His Hope Uganda

Merry almost Christmas everyone!      Dec. 21, 2011

I imagine it’s been a while since I last wrote, sorry about that.

Once again, the Christmas season is upon us and all I have to say is “WHAT?!?!?!” How did THAT happen? In Uganda Christmas can certainly sneak up on us, with the lack of snow and the lack of carols and the lack of shopping malls and the lack of pretty much everything else that I associate with Christmas. However, I have had one pretty impressive festive moment.

I was out for supper with a friend a couple of weeks ago who might be just as much of a Christmas nut as I am, and we noticed that they had eggnog lattes. I was going to order one but she had a much better idea. She figured that if they had the lattes, they must have eggnog (genius, I never would have thought of that). So, after much frustrated effort to explain to our ditzy waitress that we only want cold eggnog without the coffee, we found ourselves sitting in the midst of two chilled mugs of eggnog. I must tell you it was something that I never even dreamed would be possible in a country with no Safeway. Rachel was the first to taste the interesting looking beverage and she immediately burst into laughter, telling me it was “sure sweet”. I could feel the grittiness of the sugar as my diabetes had a panic attack. However, even though it wasn’t exactly the Safeway quality that I’m used to, it wasn’t all that bad. It tasted like Christmas (at least close enough).

A few minutes later, we went to check on some commotion outside and we discovered that huge grasshoppers, locusts, had taken over Jinja. Every street light was swarming with the creepy insects, as well as a lot of happy Ugandans more than willing to face the storm to make some money (people love eating them here, and they are a hot item in the market). It was an incredible sight, one that we both wish we could describe in better detail. It was one of those moments in life that you wish you could share with everyone you know. Anyway, the swarms of locusts in the street lamps looked a lot like snow and I found myself, with eggnog fresh in my system, feeling very festive. Take away all the black people, drop the temperature a few degrees, and remove the disgusting feeling of locusts sticking to our skin as we ventured to the car, and it kind of felt just like Canada.

I can’t believe how quickly the last year has passed. I find that the older I get, the faster the years go by (maybe because the older my teenagers get, the more I look forward to heaven). It has certainly been a year of ups and downs, challenges and blessings. Reflecting on the past year, I can see that God was beside me through so many highs but especially that He held me in his arms through some of the lowest and scariest moments of my life. Never have I felt more protected, blessed, matured, amazed, honoured, humbled, and in awe of my Saviour than I did this past year.

I can’t wait to see what God has in store for 2012.

As you probably know, we had something pretty big happen since my last email. It was quite a momentous occasion, one that I will never forget.

In October, Clooney turned two. Oh, and we had our first missions team of twenty people from Canada and the United States come and serve with us for two weeks. I guess that was pretty significant too.

I had been looking forward to the team coming for so long but to be honest, I was really nervous because I didn’t know quite what to expect. I didn’t know very many of the team members and my biggest fear leading up to their arrival was not that I would be disappointed, but that they would be. I knew the trip wasn’t “successful” (whatever that means) I would be heartbroken and blame myself. I wanted to have high expectations, knowing that God had a great plan for the team, but I was afraid to set them too high. After all, how successful could the trip really be?

I need to let you know at this point that I have just watched the trip video that my brother made (highly recommended and available for viewing on the His Hope Uganda Facebook page) for at least the tenth time in the last few days. I remember the first time I watched it, I was reminded that I really needed to shave my legs because for the length of the entire six minute video, I had goosebumps that were making my leg hairs stand straight up. If you think that’s disgusting (which I guess it is) then you may be mortified to know that I still haven’t shaved my legs and I still get goosebumps every time I watch the video (thought you might like some nice thoughts to fill your mind over the holidays).

Needless to say, the trip was “successful”.

In fact, if I had set the expectation bar as high as humanly possible, the trip would have still exceeded them and then some. That’s one of the things I love about God. His expectation bar is immeasurably higher than anything we could even dream of.

While the team was here, they were able to complete two houses and one (and a half) toilets, give out 2000 pounds of clothing and footwear, minister to over 70 children in a two day Daycamp program, party and eat with all of our kids and their guardians (approximately 400 people), witness 16 incredible baptisms in the River Nile (14 of our Ugandan children and 2 very special people from the team), and visit two of the primary schools that we work with. But, in my opinion, that’s not what made the trip successful.

What amazed me the most was not what the team members were able to accomplish, but the team members themselves. What an outstanding group of people (yes, even you Lane).

I was moved by the way everyone worked together and got along so well. I was touched to see the relationships that were built between Canadians and Americans, Canadians and Canadians, and especially Canadians and Ugandans and Americans and Ugandans. I was in awe of what God was doing through the hearts of team members as young as fifteen years old. And I was truly inspired by the love and compassion that each person poured out so selflessly toward our Ugandan children and their families.

I rarely (as you know) find myself at a loss for words. But trying to describe to you how much of a blessing this team was to our children, our staff, so many other Ugandan people, and especially me personally leaves me speechless.

Thank you. To Maddie, Lane, Christine, Hailey, Cassidy, Sheldon and Rebecca, the amazing group of teenagers that I had the pleasure of watching and building friendships with, thank you for your hearts for others and your hearts for the Lord. You give me hope that there is a generation coming that will be lights for Christ that change the world. To Leanne, Megan, Justin and Candice, who I was more than blessed to get to know, thank you for all your amazing hard work and for reminding me what selfless love really looks like. We all hope (expect) to see you all back here again soon. To Kate, Al, Tony, Naomi and Doug, thank you for your wisdom and incredible enthusiasm and personalities that completed the team perfectly. And thanks for showing all the youngsters that old people can actually be really cool (sorry, that was a low joke). To Gerry and Ginnie, what can I say? Thank you for your patience and leadership for using your gifts to glorify God in the work you are doing. And a special thanks for putting up with all my talk about food . . . . .

I also need to thank Hungry For Life, the organization that planned and organized all the details of the trip for us, because they hadn’t done it I would have had to and I can’t imagine what that might have turned out like. They did an excellent job.

And of course, I can’t forget the two people without whom I would not be here (actually, I literally wouldn’t but I don’t really mean it in that way). I owe my parents more than I could ever give them. For loving me when I wasn’t lovable, for raising me against all odds, for believing in me when I didn’t give them any reason to, for guiding me and encouraging me when I was lost and confused, for inspiring me in all that they do, for being examples of Christ to everyone they meet, for doing more work in this ministry than even I do, for supporting me when nobody else would, and for being the best parents that their three very thankful and often undeserving (except maybe Ryan) children could have ever asked for. A huge thanks to my incredible mom and dad who did so much to make the trip possible. And for so much more.

(Now that I’ve said all those nice things about them, I don’t feel so guilty about not getting them a Christmas gift.)

I just wanted to thank all of you who came on the trip because I don’t think I really did a good enough job while you were here. I miss all of you (we all do, especially the kids) and I am looking forward to coming back to Canada in February and hanging out and, yes Ginnie, eating with you.

And just so everyone knows, if you want a personal shout out in an email, all you have to do is sign up for the next Missions trip, which might be coming up in July 2012 . . . . .

At least think about it. I know you want to.

If you don’t believe in God, let me give you a reason why you should.

I first set foot in this beautiful country five years ago and I had not the faintest idea that that first footstep would forever change my life. But God did. I came back two and a half years ago to see if I might be able to help about 47 kids. I had not the faintest idea that in less than three years that number would turn into 122 students and their families. But God did. I had not the faintest idea that we would begin building toilets and houses and that within two years we would build 13 houses and 17 toilets for people who had been suffering for years. But God did. I had not the faintest idea that we would be feeding and teaching and hosting over 80 children in our house every week. But God did.

I never planned any of this. I never knew that God could bless so many people through me. And I never knew that God could bless me this much. But God knew all along. He knew how He would use me. He knew how He would use all of you. And then He did it. And He’s still doing it.

Please continue to pray for God’s provision so that He can keep doing what He’s doing. I recently did a budget for next year’s costs to keep the organization running and it quite frankly scared the posho right out of me. Because of continued rising costs in Uganda and because of the rate at which the organization is growing, we will need a significantly larger amount of money than we have in the past. Although we don’t know how, we know that God will provide.

We have five children who need sponsors (pretty cute ones actually). If anyone knows anyone who might be interested, please let me or my parents know.

Thank you for praying for my Work Visa, I am very happy to tell you that it was approved in October and I will not have to make any more trips into Kampala until halfway through 2013, which is a pretty great Christmas gift. I don’t know how my lungs will adjust to missing the pollution though.

Thank you to those of you who prayed for my son Johnny who was in the hospital last week with malaria. I took one of my girls and stayed one night with him and it was an interesting experience that I think anyone who has ever complained about a North American hospital should have to go through. At one point he turned and said to me, “Someone died in this bed” (referring to the one he was sleeping in) and I asked how he knew and he said, “Can’t you see all the blood?” Sure enough, there were dried blood splatters all over the wall next to him. But that’s not exactly proof that someone died, just that someone had a really bad night.

Please pray for a boy in our program named Ephraim. We know Ephraim really well because he also happens to be our neighbour and he is here nearly every day with his brother and sisters. He is about ten years old and he has been having kidney problems since September. His body swells to the point where he can’t even sit down and he has already been admitted in the Jinja Children’s Hospital once. Last week he was really swollen and his mother had to take him to the biggest hospital in the country in Kampala. He was admitted on Friday evening and he had an ultrasound yesterday but we still don’t know the results. Apparently he is still very swollen. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors so that they can figure out what’s really going on. Pray for a solution to his problem that will be long term. Pray for healing and that his swelling will go down. Pray for peace for his family and for him, as he is an amazing young man and we can see how much this is hurting him in so many ways. Also pray that if possible, he will be able to be home for Christmas. Thank you.

In case I wasn’t blessed enough, my sister is coming to spend Christmas with us. I am very excited but also a little nervous because she is scheduled to get in on Christmas Eve at 10:30 at night and has two layovers on the way here. Her first layover is in Toronto and she has only two hours to pick up her bags and then go to another airline and check in her bags again for an international flight. If she misses her connection she will spend Christmas alone in an airport. Please pray that things go smoothly and that she makes her connection. Also pray for safety and protection while she’s here and that the programs we have planned will be blessed.

Thank you for covering this ministry in prayer and thank you for covering me in prayer as well. Things were really hard for me after my parents left in November and I went through a really rough time but I knew that because of your prayers and support, I wasn’t alone. Thank you for standing with me in prayer and friendship. I think I may say this every email, but I would not be here if it wasn’t for you.

Let me end with a story.

You may remember me writing about a girl in our program named Scovia before. When we met her, she was living with her twin brother and they took us to see their home village last year. I was moved to tears at the condition in which their family (eleven brothers and sisters and a mother who is sick with lung cancer) lived.

Scovia and her brother have been in boarding school this year and when they finished their exams last month they came to us asking for money to take them back to their home for the holidays. They left and I assumed we would not see them until next year when they came back for school.

Auntie Annet came in last week and told me that she had seen Scovia in town working. I was surprised to hear that she was in town because her village is an hour away and I was shocked that she had not contacted us to let us know she was around.

Scovia told Auntie Annet that she had gone to town looking for a job because she couldn’t bear to stay at home and watch her family suffer when she thought she might be able to help. She found a job in town serving food at a local restaurant. She was told her pay would be 1,000 shillings a day. She accepted the job knowing that the cost of transport from where she is staying with her uncle (near us) to town is 1,000 shillings a day. For the first few days she walked to town, a distance of about seven kilometers, and then walked home at the end of the day. However, she quickly became tired and began using half or even all of her wages to get to work. She asked her employer for a raise of 500 shillings a day and her employer agreed.

So she has been working every day and getting home at the end of the day with 500 or 1,000 shillings in her pocket. She said she often reaches home in the evenings to find that there is no food because her uncle cannot afford to feed her or even his own family.

I find that when people hear that a large number of the world’s population lives on less than a dollar a day, they often make a comment about how a dollar can go a lot farther in third world countries then in North America because things cost less. Although this is true in some regards, I think many people would be surprised at just how far a dollar a day will NOT go.

Scovia’s net profit of 1,000 shillings a day (on a good day) is equal to about 40 cents Canadian. Here is an idea of what 1,000 shillings can buy in Uganda. Three eggs. One bottle of soda. Three quarters of a litre of milk. One kilogram of potatoes. Less than a quarter of a kilogram of sugar.

Here is what 1,000 shillings a day cannot buy. Enough food to feed a family, especially one with twelve children. A warm, comfortable place to sleep. A new roof on a mud house that will not leak when it rains. Medicine that might save a child’s life.

Scovia also told me that her youngest sister recently fell into their homemade pit latrine. When their old latrine collapsed, they had to make one as best they could, which was basically a big hole in the ground with some wooden boards covering it. 1,000 shillings a day will not buy her family a safe and sanitary place to use the toilet.

But she works every day, all day anyway. Because she loves her family and she knows that even though 1,000 shillings a day won’t solve all their problems, at least it’s something.

Scovia came to visit us on Saturday and although she looked worn out, she greeted me with a huge smile on her face. Her first words, as usual, were “Praise God.”

I have spent the last four weeks consumed with thoughts of what I should buy my children for Christmas that will make them happy because I feel like they already have all that they need. I’ve been wishing I could make Christmas more exciting and fun for them because it has always been so exciting and fun for me. I have been dreaming of a perfect Christmas with my sister and my kids, and to be honest I’ve been worrying that we might have unexpected guests show up on Christmas who might ruin my perfect day. Now I count the number of “mys” I just used in this paragraph and I feel ashamed.

Today I was thinking about the number of families in the world who will feel blessed if they can eat one simple meal on Christmas day. And I was heartbroken to think of the number of families who will not be able to do that. But God brought Scovia here with her story to remind me of something.

I know that although I am surrounded by people who might be in those categories, there is not a home I would visit on Christmas that would be without joy. Although they may lack food and gifts and all the things that we think we need, there is not a family in our program that will lack a thankful heart this Christmas. I am sure that Scovia and her family will experience more joy and laughter and sing more praises than I will on Sunday because, unlike me, they understand what is important. They will be thankful to be alive. They will be thankful to be together. They will be thankful in knowing that they are cherished and loved by their Creator, despite everything else going on in their lives.

Whenever I think that I am finally getting it, finally understanding what God wants me to see, I am humbled when I realize that I have such a long way to go. But God is patiently teaching me through the amazing people that He has put in my life. He is blessing me far more than I could ever bless them.

My purpose in telling you Scovia’s story is not only to remind you of what so many people do not have, but to remind you of all that we DO have. My purpose is not to make anyone feel guilty, but to help everyone feel more thankful.

And so, my prayer for myself and for my children and for all of you who are reading this, is that we will all learn from Scovia and not let all our blessings become a burden to us this season. Instead of stressing about what gifts to buy and whether or not Uncle George will like his sweater (he will, don’t worry), I hope we can enjoy and appreciate who we are actually buying the gifts for, as well as everything else that we have been blessed with (don’t forget egg nog!). But above all, I pray that we will all praise and thank the One who has blessed us not only with all of these, but with the greatest gift of all – his Son.

Thank you. May God bless you with joy and peace this holiday and in the year to come. With love,

Kimi