Monday, September 3, 2007

Adventures with Mark


It has been a very busy time since we last updated you with a note from Africa. We have been blessed with personal visitors and many other visitors seeing and joining in the work that is being done here in Uganda. We also had a group of our students leave to tour for a month in Australia and represent the organization. This added extra responsibilities for me here as fellow organization staffing from Uganda accompanied them. Through the busyness much has been done and God continues to work in the hearts and lives of so many young people.

We are currently on a three week term break where I will have a week off to spend some much needed time with two very great people – Sarah and Seth. We will be staying at home and just catching up on sleep and a little relaxation.

Through the busyness of the last few months there are many things that stand out. I think though, I will not forget a recent home visit with one of our students. He was in trouble for stealing a second time and so I decided to visit his home with our senior teacher as the term came to an end. Unfortunately his plight seems to represent so many children here. His mother and father have AIDS and he is the only child out of seven who is in school. The others can’t afford their school fees as the parents try to earn enough money for basic needs. Their home (a tiny shack) has no electricity or plumbing and one bed for everyone. The entire house is one room with a curtain splitting it into two and very little furniture to fill the 10 foot by 15 foot room. As I left I was discouraged as we talked to the father about the challenges we are facing with his child. He was visibly upset and frustrated and did not want his son suspended from school because, among other reasons, he would have to provide for him during that time. After a serious conversation with him and challenging him to own up to his responsibilities as a father, we left and also challenged the young boy to return after term break with excellent behavior as this is his God given chance to break the poverty cycle in his family and one day help them move forward. My heart was heavy as the senior teacher and our driver talked about the situation while we jostled along the alleys of the slum in the school truck. We all knew this student was running out of chances, but we all refused to give up and committed to continuing to try to mentor him and just maybe we will see our work come to fruition some day. In the mean time this student will be lifted up in prayer and we will not give up. Not now or in the future.

The picture is a home visit upon which we gave a little girl a new t-shirt with the help of Uncle Bert and Auntie Diane. Her Christmas came early!

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