Monday Blessings

Monday: (7/11/2011)

While munching on mango pancakes this morning, Meg told us some of her story of how she came to live in Uganda. We’ve been so blessed by the Rambos and the Coppedges. After breakfast, we went to the downtown Arua to go shopping. We stopped at various dukas (Swahili= shop), looking for cloth. We are going to have dresses made. It was so hard to pick out designs, because we had so many options. The different ladies were so much fun and loved getting to instruct us in what we could purchase. After we all bought our fabric we went to the seamstress shop and each girl was able to pick out a different style of dress to be made (even more options). It was lots of fun just to see the city a little, but also tiring.

In the afternoon we went to an orphan ministry downtown. A pastor and his wife have a passion for the street boys (and girls). They have provided 9 boys with a home and just recently 3 girls. So we went to talk and play with them. They do not have the best environment for playing as the ORA orphans do. But we managed and moved the games over to a field across the road.

We will be going back every day this week until Friday. Please keep some specific ones in your prayers. There is a sweetheart named Scovia-She seems like a leader within the girls and she is about 15 and goes to school (P6). Madeleine was my special friend from the very beginning and we became very attached in just 3 hours of playing together. Please be praying with them as they are searching for one of the girls who they have just legally taken in. She was forced into hiding because of family circumstances so they haven’t been able to locate her yet. Some of the boys opened up when we first got there about how much better it is at the home compared to when they were living on the streets. They’ve known so much pain and instability for being so young. Yet I praise the Lord for people like Pastor David and Medlin who are sensitive to God’s work. We also met Sunday who works with the boys and Sandra who walks across town every day to stay with the boys. She has an incredible story and an incredible heart for people.

Please be praying as I will hopefully be hearing God’s direction on where to continue being of help in the coming weeks. I suppose even on a larger scale I desire some direction with regards to the future. Part of me was hoping to come to Africa and hear God say, “No.” I thought that would make things simpler (and everyone knows I’m not great with options). Right now, I’m trying to be content with waiting and listening.

I have just been so blessed by the people on this team too. I was thinking about that tonight as I was sitting in our debriefing session. We share so much joy and laughter, but we also have been able to discuss lots of interesting (sometimes differing) ideas about faith, prayer, ministry, adoption, love, missions, grace, etc. It’s so funny when I think I can tell God what should happen or what I think I need. God often says, “Wait. I know and have something better in store.” I think He has said that to me a lot in the months leading up to this trip. Well, this gives you a little bit about the day. Thanks for keeping Arua in your prayers.

Blessings,
Mer

 (Day 3: Thursday 7/07/2011, Teachers at Pastor Jon's 1st village School)