Captured by Carla: Be In the Moment

Our first ministry was in a village of Uganda. Bugabo where a young fairly new ministry named Ekabo is. While here we got to see what it is like for a new ministry we saw the real ness of the hardships, joys, love, and stress of what it takes to run a ministry. It was very real and eye opening to see how they truly live. I am so great full to have had the opportunity to live for 3 days in the village. It is where our team truly became a family. We had plans on what we would do while we were there but instead we were just there living along side these wonderful people taking part in their daily lives. We got to peel potatoes with some of the women, some of the people on our team got to help make chipottie, some went on walks through the village, build bunk beds, spent time holding babies in the baby home, and I spent some time in the front porch with Christie who runs the ministry with her husband George and other girls on our team and played with the little ones that would pass.

We arrived on a Sunday and were welcomed by their amazing dance team. Then we went to join their church service. Chelsea, Tiffany, and I sat in the back with some of the younger children. They were so fascinated by my long fingernails and played with them the whole time almost. One of the little girls soon got jealous and possessive over who got to touch my hands. After church and lunch we spent some time with the youth of the village because so many times they get looked over because people want to play with the little ones. And I am sometimes one of those people. There were just enough of us that we got to talk one on one with them we sat in this big circle partnered up with a young person. I sat down next to this beautiful young girl Christine who is 15 years old. We talked a out how she loves mathematics and wants to be a accountant. We also talked a out or favorite colors, hers was yellow and mine off course pink. She was a quiet young girl and very reserved and didn't want to talk much but I understood because I know I was probably and sometimes still am the same way. I got to pray over her and give her a little bible and got to write her name and mine on the inside.

Reading through my journal from our days at Ekabo I came across a verse I read one morning and wrote it down along with a insert that came from my daily devotion.
"So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith-that you, being rooted and grounded in love." Ephesians 3:17. (Good morning, Lord! I want You to feel at home and be comfortable in me today.). What wonderful word that we should pray every morning that Christ is dwelling in our hearts every day!

On New Years Eve we got to feed all the village children a meal as a big celebration of the new year. What a great blessing to get to feed God's children that get a meal like this maybe once a year. The music was blaring and we were dancing. At one point I had about 5 little ones in a circle with me just having our own little dance party. After the children ate our bible team put on a fun skit for the children and we sang songs with them. Once we were done we had one big dance party and conga line. We had so much fun with those children. That evening after dinner Christie, George and their family came in this big room with us and we had the guitar playing and worshiped through song. One of my many favorite moments of the trip ending the year of 2012 worshiping God with new friends that had became family. I could not help but smile at this moment. After worshiping we made the nice bumpy tred down the road in the dark to the building where we were sleeping.

Now I have not mentioned our sleeping arrangements. Well it was in a building that was not quite finished with several rooms. It consisted of our matrices on the floor with mosquito nets hung above the beds rigged up by non other than jump ropes. Our bathroom was a outhouse with little stalls with wholes in the ground what we call "squatty potties" where if you were to go at night you had to take a flashlight and make sure to watch out for the big huge dangerous whole in the ground because if you fell in it would not be good. Oh did I mention we had no showers? Also there wasn't enough beds or nets so a few of us girls shared twin beds. In our little room we had 4 matrices 3 mosquito nest, and 6 girls. Yes Merrill and I shared a bed and we didn't even know each other was there while we slept. I say all this to say that no on our team minded these conditions and that we didn't compliance and we actually enjoyed living this village life to live how they live. I would not trade that experience and do it any other way!

On New Years Day our last day was a emotional hard one. I was just emotional this day after talking with Carol about some of the kids I missed from my first trip to Africa over breakfast I just started crying and couldn't stop. After I calmed down and laughed and cried with some of the other girls on how we were going to miss this village and the people. We then started through the village on a nice beautiful walk and stopped at several homes heard their heart breaking stories and how they were doing now as a team at each house we stopped at we surrounded them laid our hands on them prayed for them and lifted them up to God. Such a beautiful moment when as a team you can lay your hands on them and just pray for them. One of the house we stopped at was a woman who has taken in some orphans but can not afford to take care of them so to help with money she brews alcohol and sells it on her porch which is not good for the children because of the environment and the men that come to drink are around these vulnerable little children. While we were standing around one young girl was eating some corn off the ear and put some in front of me to eat and share. Needles to say I busted into tears picked them up took her hand put them back in hers and told her she should eat them then with a big smile she did.

After going through the village Christie drove some of us to a watering hole where some people get their water if they can not walk to the center of the village where there is a water pump to get clean water. It was so heart breaking to see the dirty water that they will get to try to boil to drink but even when you boil it, it is not clean enough to drink. While we were at the water source there was some children gathering water to take home. It was so sad. Right now Ekabo is trying to get the money to build at least 2 more water bore holes so there is better access for the people in their village to get clean water. Contact me if you would be willing to help make that happen!