April 27, 2024

One of my favorite times of each day is when Baby B and I (Taylor) take our morning walk.

I throw him in our hiking backpack at 7am when the sun has risen (and all the night-time malaria mosquitoes have gone back to their homes), and we head out the gate to the dirt road in front of our apartment.

The loop we walk is just a stroll around the block, and we've been doing it ever since we arrived. It didn't take long before the people in our immediate community became familiar faces, and those familiar faces turned into brief conversations, which then turned into relationships.

Two of the first people we got to know were Daniel and Sam, 21 and 14-year-old street kids. They'd walk the dirt road we live on each morning, picking up plastic bottles and filling a burlap sack, which they could sell for 10 cents when it was full. They were consistent in doing this, and we'd often find ourselves walking alongside each other - and sometimes even walk the whole loop together. Daniel is an exceptionally gentle person, and Sam stuck by his side, because when you sleep on the streets, it's safest to sleep in pairs.

As a side note, just a word about jobs in Uganda. There are very few. And even the ones that exist are typically very low-paying. To put a little color to it, an average office job in our town pays around $4 to $6 per day, teachers make $3 to $4 per day, and the many who can't find work resort to farming, which pays far less (especially if it's not their own land and they're just a hired hand). Needless to say, there's a lot of poverty around us. Also, education isn't free, so putting children in school isn't an option for many of poorest families. There are many dysfunctional families, with fathers abandoning their wife and kids (or passing away early, which isn't uncommon). And many kids end up out on the streets, fending for themselves.

What a complex web of suffering that sin has woven into our world.

All that to say, after getting to know Daniel and Sam, I felt for them. And after seeing them picking up bottles every day, I appreciated that they were working, and not resorting to stealing as is often the case. I began to ask them about their stories, which of course included tough backgrounds, but part of Daniel's story was getting to know a pastor in the past, becoming a believer, and having his heart changed. We also talked about his grandparents, who live in a village on the other side of the country. They have a small place to live and some land that they farm. While village life wasn't his dream, Daniel indicated that he was interested in going to stay with them. We began to talk about the idea of not just helping them farm, but also raising some livestock, beginning with a few goats. Daniel even wanted Sam to come along with him. So we made our plan.

The village was too far for me to drive to, so I told them that I'd drive them to Kampala, then they could take a bus the rest of the way. I bought them some clean clothes, a small gift of sugar for Daniel's grandparents (a delicacy), and gave them enough money to buy a few young goats to get started.

A few days later, as Burrus and I were heading out of our gate for our morning walk, we were surprised to see Sam sitting there. Long story short, Daniel had taken Sam's part of the money, stayed in Kampala, and sent Sam off.

Wow. More on that later.

As Burrus and I continue our walk, we reach the end of our street, and there on the corner is a small wooden house, where Justeen lives with her youngest son Reagan who's about to finish high school. She's also taken in two of her grandchildren - Julius, whose parents both passed away, and Pauleen, whose family has some problems. (She also has two other grandkids who are in-and-out, based on how their families are doing.)

Justeen makes lunch for a factory down the street that employs 20 people, and sells each plate for 50 cents. Sometimes Burrus and I will see her when we first walk out the gate, as she's gathering wood for her cooking fire.

Getting to know Justeen has been a joy. She is a sweet, sweet sister in Christ, and cares for her children and grandchildren so well. Burrus lights up when he sees her, and she's so generous in sharing some of the food she's been cooking with him. So when the factory added 5 more employees a few weeks ago and also approached her about cooking breakfast, we were delighted to help her with the expansion costs she needed. We've also been delighted to help with some school fees for her kids.

They've all started coming to church with us each week, and they've been a wonderful addition to that church family.

As Burrus and I get back to our walk and round the next corner, we take a pit stop - an overlook of the Nile.

It's an incredibly beautiful scene.

We only stand there for two minutes. But after being exposed each day to the realities of life here in Uganda for so many people, our time at the overlook lifts our eyes.

It lifts our eyes above all this suffering to the far bigger story that we're living in.

It lifts our eyes above this suffering to something far greater than we can see. To Jesus, who hasn't left us to suffer alone; who has redeemed, is redeeming, and will redeem this world - beginning with the human heart.

It expands our vision beyond this short life and into a far bigger picture - eternity.

It recalibrates our perspective, reminding us why we're here and what our mission is.

It gives us strength to enter back into the suffering.

And we whisper under our breath, "Come Lord Jesus."

When the two minutes are over, we head back to the road, and are soon greeted by Sula. Sula is a guard who works the night shift at a local guesthouse we walk by, and is always kind and friendly. He's usually finishing his shift and heading back home when we see him, so sometimes he'll join us for part of our walk.

Sula is married with a newborn, and also cares for two other children whose father recently passed away. So the $1.75 he was making per day as a guard was already a stretch. Then, when the guesthouse went a month without paying him because they didn't have the money, we started talking about other opportunities. He thought it would be best to open a small shop in his neighborhood, selling things like rice, beans, cooking oil, and other daily items. So he went off and found a location and negotiated a rent price, then we helped him get it up and running.

Over the months, Sula and I have developed a good relationship, and though he grew up Muslim, he asked if he could come to church with us last week. After seeing our church community and hearing about the new birth, he professed faith in Christ.

Sula is now a brother.

Burrus and I went to visit him and his family at the shop this week and brought them a Bible, and he is so eager to grow and learn more about Jesus. He also told us that he wants to change his newborn baby's name, from the Muslim name that he had given him to something else. Please pray for Sula as he begins his new life in Christ.

As we continue our walk, just 50 yards down the road we run into Peter, a guard at the local fishery. We're always greeted with a laugh, a big smile, and a lot of joy. Peter is married, a father of four, and a deacon in his local church. Any time Burrus and I have others walking alongside us, Peter always has a word of encouragement or nugget of wisdom for them.

I'm so thankful for his children's sake that they're able to grow up in an intact, believing family. I hope they understand the blessing that that is. We've been able to help with some of their school fees, and hope to also help with some of their practical necessities, as they are stretched very thin.

As we round the next corner, we see Jamil, a guy in his 20's, sleeping on the streets, who would also pick up plastic bottles. As I got to know Jamil's story and his desire to work but inability to find a job, we started talking about a job that he could do. He decided that cutting grass would be a fitting option. All that's needed for this is a weed-eater, because no matter how much grass is being cut, I've never seen a lawnmower - people just weed-eat the whole plot. So we found him a tiny shack in the neighborhood next to ours where he could sleep, which rents for $7 per month. And we got him a weed-eater.

Please pray for Jamil. He works hard when he's healthy, but struggles with stomach ulcers due to alcohol. He comes to church with us each week and we often talk about the Gospel, but the truth hasn't penetrated his heart yet.

Now - last person - back to Sam.

When Sam showed back up outside our gate, I wasn't sure what to do.

He's one of the most fun-loving, charismatic kids, who draws people to himself. But he also has a very hard time with authority. He was on the streets not because his family doesn't care for him, but because his stubbornness breaks them, and his desire for independence draws him to the streets.

But he hates the streets. It rains at night. There's no food. The other kids beat him up and steal his shoes. He sees demons and has dreams of Satan.

Some mornings when he'd join us for our walks, we'd call his grandparents, or his dad, or his aunt. And he started talking about wanting to go home to his grandparents. So I met with a local believer here who helps reunite street kids with their families. He talked to Sam, and the three of us headed off to the village where his grandparents live. But a few days later, Sam was back outside our gate. After a few weeks, he started talking about how bad the streets were and wanting to go home to his aunt. The desire was real, so we again loaded up and headed to his aunt's town. Eight of his cousins stay with her, and he was very happy being there. For a few days. Until his desire changed and he was again drawn out to the streets.

What to do? Every time he showed back up at our gate, he was so ashamed, and would tell me that he was so worried that I was going to be angry with him and stop loving him and tell him I don't want to see him again.

As Sam and I would walk together, he got to know everyone along our route. And he found a special place in Justeen's heart. (Justeen, if you remember, is the older believing lady who still has a child of her own at home, along with 2, sometimes 4, of her grandchildren who stay with her.) Well she invited Sam to stay with her. I talked to her about Sam, just to let her know what she was getting into, and she said, "It's ok, he needs steady love."

We enrolled Sam in school, and he began his life at Justeen's.

As you can imagine, after not too long, he headed back out to the streets, where he started staying with a young kid names James (a very sweet kid from a struggling family). But after a few days, he showed back up to Justeen's, apologized, and asked to stay with her again. And she welcomed him in.

But that night, he headed out - with two of her small foam mattresses - back out to the streets, back with James.

Again, after a few days, and after selling the mattresses, he showed back up to Justeen's. With James. It's the grace of God coursing through her veins that welcomed them both in.

James and Justeen clicked immediately. Like I mentioned, James is so sweet, has such a desire to learn, and loves helping Justeen cook and do other work around the house. We enrolled James in school and got Justeen everything she needs to care for him. He's been doing so well.

And Sam. He has his occasional moments where he runs to the streets, but only for a day or two, and those are becoming fewer and further between. And he has his occasional days where he doesn't want to go to school. But God's steady love - the steady love of Justeen, the steady love of the people in our local church who continuously encourage him - is changing him. Please be praying for him.

These walks are just a moment of our day before heading to Ekisa, but they're a sweet time. And we're thankful to see the small ways that the Kingdom of God is coming here, in the hearts of these people - light piercing through the darkness - through the sharing of who Jesus is and what He's done for us, joined with deeds of love and mercy.

We love you all, and hope you never forget that you're part of it.

(These pictures and stories have been used with permission.)

Ok, now for the news you've been waiting for.

We're so thankful to announce that Lizzy is pregnant :)

She's 20 weeks along - making the baby about the size of a mango (...appropriate) - and is due mid-September. We don't know the gender - and aren't planning to find out! We're planning to travel back to the States for the delivery, and so look forward to seeing many of you.

So for that too, please be praying.

Alright, that's all!