I could tell she hadn't seen Jerry yet, so I took her hand and walked around the bus to find him. She saw him before I did and she let go of my hand and ran and jumped into his arms. I’m not sure who had the bigger smile – him or her! I didn’t see much distance between them the rest of the day. I say it a lot – but it really is about the relationships. We gathered inside one of the classrooms and enjoyed the privilege of having a chapel service with the students. Jason had a great message about not being afraid and it was obvious the kids were hanging on every word. There was singing and dancing after that. The harmonies during one of the songs the P3 class sang brought tears to my eyes. Almost everyone got to enjoy the final dance with the women leaders in the village. We are hoping there is no video proof. We met with the sponsored kids next, handing out packets and taking pictures with each of them. This is when a team always shines – everybody pitching in to do whatever is needed. Blessed by this hard-working team! It is always a special time when anyone gets to meet their sponsored child for the first time. Sam sponsors a boy named Jonah. So much fun to watch them sit together and open his packet – even when there was a Red Sox hat involved. Jonah wasn't hard to pick out of a crowd the rest of the day; he wore that hat with pride! Lynn, Kim, and I found one of our friend’s sponsored child, Daphine, and took some pictures with her. She is a beautiful little girl who seems to smile all the time. It was a blessing to watch her take each item out of her packet and see the look on her face. She seemed to especially love her turquoise and hot pink bandanas! We met with the P3 class next and passed out books. Listening to them read was a highpoint of the day! Looking around the room and seeing each team member sitting with a group of kids made my heart ache; I wondered how often these kids get that kind of attention. My family’s sponsored child, Matia, read through a book about construction vehicles that took me back to listening to my own son when he was learning to read. It has been interesting to think about the content of children’s books through the eyes of a Ugandan child! It made me wonder how well Barney and Baby Bop translate… Lunch was next and then it was on to bead-making for the women…and Jerry. What he lacked in quality, he made up for in speed and the women were impressed. We had a chance to purchase some of the paper bead necklaces as well. I’m thankful that Edith took the time to show the team how they are made. The remainder of the afternoon was spent just enjoying time with the kids. David, the Advanced Sponsorship Coordinator for Hearts and Hope, refers to it as “time for interaction”! It’s a bit less formal than that, but one of my favorite ways to spend my time!
All too soon, it was 5:30 and time to make the 5—minute bus ride to our home for the evening in Kamuli. After checking in, we gathered around tables put out on the grass in the courtyard area and enjoyed the evening. It was actually cool enough for jackets! We painted nails and enjoyed chatting with some of the leaders from Kamuli. Violet broke out some Kenny Rogers tunes at one point.
Later in the evening, Charles brought out two decks of cards (Titanic-themed) that he had brought along. Our Ugandan friends taught us to play a game that is basically Uno with real cards and a few rule twists. The twists, surprisingly, seemed to occur whenever Violet was losing, but I'm sure that is just a coincidence! Clubs are referred to as “flowers” and Jacks are referred to as “J’s”. That took a bit of getting used to but the entire process made us all laugh until our stomachs hurt. Such a fun evening! Prayers for continued safe travel and healthy team members are appreciated. It has been a wonderful trip!
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About USHearts & Hope is a nonprofit organization focused on unlocking the potential of people in Uganda through relationships with people in the US. Archives
February 2020
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