Greetings on this beautiful Gulu morning! We just took a nice walk to a local coffee shop as a team. It was lots of fun. The coffee shop was definitely geared toward Americans- Heinz ketchup and all!
But what I really want to tell you this morning is the request that Dennis has. Who is Dennis you ask? He is a 17 year old boy. Not only does he not have any parental guidance or direction himself, but he is the "leader" of the children at the IDP camp we visited last night. The camp last night was very different than the one last night. This time, most of the children were very young- ages 1- 5 or 6 ish on average- as opposed to primarily teenagers at the last camp. Apparently the older children at the camp last night were still in school and hadn't gotten back yet. It gave an increased sense of the need for protection and care for the children as they were so young. Dennis led the children very patiently in performing a few songs for us and then he directed them in some "dramas" that they had obviously practiced and rehearsed in the past. As we then interacted with the children and spent some time talking with Dennis, it became apparent just how heavy is the weight of his responsibility in leading and taking care of this whole group of young ones. When our translator asked if any of the children had any questions for us, Dennis said that while he didn't have a question, he did have a request. In his broken English he said "Would you take pictures back to family in America and show them us. Maybe they can help us with things we need." We asked him what their greatest need was and he didn't say toys, or clothing, or even food (although the lack of all those things was incredibly apparent), he said their greatest need was for "school fees". He said they have trouble getting enough money to stay in school and he very much wants to finish his education and become a policeman. School fees range from about $150-300 per year for each student, depending on what school they attend.
His request was so honest and heartfelt. My heart wrenched at his request. I responded that indeed we were already planning on showing pictures of them to our friends and family back home with the specific purpose of gathering up support and prayers for the children. I told him that I would request of him that he pray for us and the people who hear the stories we share, that God would direct our actions and what to do with the resources God has given us. In that way, we would all be working together and partnering together to provide for one another. He seemed to like that idea and I encouraged him and told him what a great job he was already doing and how he was a man of great strength and determination and courage.
And so there is Dennis' request. May we all work together and put love in action as we partner with these beautiful and courageous children!
Feel free to check out the Village of Hope website at www.villageofhopeuganda.com to see the specifics of how you can help!
Off to the market now with the rest of the team. Blessings to you all!
No comments:
Post a Comment