day eighty seven: food and stories

as my time here draws to an end, i find it more and more difficult to leave. any day now, i will be making the trek back to kenya. but as the day draws nearer, i find myself postponing it. for the last few weeks, whenever someone asks when im leaving, ill respond, "in a week or two." its been a week or two for three weeks now i think : ) theres just a lot still drawing me here, so much i still want to wrap up before i call it quits. and im in no rush to leave the people and places ive grown so attatched to these last months.

lately, it has been the street kids that have my heart. there are two in particular that weve become close to, dennis and stephen. every time i think im ready to go, their faces pain my heart. i want to be able to do more for them, something that will actually make a difference.

i realize that i have written very little about what we do with the street kids, but it is those late nights on the streets of kampala that have been my favorite times here. we dont do much, just a small meal and swapping of stories once or twice a week. we try and find out where the kids are from, how long theyve been there, if they have families. really, whatever they want to talk about. more often then not, i find myself talking about football clubs, since my limited Luganda prevents me from doing much else(btw, ive become an avid football fan). still these small encounters, and the faces and stories of these kids, have grabbed my heart over and over again.

as i said, there are two in particular that we see almost every time, dennis and stephen. dennis was among the first street kids i met. if you remember, there were three, and though we looked for the other two, dennis was the only to make continued appearances. i met him two months ago, which means he's not lived on the streets for five. its amazing what even two months can do, cause when i first met him, i thought that he was so new. now, five months seems like an eternity.

dennis is from jinja and he lived with his father and step mom. he was sent one day to get his hair cut at his dad's salon, but upon arriving he found the extra chair to be broken, and a long line of clients. he waited patiently all day, finally getting it cut around seven. since there was a football game(football is soccer) on at eight, he decided to go to it. upon returning home past ten, he found his parents irate, and fed up with him.

at this point, they told him to leave. just, go. they didnt care where, but they were sick of him. so they sent him away. and thats where he went, away. he started walking, and two days later, arrived in kampala to start his life as a street kid.

like so many of their stories, his is heartbreaking, and probably a mixed version of actual events and ones embellished on. we dont know the state of his home prior to his being kicked out. we dont know if his parents were abusive before. we dont know what is true, and what is shrouded. and none of it really matters. what we do know is that he wont go back, never wants to see them again, and harbours an anger at his parents from being abandoned that is not soon to pass.

dennis is an awesome kid, with an amazing smile. as i said, we see him every time we go, and i love it. his smile brightens my night, and i look forward to seeing him. i just gave him a pair of shoes that i brought to replace his stolen ones. he promised to tie them tight and get a sack to sleep in so no one steals these : )

we just met steven a month ago or so, maybe even less. he doesnt sleep where the other kids we know do, and is a bit of a wanderer. but almost every time, we run into him in one place or another. the first time i saw him, he was singing to no one on a street corner, eating a muffin. i faked taking a bite of the muffin to mess with him, and he responded with "yes, you take! 100 shillings!" after which he followed us for the rest of the night.

steven is from kitale, which is all the way in the south west of the country, an eternity from kampala. he is a true orphan- both his father and mother died, i think of HIV/AIDS(but im not sure). he spent some time living with an aunt of grandma, but it soon became aparent that they couldnt support him. as is the case in many families torn by HIV/AIDS, the buren that those it takes leave is too great for those it spares. he story is a little muddied as to the how, but he hopped a bus to kampala about a year ago, and has been there ever since.

steven is rediculous and eccentric. i have a video on my camera that ill post when i get back of him dancing. he's a little hesitent at first, but when he gets into it, theres no stopping him. he's so smart. he needed a sweatshirt on a cold night, so he went to owino(the huge market) and sang for the vendors, who paid him with a nice, warm sweater. i couldnt believe it when i saw him, he looked so sharp!

the day after thanksgiving there was a huge event called worship night. it is put on by the church i go to, they rent out a soccer stadium, and spend all night with whoever comes praising God. it was a powerful experience, relying on God for strength over twelve hours, and joining in praise to him with over 50,000 Ugandan brothers and sisters! the things i experienced and how God moved i can share another time, if you want. but, right in the middle of the night, at maybe two in the morning, i feel this tapping on my leg, and look down to see Stevens smiling face! i couldnt believe it! its incredible to think that he could have found me amongst a see of so many faces. we had a great time singing and dancing until he fell asleep, and i thanked God for bringing him into my life.

the short of the matter is this. these kids have alwas pulled my heart in a unique way, but that night God laid a special burden for them on me. im still trying to figure out what exactly that looks like, how exactly i can help, what i can do that is more than food and stories every once in a while. i want to do something lasting, something that will make a real difference. even if, for now, its just for the one or two that ive mentioned here. so i ask that you join me in prayer, beseeching the ear of the Almighty for guidance and imagination in this, and courage to undertake whatever He shows me. i am hesitant to leave without it.

before i sign off, let me share a few praises. last week, i had the opportunity to fellowship again with my friend irene, who i worked with in kenya. she had come to uganda with the purpose of attending the worship night, and catching up with some old friends. for the week she was here, we reconected and shared what God has been doing in our lives, and i thank God for the opportunity. she went back to kenya on saturday, a week early, because she received a call from the canadian embassy requesting her presence. she has been waiting to hear back about a canadian visa that would let her study there this coming semester. God is good, she got the visa, and is now finalizing plans! this after over two months of waiting, and beginning to think it wasnt happening. but God works all things in His timing. praise God!

the kids at mercy ministries(the kids home) are off to spend Christmas with relatives, most at least. but not before a final goodbye camp. monday and tuesday this week they spent at a beach in entebbe. i joined them along with the volunteers at Come Lets Dance on tuesday for an awesome day of surf and sun and soccer, and a great farewell to kids who have touched my heart with their unconditional love, bright eyes, and clinging hands. there was even a baptism, Christmas gifts handed out by none other than pastor wilson bugembe, and an adventure with a pair of camels to boot! ill maybe write more on that later. if i remember to.

eddy is doing better than ever. it seems like every day he gets stronger, braver, more confident. he is trying new things, making so many friends, and learning not to be a cry baby : ) im amazed at what God has done, transforming this little pile of skin and bones, on the verge of starvation, into the happy, healthy little boy i see with my own two eyes every day. sometimes, i double take when i see him. he's got a fatty little belly, an unending smile, and he just started giving me kisses. can i say it enough? God is good!!!


waiting on Him
jon