Today was cool

For the past couple months I feel like parts of me have been alive, but not all together. My eyes were seeing God for awhile. My ears were hearing God for awhile. My heart was feeling God for awhile. My feet were following God for awhile. 

I just didn’t feel like I could get a day where ALL of me was awake in the Lord. 

Until today. 

Today I packed up my backpack with paper, needles, and glue and headed to the streets of Kampala with Katie. There was a specific place I had in mind. We headed to one of the richest places in Uganda, the place where you see the most mzungus, and can get a really good cheeseburger. 

There’s a lady I see when I pass through that area, usually she sits there begging with her 2 children. Today only one of them was with her. When we walked up to her, Katie and I plopped down in the dirt right next to her. My luganda isn’t that great yet, but I struggled to get across that I wanted to teach her to make paper beads and then buy the beads from her. 

Sitting in one of the busiest intersections in the area, in the mud. Boda men started stopping and staring, people started collecting, and finally out of nowhere a man squatted down and started translating for us. 

I made three friends today...Annette, Sharon, and George. George explained to Annette what we wanted to do, and Annette suggested that we walk somewhere where we won’t cause such a commotion (this friend has legs...in reference to my blog yesterday). Katie, Annette, Sharon (Annette’s child), George and I went across the road and sat in a trash heap...as Katie and I taught Annette how to make paper beads. 

We talked about her family. 

We talked about where she sleeps.

We talked about Jesus.

We talked about how much we were going to pay her and when we were going to meet her again.

We talked about how we want to keep meeting with her and have her keep helping us make beads. 

After about an hour, she looked at us, and said (through George) “Can we go? I don’t need to sit here and beg now that I’m employed.” 

At 7,000 shillings a week, approximately $3, Annette considers herself employed. 

At 7,000 shillings a week, Annette no longer has to beg on the streets with her children. 

Walking away, I thought about how quickly God can change somebodies world. 

From begging to make enough food to eat for the day, to being employed. 

From being a street kid for 6 years with no hope, to telling people that God is on your side and He is fighting for you.

From an 8 year old who has HIV, whose biggest prayer request is for his nose to grow smaller because it’s too big. 

From a 22 year old girl who chased after a homeless lady with no legs yesterday and lost, and then sat with Jesus, Annette, George, Sharon, and Katie in a trash heap today.