March 7, 2024

Hi friends and family- 

We are so sorry that it has taken us such a long time to finally put an update together- the last few months have been full and have seemed to fly by! 

We have to take it all the way back to Christmas to begin this update. Our hearts were longing to be with our families as Christmas came along, but this longing felt appropriate for the season. We, alongside all of you, long for many things this side of heaven as we wait for the fulfillment of our ultimate longing- for Christ to come again. We spent the day at Ekisa with the kids in the residential home, some of our most precious friends here. This is a group of friends that we long together with for many things- forever families, healing of illnesses, and restoration of bodies, just to name a few. It was special to remember with them how Christ came to earth to live as man for all of these things, and has promised that one day, when He returns again, all things will be made new. On a lighter note, Santa found his way to Ekisa and there was LOTS of excitement surrounding him as each child got their very own present they were able to unwrap, which was made possible by each of you and your generous hearts. Lots of flashing lights and noisy toys made for some beautiful chaos as the kiddos enjoyed their gifts! Baby B even made the nice list and got a present too- a big ole’ box of Cheerios, which he has enjoyed every last one of. It was a sweet day, and we were thankful to feel the Lord’s nearness as we spent it far away from many that we love! 

Not long after Christmas we received one of the greatest gifts we could ask for, which was a visit from my parents! We cannot tell you how loved it made us feel for them to have traveled over 30 hours, with a lot of jet lag, to come be with us. The great lengths they went through to come see us was such a picture of how far the Lord will go to be with His children, and we could not be more thankful they showed us this love! It was such a gift for them to live life beside us for a few weeks. It makes all the difference when you can show them in-person all the people and places that you have been telling them about over the phone. We loved getting to spend some time at Ekisa and show them our world there. They were affectionately known by everyone at Ekisa as “Jajja B”, which means the grandparents of Baby B. They had visited Ekisa last time I was here in 2018 and couldn’t believe how big lots of the children had gotten. It was a sweet reunion with many of them along with lots of the staff. We also got to show them all of Baby B’s favorite places in Jinja, most of them involving lots of dirt and animals. My mom even ran with the Ostriches alongside B, one of his favorite activities at the local “zoo.” They served and encouraged us the entire time that they were here, and when we left both Taylor and I kept saying how much they filled our cups and refreshed our souls!  

On the last day of their visit was one of the most special nights of the year for the kids on the Ekisa program. Some of you may have heard of an event called “Night to Shine” in the states hosted at different churches to celebrate people with disabilities. Night to Shine made it all the way to Uganda and this was Ekisa’s 10th Night to Shine celebration. It is a beautiful night where all ~250 children in our program come together for a night where they get to be the most honored guests. There is a red carpet, face painting, bouncy houses, cotton candy, lots of food, and of course- dancing!! It is a little taste of heaven special seeing children who are so often undervalued, stigmatized, and cast out in their communities be honored, valued, and celebrated!

We can’t end an update without saying again how much we truly appreciate each of you. Your prayers and encouragement sustain us on a daily basis, and we know full well that we would not be able to do this apart from the body of Christ. We wish we could sit down with each of you and hear about what the Lord is doing in your lives as well as we share news about ours. Know that we are also praying for each of you and are so thankful for your love and support!

Love, 

The Barnes Crew 

And in case none of you believed the part about my mom running with the ostriches, here's photo evidence :)