely crazy. I can’t remember the last time I was so tired but it has been worth every bit. A few very important factors have made the two weeks a bit stressful and made coming up with a long term plan urgent. It is not legal for me to have the kids in my home without legal consent of a guardian or government approval. At the same time the longer they were with me the harder it would be to have them go anywhere else. So last week I went on a mission to find a solution and I pray that what I have found is the right decision. Wednesday afternoon I will take my kids to a ministry that runs a home for street kids. They put the kids in school and spend months, if not years, counseling them and working with them and their families. The goal is always resettlement into their family. I’m a firm believer that children should be with their families and everything needs to be done to make that happen. However, it’s much easier with kids I know and love from a distant. It’s not so easy with kids I consider my own and love so much.

I love these kids. I could write for hours and hours about how amazing they are and how much I’ve learned from them. I’ve seen God work in their hearts and lives. Just two months ago Isma would not greet or acknowledge me or any other staff at the program. He constantly looked hard and angry. He would rarely come around but God used an injury several weeks ago to change him. He started coming around for medical care and started listening to us. Then he started greeting us and then we took him out with a few other kids and I saw a different side of him and now he is a 100% a different child. In a short few weeks God changed his anger and hardness into joy and laughter. I am telling you this kid is funny and he loves all the staff now.It goes to show what consistent love and God can do to somebody. Then there is Bwanika. I’ve known him for the longest and I’ve seen a side of him many didn’t see for a long time. I saw a kid that is far more mature than he lets on. He’s far more caring than most know and I love him. The staff member that leads the weekly Bible studies was hesitant to let Bwanika into the club for fear he would distract the other kids but he turned out to be one of the most respectful and well behaved. He wants to be a comedian when he grows up and gets pure joy out of making people laugh. He loves little kids and is always kind to them and the dogs that live on the streets. While most kids are terrorizing the dogs and little kids, Bwanika is feeding them with the little money he has. He wakes up earlier than Isma and without hesitation starts washing all dirty clothes every morning. It’s pretty amazing.

God has blessed abundantly with these two boys and my heart is so heavy now that they will be leaving. I find peace in knowing that God has His hand in this and that He can do far more than I can in providing for them and ensuring their care. I pray that this transition would be smooth, that the boys would love their school and new home. I pray that God would work miracles in their families and that the boys would be able to be resettled with no difficulties. I pray that their families open their arms to the boys and love them so well. I pray that they would never have to call the streets their home again.

Further updates to come soon.

Isma enjoying chicken lunch.

Bwanika's favorite food is fish. I may never eat fish again after seeing this :)

Bwanika and Peter at a soccer game.

Isma is in the background with the comb and Bwanika is making a funny face (naturally).

The three of us - Team Red :)

Self-portrait of Isma

We Fast and We Pray

We fast and we pray because God is our only hope and we know that He will provide a solution. The problem is beyond human power and we are out of ideas of how to meet the needs of these children. We turn to our Maker and Father for answers. We know that He will not fail us and more importantly He will not leave our children who are without a place to sleep.

The past several months’ work at our street programs with children has been good and we feel extremely blessed by the work God has done. We’ve met several new kids and been able to build relationships with many kids. My friends and I were even at the point of going out to Kampala and bringing kids to the area where we do our programs. While the kids were still calling the streets home, we knew where they were and we knew where they slept. There was a small room where 40 of them slept. It wasn’t nice and not at all where children should be sleeping but it was better than outside in the streets where they could be beaten or arrested. We knew that we would see the kids each day we went and could see that they were ok. There was some sense of security. The sick kids came to get medicine, they came to get food, soap and hang out.

However, things have changed and we don’t know what to do. We are still able to do our programs there but the children are no longer allowed to hang out in the community and they are no longer allowed to sleep in the room. A few nights ago the police went into the room where the kids were staying and beat them and then arrested several of them the next day. When my friends went to get them back, the police that made it clear the kids were not welcome in the area and would be arrested if they continued to sleep there. They have been completely chased from the area and we don’t know where to send the kids. There is definitely an argument to be made that these kids have been on the streets for a while, some years, and they are capable of finding a safe place to stay. However, that argument is crap. Kids should not have to search to find a safe place to sleep. Kids should not be wandering the streets looking for a place where they won’t be beaten. And the truth is that we want them near us. We want to know that they are safe and we want to pour Jesus into them and if they are scattered all over Kampala, I’m not sure how we do that. Many of these kids have come to trust and respect us and it feels like we are failing them by not having a solution to this. How can we hang out with the kids all day and then come night say good-bye knowing they have no place to go while we go home to nice, safe beds? It just doesn’t work and it is not at all how God intended.

They are amazing and it breaks my heart to know they are sleeping on verandas, in front of supermarkets and anywhere else they can find where the police won’t beat or arrest them. So, we fast and we pray that God would change the hearts of the police and we pray that He would find a place for these children to sleep. We trust in His power and His love.