I met a man in town named Steve, who
sells paintings on main street. I often walk through town, and the
shop keepers beg me to look at their merchandise, and I usually just
say, “not today”. However, Steve stopped me, and had a
conversation before asking me to buy something. That impressed me. I
told him I would come buy something another day when I had more money
and time to stop and look. I held my promise, and a few weeks ago I
went and bought this piece of art.
When I returned, he was stunned to know
that I kept my promise. I think many times mzungus will say they are
coming back, but they never do. I like to stay true to my word. I
feel like that is what Jesus calls us to when He says, “let your
'yes' be 'yes' and your 'no' be 'no'” (Matthew 5:37). After I
bought the painting, he told me that he sells them to support
children in an orphanage. He is a Christian, and wants to help the
children of his community. This started a good friendship.
The next time I was in town, I walked
past his shop, and he invited me to go see his ministry. We figured
out a time that would be convenient for all, and finally I was able
to go visit.
There were many children here that day.
All kinds of children from all kinds of ages. They stood their
distance from my until I was leaving, and Steve said they were afraid
of me. They are out in the village, and as a result, do not see many
white people, but they could not take their eyes off of me. They
watched, and listened respectfully, and you could tell they were
loved.
I am not sure where all the funds are
coming from to care for these beautiful faces. I know the financial
side of running an orphanage, and it is not easy. They do what they
can to make a better life for the children, and in the long run they
are making a difference. We all want to make a perfect world for the
people in our lives, especially when it becomes a ministry. But we
can never make it perfect. All we can do is use what we have, and
allow Christ to make everything perfect. He is the Healer, and the
Provider. That is what this ministry is doing. They have little, but
are using it to make a Kingdom impact
I am thankful for people like Steve. He
saw a need, has a talent, and uses what he has to help the need. So
many times Ugandans get a bad rap for being selfish and cheaters.
Although those people exist, there are those who are truly making a
difference in their communities. I love seeing Ugandans rise up to
fix Uganda. I wish there was more of it, so that ministry could be
more self sustaining. People like Steve give me hope that one day it
will be a possibility. It is still a long way off, but I believe it
is a possibilit
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