(From Christine Mann) We had a wonderFULL day of ministry and work. We started work on building the 2 room primary school classroom at God Cares School and Orphanage. There are over 900 hundred children at the school and a Pastor with a heart that cannot turn anyone away. So, more space is needed for education. So, the men and the students from Liberty Christian worked today at digging holes for the posts that will be the frame of the school rooms. Tomorrow the rest of the work begins on erecting the schoolrooms.
In the meantime, the children who attend God Cares were able to take breaks from school to spend time with our students which was an amazing experience. Each Liberty student has a story to tell about how each child touched them in some special way.
There was another team here from California doing AIDS tests on the students who had not been tested on a previous trip. In all about 300 will be tested. The numbers are down this year from previous years to about 3%. On 2 separate occasions I found my husband and my son each holding one sweet little boy who has tested positive and is currently sick. It was touching to see them both touched by the life of this child.
Reagan has been VERY busy playing soccer and getting to know the boys on the field. Her only complaint is that they won’t pass to a girl! Tonight she led our team in a moving devotional based on a Psalm and the importance of worshipping the Lord, and waiting in his presence. Afterward, she had us meditate on the words to the song “Waiting Here for You” by Jesus Culture. It was refreshing.
Most of the students board at the school with house moms. Each house mom takes care of approximately 50 children sleeping in their quarters with them. Today I made an effort to get to know these women and other woman who serve at the orphanage tending to the needs of the children. We sorted rice removing the stones, weevils, and other undesirable objects from the rice buckets. The time I spent getting to know these women was priceless. My heart was touched and humbled by their hard work and genuine love for the children. I could spend hours talking about our conversation during that time together.
I will say that I also work with 2 deaf women who Pastor Dongo was supporting financially each month and recently asked them to start working at the orphanage preparing food, cleaning, and other such jobs. They both have children but no husbands. After meeting our family and getting to know us, asked if I would take her children home with me to America and raise them. This broke my heart! She has twins, a boy and a girl, and they are not at the orphanage. Please pray for them. Although that is not possible, part of me would have loved to do that but God has a future for Uganda and these children are it!
