A Day With UNICEF

   Yesterday was an amazing day. I got to be apart of all the work that Unicef is doing in Uganda. I have a close friend who is the director of Unicef's supply. So I got to be with her and watch all that goes on. In the beginning of the day I sat in a meeting with a few of the directors. I listened to how they worked out problems they were having and I watched as they figured out even more ways of helping the children in Uganda. It was just a great opportunity to be able to sit in and listen to all that goes on in Unicef. 

   After the meeting was over, I went to lunch with a few of the people. We again talked about different elements of Unicef's help in Africa. They also asked me about my work in Tororo. It was so cool to be able to discuss with them all that I have been doing at Smile Africa. They seemed very interested and pleased with all the work that has been done. 

   We then went to an innovation lab where they designed the Digital Drum, which has been recognized  by Time Magazine as the one of the top 50 best inventions of 2011. This Digital Drum allows for children to have internet access in schools and youth centers in rural areas. The picture below is the first generation prototype of the Digital Drum made out of a oil drum. 

   It was such an honor that I was invited to go visit all their warehouses. I had a great time. I learned so much by just listening to what they were saying. I will be traveling with Shanelle and the UNICEF team all day today and tomorrow. I never thought that my trip in Uganda would include a visit to refugee camps with UNICEF. This is going to be so awesome. 

"Thank you Jesus for this opportunity! I am so excited to be with Shanelle and the team. Thank you for continuing to grow me. I pray that you will keep us safe in our travels. I love you! Amen."

A Call To Action

   I want to thank you all so much for reading my blog and going on this journey with me, and it's still not over yet. It has been an exciting journey, with both hard and joyful moments. By you reading my blog it is as if you too are touching the lives of these children. I am so grateful that you all take time out of your busy day to read my blog and be apart of what God is doing in Uganda...but now...its time to do something. 

THIS IS A CALL TO ACTION!

   You have read and even seen the struggles that face Smile Africa and the children there. What God is doing in Smile Africa is so amazing and I believe that there is even more that can be done. I have talked to you all about the babies. Right now we have 5 babies...Ruth, Eric, Joshua, Moses, and Caleb. All 5 of these babies and 2 teachers stay in one room that is attached to our clinic. WE NEED MORE SPACE!

   God has put it on my heart to build a baby home. I believe that we can do this. Can I do this by myself? NO! I need your help. By building this baby home it will allow Smile Africa to register as an approved babies home, which will allow them to care for more babies. Right now, we have reached our limit in the small room that we use. The day we picked up baby Caleb from the police, they told us that there were 4 more babies that had been abandoned or abused and needed a place to go. WE HAD TO WALK AWAY FROM THEM! We did not have the space, so we could not take them. That was the most heart breaking thing that I have ever had to do!

   If we had a babies home, we would not have to walk away from babies that need us. There are babies even now that are waiting to be placed in a home where they can be looked after and loved. Will you please help me? I am asking you to give what you can. 

   To build this home it will cost $15,600. That means that if 312 people give $50...THE BABY HOME IS BUILT. For one person, that is a lot of money, but if we all work together, then we can do this. Please go to www.smileafrica.org. There you can donate whatever is on your heart to give, as well as read more about the baby home and Smile Africa. I believe that we can do this. I have faith in us as a family to raise this money. Let's all give what we can and watch what God does. If you want to see the world change, then you need to BE THE CHANGE that you want to see. 

   Will you help me give abandoned and abused babies a new chance at life? Will you be the hands and feet of Jesus? Will you help me change the world?

www.smileafrica.org

   

The Inspection

   Yesterday was a very long day. I was at Smile Africa from 9am to 6:30pm. Pastor Ruth told me that people were coming to inspect Smile Africa and my work in the babies room. I wanted to make sure that everything was in the best shape possible when they arrived. I got to Smile Africa early and I went straight to the babies’ room. When I entered the room I found one of the girls that worked there, mopping the floor. I was happy to see that they were already starting to clean the room. This girl was cleaning the floor with such detail so I asked,

“You must have heard the news about the inspection?”

   She laughed, nodded her head and continued mopping. I too got down on my knees and started scrubbing the mats to make sure that everything looked crisp and clean. I even arranged all the toys to line up. Everything looked so orderly. Then to make it even better, when the people arrived to inspect, all the babies were asleep in their cribs. Well, all the babies except Caleb, who was strapped to my back.

   As they walked through Smile Africa they wrote down things that we need to improve on and things that we did well. I walked with them through Smile Africa and listened to the comments that they made. Then they finally made their way to the babies room. I was nervous at what they were going to say. They looked around the room…and no one said a word. They wrote things down and they walked out. I was worried. I was wondering why they didn’t say something. Then once we went outside the room, one of them said,

“That room is very well done! That has to be one of the best, and most well done elements of Smile Africa. I am very impressed with this room.”

   I was so excited! I was happy to hear that the thing that I have been working really hard on, was a success. After our meeting, they thanked us for all our hard work as a team at Smile Africa. They also said they look forward to seeing what else we are going to be doing at Smile. I shared with them some things that I was thinking for our babies. I told them that I wanted to build a babies home and I told them where it would be and how it would look. They gave me their permission to continue my work in that area and told me that they looked forward to seeing the final product.

   It was a long day, but it was worth it. We all learned a lot that we could improve on, but we also got more motivated to making Smile Africa even bigger. This was a hard, but exciting day.

“Thank you Jesus for allowing the inspectors to come. Thank you for opening their eyes to the work that we are doing at Smile Africa. I pray that we will take the suggestions and advise and make Smile Africa even better. I pray God that you will continue to help Smile Africa and make it grow even bigger. I love you! Amen.” 

A Family Dinner

   As I was walking to Smile Africa yesterday morning, I was listening to music and praying. I always feel better when I pray to start my day. I want to invite God to guide my each step as I walk through the day. As I arrived at Smile Africa I got the best welcome from Caleb. My sweet boy is getting stronger and stronger. Although he can't run, he really tries and it's the cutest thing to watch. As I was hugging Caleb I walked to the office. I said hello to all the teachers and the staff and I began walking back to the babies room. As I was walking away, Michael invited me to his home for dinner. His mother was in town and so they were going to have a big dinner with her. I gratefully accepted his offer.

   Once I got back to the babies room with Caleb, I helped feed some of the other babeies. Before I knew it, it was 12:30pm. That is the time that I usually go and get Caleb's lunch for him. As I walked out of the door, Caleb began to cry. I realized that I was not going anywhere without him today. So I picked him and he went to get his food together. This boy was holding onto me so tightly. I let go of him and he was still holding on! I got his food and we went back to the babies room. I took of his clothes, to avoid mess, and sat him on the mat. I usually just give him a spoon and he feeds himself, but this time I decided to feed my baby. 

   Once lunch was over I bathed him, brushed his teeth, and put him in his crib. That used to be a big challenge. I needed to train them all to just lay quietly in their cribs until they fell asleep. We are only going to get more babies, so we can't hold everyone until they fall asleep. Caleb got pretty good at that. So I put him in his crib, sang him a song, and began cleaning the babies room. 

   Finally it was time to go. I walked with Michael and his mother back to his home to get ready for the dinner. I was babysitting Michael's son so the mom could finish getting ready. It was so much being there with everyone. I have made so many friends in Tororo and I love spending time with them.

   Once the dinner was over everyone shared stories of how they met their spouse and funny stories while they were in college. I sat there and listened to everyone and enjoyed my time with my family and friends. It's times like these that I totally forget that I haven't lived here my whole life. If you ask them, they have known me since I was just a kid! Well, that's how they make me feel.

"Thank you Jesus for family and friends. Thank you for the love that I got to experience today. Thank you for always showing up and being apart of every discussion here. Thank you for the innocence and the purity that is around every conversation that is had. I pray God that you will bless my family and friends here in Tororo. Keep them all safe. I love you! Amen."

Swim Day

   Yesterday morning I was in the babies room. I spent the whole morning changing diapers and playing with little Caleb. I was trying to teach him to share. It is the hardest thing that Caleb is learning. He gets so frustrated when he can't have all the toys in the room, so I was trying teach him to share. Although it was not a pretty scene, we got through it and we made a little progress. That progress being, when I gave a toy to another child in the room, he didn't scream. PROGRESS!!

   After that, Pastor Ruth finally came to Smile Africa to have a few meetings. I sat with her in the office for those meetings and helped speed things along. One of those meetings we had to have was dismissing the worker that was flirting with 16 year old girl. That was a pretty hard meeting to get through. It made everyone upset. We did not want to let this man go, but our first priority is the safety of the children. So we said good-bye to him.

   The room was very quite after that meeting. Then Pastor Ruth said, "Maybe we should go swimming today instead of next week?" It was a great idea! We called a friend to come pick us up and I took my children to go swimming. They were so excited. Bogere and Betty had never been in a pool before. When I put their new swimsuits on them there eyes got big, they were so excited! They could hardly wait to get inside that pool. 

   When Bogere got inside the pool he just started laughing. I have never heard him laugh so hard! Then he said, " I've never seen so much water!" It was so cute. I was attempting to teach them how to swim. They both could not believe what happening. I carried them across the pool as they laughed. It was so much fun. Their reactions totally made my day. I put Bogere on my back and I swam with him holding on tight to my back. My little boy held on tightly as I took him through the water. We had the best time together. Pastor Ruth took pictures of us playing in the pool and she just laughed at these children and their reaction to everything that was happening. It was wonderful to have some time with Bogere. I had missed him all weekend. So we got to have some one on one swimming time together. It was perfect.

   Once our pool time was over, the adults packed the bags up and got ready to leave. When I looked, Betty and Bogere were playing on the swing set. I just looked at them and smiled as they talked to each other and laughed. They were so happy. I was so glad that I could give them a great day like this, they deserved it. I have never seen such big smiles on these children. They whole way back to Smile Africa they were smiling and telling each other about what just happened. I love Betty and Bogere so much. 

"Thank you Jesus for this wonderful day with my children! Thank you for all the fun that we had! I pray that we will continue to have great days together. Thank you for all that you are doing in the lives of my children. I love you! Amen."

Count It As Pure Joy

   Yesterday I was too weak to do anything, so I had to stay at the hotel and rest. The night before I was very sick. I was throwing up all night and I felt terrible. So I wasn't able to go to church. I stayed at the hotel so that I could feel better.

   I really miss Bogere. I didn't see him on Friday because he went to the clinic and Saturday and Sunday I didn't go to Smile. I am really missing that boy. I thought about him a lot yesterday. I was just praying that I would feel better so that I could see him today. I know that he will be at Smile, so I'm looking forward to hugging him.

   While I was at the hotel, getting better, I spent time with Jesus. When I am not feeling well, time with Jesus makes me feel better. It makes me feel like I am not alone. My devotional said,

"When your mind is occupied with thanking Me,  you have no time for worrying or complaining. If you practice thankfulness consistently, negative thought patterns will gradually grow weaker and weaker. Draw near to Me with a grateful heart, and My Presence will fill you with Joy and Peace."

   In the midst of worrying and stressing about the situations facing me, I forgot to thank God for all the good things that were happening. Which is normal, I'm far from perfect, but if I had kept my eyes on Jesus, then the problems surrounding me would not have looked so big. I am even supposed to rejoice with the bad things that are happening. That might be pushing it! While I was thinking about all that I was going to have to do to handle some of the negative situations, I remembered that in God's word it says to rejoice and give thanks even in the bad times. I am supposed to count it as joy. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." James 1:2-3

   So I stopped worrying for a second and I thanked God for all that was troubling me. Can I just tell you...that was not easy! You know when you're taking medicine that you know is good for you, but it taste terrible? So it's hard to swallow and you make a bitter face? Well that is how it felt. I'm just being honest. Thanking God for my stress was not my idea of a good time. But I did it anyway, and I felt so much better. God took the load off me. Not only that, it gave me room to grow in my faith with Him. 

   I have learned so much being here in Tororo. I have never felt closer to God. That doesn't mean that you need to come to Tororo to feel close to God. It means that wherever you are, wherever God has you, thank him for ever trial that you face. Something that I learned from Chris Caine is...the God that was faithful then, is the same God that is faithful now. When you are having a problem with your children, God will be faithful. Remember when you didn't have children and you prayed for them and God was faithful then? Well that same God who gave you these children, will be faithful now! Trust Him!

"Thank you Jesus for always bringing my attention back to you, no matter the circumstance. Thank you for helping me get closer and closer to you. I pray that I will continue to have this same attitude toward the trials that come my way. I love you! Amen."

Discouragement

   Throughout my stay here in Tororo, I have stayed very strong. Of course there have been moments when things were very hard. I had moment of heart break and anger, but I have not been discouraged...until yesterday. Somethings that happen in life are out of our control. You can try to do everything that you know how to do to fix something, but that still may not work. That is when you are not to be discouraged, but you should call on God. 

   I did not go to Smile Africa yesterday. I started off my day with trying to help a young girl. Pastor Ruth and I were trying our best to help this girl not destroy her life, but no matter what we said, it went in one ear and out the other. This 19 year old girl has a 2 month old baby. The decisions that she makes don't just affect her anymore, so it was urgent that we try and save this girl's life, so that we can also save the life of the innocent baby.

   It can be so annoying when you are trying to help someone, but they refuse your help and chose to hurt themselves. The longer the conversation went on, the more frustrated I became. I had said all that I could possibly say and it seem to do nothing. Pastor Ruth looked me with annoyance as well. Finally, the meeting was over.

   Then we also learned that a worker at Smile Africa was doing what he wasn't supposed to be doing. This 26 year old man was flirting with one of our girls that stay at Smile who is 16 years old. I am so proud of this girl for telling me and Pastor Ruth. I told her over and over again how proud I was of her. It was important that she tell us something like that. This man is supposed to be protecting and counseling the teenagers at Smile, not fall in love with them. Pastor Ruth and I thanked this girl a lot and sent her back to Smile. We were going to handle this situation on Monday. 

   After that, I felt discouraged. If anyone were to ask me who the best Ugandan worker was at Smile Africa, I would have said it was that man. I trusted him so much. So I felt a little betrayed and hurt. Both of these situations made me feel discouraged. Then to top it off, I was throwing up all last night. I felt terrible and alone. I just wondered where God was in all of this. Then I took every thought captive and I prayed. When things don't make sense, when life seems unfair, and you can't find God in a situation...PRAY! You might not find all the answers, but you'll find peace.

   I prayed and prayed and God filled my heart with encouragement and peace. I just love God! I know that no matter what situation that I am faced with, God will give me the strength I need to overcome it. 

"Thank you Jesus for filing my heart with joy and peace. I pray that I will handle each situation that is thrown at me with grace and wisdom. Thank you for giving me strength to overcome each obstacle. I love you. Amen"

Betty and Caleb

   I arrived early to Smile Africa yesterday. I had finished everything I needed to in the morning, so I just decided to walk over to Smile early. On my way I stopped at the store so that I could pick up some more diapers and formula for the babies. Since I was walking I couldn't take a lot, so I just grabbed 2 bags of diapers and 1 can of formula. I am going to have to bring a little each day.

   When I arrived at Smile I went straight into the babies room to deliver the diapers and the formula. While I was putting the stuff away, I realized that they had 3 people working in the babies room. They were not going to need my help much today. I didn't see Caleb in the room so I just went out to the field where the rest of the children were. While I was walking I heard a small squeaking scream and giggle. When I looked back, there was Caleb.

   Caleb ran to me while laughing and then threw himself at me. I picked him and held him. I love this boy so much. I had groceries in my hand for the office, so I carried Caleb with me as we took the groceries to the office. While I was putting the groceries away, Betty came running in the office. My little girl ran and threw her arms around my waist. 

   I was not going to be seeing Bogere today. It was the day that all the kids with HIV go to the clinic to make sure that they are healthy. This usually takes all day, so I was not going to be seeing him at all. So, I spent the whole day with Betty and Caleb. The 2 of them followed me everywhere as I ran around Smile working on things. Wherever I was, Betty and Caleb were shortly following.

   The whole day I just kept thinking how blessed I am. I get to spend everyday with over 400 children. I love children...so this is the best thing ever. When I get to Smile everyday, most of them greet me and all of them know my name. I could not ask for anything better. 

"Thank you Jesus for all 400 of these children. Thank you for loving them and protecting them. Thank you for getting them all to Smile Africa in the mornings. I am so blessed by these children. Thank you for teaching me something new everyday. I love you! Amen."

My African Thanksgiving

   Since yesterday was Thanksgiving, I decided to take the day off. No one else celebrates the holiday, but I took the day off regardless. I stayed at the hotel in the beginning of the day to rest a little bit and work on some paper work that I needed to finish. I was really counting down the hours until 3pm.

   There are a few American families that live here in Tororo. They all decided that they were going to have Thanksgiving and they invited me. I was so excited. Although I'm not close to home, it was nice celebrating with everyone. I walked over to Rachelle and Jesse's house. They have become really good friends...family even, like my brother and sister. When I arrived at their house I was helping get the children in the car and all the food that Rachelle had made. Once all the food was in the car and everyone was ready, we left.

   We made this Thanksgiving as close to America's Thanksgiving as possible. We had turkey, stuffing, corn, potatoes, and pumpkin pie. It was all I hoped it would be and more. When I walked in the house all the smells made it feel like home. I was so happy to be there. After we set everything out and it was all ready, we prayed and everyone began to eat.

   All these families will never know how much it meant to me to be with them on Thanksgiving...well unless they ready my blog. They all treated me like they had known me their whole lives. I am so grateful for them and that I got to spend this holiday with my new family. We all talked and laughed and played around with each other. It was perfect. The only difference in our Thanksgiving and the one my family had in America, is that we had to purchase a live turkey and then kill it. There is no prepared and frozen turkey just ready for us to stuff and cook. This is how we American Africans do it!

Yes, that's a giant turkey leg!

           

 "Thank you Jesus for allowing me to celebrate Thanksgiving in Africa. It was so much fun. This just proves to me that you even care about the little things. Thank you for my American friends who made me feel like family. I am so grateful for them and their amazing friendship! I love you! Amen."

The Talk

   As I walked to Smile Africa yesterday morning, I prayed. I prayed for Betty, Bogere, and Caleb. I was asking God to give me the words to say to them when I leave. I didn't want it to be a sad thing, but I knew that everyone's heart was going to break. I needed to tell Bogere that I was leaving soon. I have told Betty already because she is older and understands. She also speaks better english, so it was easy for me to just tell her. The longer I waited to tell Bogere, the more unfair it was to him. When Pastor Ruth arrived at Smile, then I brought the kids in the office to have the talk.

   At first I was just helping to cut some fruit to give to my kids in the morning. I gave them the fruit and helped make lunch for Ruth and myself. While I was doing that, Ruth had a few quick meetings that she had to attend. Finally the lunch preparations were over and the meetings had finished. Mama Ruth looked at me...it was time.

   I put Bogere on my lap, said a quick prayer in my head and started speaking. Although Bogere and I can communicate, I needed Pastor Ruth's help to translate all that I was saying. I haven't not mastered Swahili yet and I needed Bogere to hear EVERYTHING that I was saying. I knew that if I made the conversation sad and serious, then that was how Bogere was going to take it. I needed the conversation to be light hearted. So this is what I said,

"Bogere, I am leaving Smile Africa in 3 weeks. I have to go back to America so that I can finish school and see my family. But I am going to come back and visit you. I promise! You are a good boy and you haven't done anything wrong. You are going to start school in February and so am I! So we will both be doing school and then when we finish, I will come visit you. While I am back in America I will call you sometimes too. You be a good boy and listen to the teachers, okay?"

   That is the basics of what I said. That isn't word for word, but it went something like that. After I said a sentence, Pastor Ruth translated it for me. Just to make sure that Bogere understood everything. I watched his face as Ruth told him what was going on. Bogere fought back tears. He blinked really fast, hoping that tears would not fall. I looked at his chest and watched his heart beat faster and faster. My heart was breaking. This was really hard. I did not want to do this. When Ruth finished explaining to him the situation, I hugged him tightly and he rested his head on my shoulder. Then I looked at Ruth. I didn't know who was going to cry first, Bogere or Ruth. 

"Jesus, thank you for the strength to talk to Bogere without crying. Thank you for keeping me strong. I pray God that my last 3 weeks here will be great. Please protect Bogere's little heart. Keep him strong. I know that it will be hard for both of us. So please, keep both of us strong. I love you. Amen."

Growing Babies

   Yesterday was a great day! I walked to Smile Africa while listening to music. When I arrived, Betty saw me and came running! As she jumped in my arms, I swung her around. I love getting those kind of greetings first thing in the morning. We walked to the office and I put my stuff down and walked back outside to find Bogere. When I looked around I finally saw him. When his eyes met mine, he jumped up and ran over to me and I picked him up and hugged him. It was a wonderful way to start the day.

   They both stayed with me in the office for a minute while I put some files away and I made lunch for all of us. They were being so good today. It was wonderful. I was really praying that they would be good so that we could just have a happy day together. I brought them some chips from the store and they loved them. When they both opened their bag, they each shared some with me. It was so nice. Did I want their chips? No. But the thought of giving some back, the thought of sharing, was amazing. They thought about it all by themselves. I was very proud of them.

   After we had our snack, we went to the babies room. I loved seeing my babies. Caleb ran over to me and gave me the biggest hug ever. While I was holding him I looked at the floor and saw the 4 babies laying there, playing with the toys. They were all laughing and making noises. It was very cute.

   My babies are getting so big. In the 3 months that I have been here, they have all gotten healthier and stronger. Bogere now loves to play in the babies room with the babies. He will take the play phones and put them to the babies ear and play music for them. My boy has become such a great big brother to all these little babies. It is so amazing to watch all these children grow.

"Thank you Jesus for healing and protecting all these babies. Thank you for a wonderful day at Smile. Thank you for your love. I pray that you will protect these children as they grow. I pray that they will have a strong relationship with you. I love you. Amen."

Breaking and Entering

   Yestesterday, Pastor Ruth and I walked to Smile Africa. On the way, we stopped to get some veggies for lunch. The walks are gettting easier and easier for her, so I am very proud of her. I love walking with her. We tell each other stories about everything and we laugh practically the whole way.

   One of the things that we were talking about was how I was going to discipline Betty and Bogere. I hate having those conversations. Just the day before they had acted in a rude way. I got them some treats because they did a great job helping me pass out the bracelets for the women. When I got them their treats and it was time to walk back to church, they both threw a fit. Bogere refused to walk, so I had to carry him. Neither one of them said thank you. Then once we got to church, Bogere ran away. He hid behind the building and cried and threw a tantrum. That kind of behavior is unacceptable. So I was explaining to Pastor Ruth what happened. Then I came to the conclusion that because they acted that way, I would not take them to town for a whole week.

   When we got to Smile Africa, I told them their punishment and they understand. It really stinks because I love taking them to town too. So it's really a punishment for the 3 of us! I am really hoping that they can behave this week so we can go have fun!

   Once we were finished at Smile, Mama Ruth and I started to walk back to her house. It was a day of exercise. Pastor Ruth had a meeting to go to so I continued on to my hotel. Just 2 hours later, Ruth called me asking me if we could go to the gym. So I quickly got ready and ran out of the hotel. I ran to the gym to meet Ruth. It was pouring rain! I love rain, so running in the ran was pretty much the best thing ever!

   We finally met at the gym. It was completely empty. Rain pouring down and no one was there. Ruth said,

"Where is everybody? It's strangely quite."

I said, "The rapture happened...dang it, we missed it!"

   Ruth and I just laughed. Then I convinced her to break in with me. So...she did! It was the most hilarious thing! We managed to get into the room with a few machines for us to work out. We could barely work out because we were laughing too hard at the fact that we just busted into the gym. Since the door was now open, other people came to work out as well. Oh good times! I could not believe that she did that with me! It was a very eventful day!

"Thank you Jesus for a fun rainy day! I pray that you will help my children behave. I pray that we will all enjoy our time together and you will continue to work in the hearts of my children. I love you so much! Amen"
 

You're Beautiful

   I woke up very early yesterday. I needed to get to church early so I could give the women something as they walked in the door. When my mom came to visit me, she brought bracelets for the women. The bracelets say "BEAUTIFUL". All the women were supposed to get them during the GodChicks Conference Tororo, but the suitcase did not arrive with the plane like it was supposed to. So, I handed them out yesterday.

   As each women walked in the door I handed them this bracelet. At first they were very confused as to why I was giving the a gift for no reason. They looked at me as if I was going to tell them to give me some amount of money for it. When they realized that I did not want any money, that I was just giving it to them, they were confused. When they read the word "BEAUTIFUL" on the bracelet, they smiled. It was so amazing to see so many women be told that they are beautiful for the first time. Every single woman put the bracelet on right away and they kept it on the whole day. All women, young and old, walked proudly yesterday...knowing that they are beautiful. 

   While I was passing out the bracelets, Bogere and Betty came running to me. It was great to see them. Betty was very excited to show me her new dress. She looked beautiful. The 2 of them watched as I was handing out these bracelets and telling these women that they were beautiful. Betty asked if she could help. So I handed her a handful of bracelets and she would run up to the women, tell them they were beautiful, hand them a bracelet, and run back. Bogere then asked me if he could help too. Within minutes both Betty and Bogere were handing out bracelets and telling the women that they were beautiful. I was so proud of them.

   Betty was doing a great job and it was so great to see her helping. When I saw Bogere running up to the women to tell them they were beautiful, it did something in my heart. This boy has truly come a long way. To see him caring about someone else was so touching to me. Bogere has been watching me care for and love other people for 3 months now. After watching me, now Bogere wants to care for people too. I could hardly believe my eyes. The only thing that I was thinking was, 

"My God is so good." 

   I just smiled at the sight of my kids running around with "BEAUTIFUL" bracelets for the women. Then I laughed at the enemy. Bogere was sexually abused, beaten by his parents, HIV+, was starving for food, watched his mother beaten to death...and now look at him. That same boy is smiling, knows God loves him, says 'please and thank you', and is telling women that they are beautiful. WOW! God must have great plans for Bogere if the enemy is trying to destroy him in every way possible. My God is bigger than any attack of the enemy! Praise God for his unfailing love! Bogere was never forgotten!

Grasshoppers

   Yesterday morning Pastor Ruth and I walked to Smile Africa. I was really anxious to see my kids. I had really missed them while I was gone, so I could hardly wait to hug each of them. As I walked into Smile my eyes were searching for my kids. Ruth and I started to walk into the office with some grocery bags. I heard my name being screamed. I looked and it was Betty. She was running to me as fast as she could. Betty ran and jumped into my arms. I swung her around and held onto her tightly. That was an amazing greeting.

   We all walked into the office and I helped get the groceries out of the bag. I was told that Bogere was not the the best kid in the world just the day before I arrived back in Tororo. Apparently Bogere and a friend decided to sneak out of Smile Africa and go into town. They were gone the whole day. My heart just about stopped beating. That really scared me. That boy knew better. That would explain why he did not want to come and greet me when I arrived. Bogere knew that he was going to be in trouble.

  I was going to have to talk to him about that. It is very dangerous for him to be running around by himself. Not only because it is against the rules of Smile Africa, but also because the people in town see him with ME all the time. They think that Bogere is my son, like I have adopted him. If they think that, then there is a good chance that they would want to kidnap him and try to get money from his WHITE AMERICAN mother. That being said, I needed to have a serious talk with him.

   Once I talked to him about not leaving and I explained why, he seemed to understand. Bogere apologized me and to Pastor Ruth for leaving. By him apologizing you can tell that he has come a long way. That alone, used to be a battle.

   When we left Smile Africa, Pastor Ruth saw a guy selling grasshoppers. Yes, that's right, grasshoppers...for eating! I could not believe what I was seeing. Ruth purchased a bag of them and handed a few to Baby Esther and then she ate some herself. It was so gross. I watched as her and baby Esther just ate these grasshoppers one by one. I just about threw up. Then to make matters worse, she put her hand out to me. I thought,

"You must be joking!"

   There was no way that I was going to eat a grasshopper. I try all kinds of different foods and traditions here in Africa...but this might be pushing it! My face says it all...

"Thank you Jesus for allowing me to have an open mind to new things! Thank you for Betty and Bogere. I thank you so much for keeping Bogere safe. I pray God that you will continue to be with them in my last few weeks here in Tororo. I love you! Amen."

A Few Days with Marilyn

   I loved spending time with Gary and Marilyn Skinner for the past couple of days. They are like my second parents so it was good to have some time with them. No matter what day it is or what is going on, Marilyn always has something amazing to say, something life changing or something that makes you think for the next few hours. I love it.

   It was good to come to her and run all my ideas and thoughts past her first. Gary and Marilyn have been running Watoto Childcare Ministries for the past 28 years I think. They know a thing or 2 about how to run a children's home and a baby's home. So I was talking to Marilyn about all that I was thinking and planning. As I ran my ideas by her, she told me what she thought and gave me a lot of encouragement. One thing she said to me, I will never forget.

"Paris, don't leave a memorial to yourself, leave a legacy. You have to train them to run the babies room like you did, that will leave a legacy. If you don't empower them, then you will just leave a memorial to yourself, and that will soon fade away. "

   I thought about that statement for hours after Marilyn said that. She told me that there is a fine line between leaving a memorial to yourself and leaving a legacy. But it was important that I knew the difference. That was just a statement she made in passing. We weren't even having a serious conversation. Those were the kind of words that I was hearing the past couple days. It was life changing.

   I had been wondering on how I was going to leave with a smooth transition. I need to make sure that everyone in the babies room has been empowered and ready to serve with a level of excellence that is needed in that room. I know that I can do that. Now that I have spent that time with Marilyn, I'm motivated to do that.

   I just came back to Tororo yesterday. Sadly, the journey was not as smooth as I would have hoped. The journey was long, especially since I was sitting on a metal pole for 5 hours in a taxi...good times! Then, to make matters worse, my camera was stolen. I was so upset! After I cried for a few minutes, I calmed down and prayed. I prayed that whoever stole my camera would use the money to take care of their family, their children. Let me just tell you, I NEVER would have done that in the past. I don't know what's come over me...like this weird sense of maturity or something. Haha!

"Thank you Jesus for allowing me to have time to be filled up! Thank for giving me the ears to hear all the advise that Marilyn had for me. I loved my time with her. I pray that I will do well training these women in the babies room! I love you! Amen."

Watoto Concert

   Yesterday was a great day. I had the opportunity to have a lot of time with Jesus. When I am in Tororo, there can be a lot going on, a lot of distractions, so it was nice to literally just spend the whole day with Jesus. It is so important to have quiet time your Creator, quality time.

   After my quiet time with Jesus, then I just relaxed a little bit and got ready to go to a recording of Watoto Child Care Ministries. When I arrived, the stage was beautiful. There were lights and African decorations everywhere. It was just perfect.

   Finally the concert began. Everyone cheered as the stage filled up with orphans who have given their lives to Jesus. I have never seen a group of people more grateful and more sold out for Jesus. It was so amazing. As the children sang you could just feel the presence of God all over the room.

   I have been coming to Watoto since I was 15 years old. It still amazes me every time. These children have lost everything, EVERYTHING. Yet, here they are singing and worshipping God for the new life that Watoto has given them, that God has give them. I looked on the stage and I saw children who were former child soldiers giving the glory to God for bringing them out and giving them a new chance at life. When I was 15, I really could learn something from these children, who were my age. Now, as an adult, I still learn from them. What excuse do I have to not worship my God? I see what these children have been through and here they are, singing and dancing for Jesus. As adults, we can learn a thing or 2 from these children.

   There have been times in my own life when I didn't see a reason to worship God. It could have been something really bad, however, that is still no excuse to not give God all the praise. I have been hurt and I have even felt like God was listening to me or didn't care about me. Is that true? NO! But sometimes, we feel that way. In midst of the hurt, worshipping the God who I thought hurt me, was not my idea of a good time. Watching these children, I have learned a different way to handle a tough situations.

"Thank you Jesus for allowing me to watch your children sing praises to you. Thank you for allowing me to learn something important from these children. I pray God that you will keep me safe on my travels back to Tororo today. I love you! Amen."
 

A Slap in the Face

"Approach problems with a light touch. When your mind moves toward a problem area, you tend to focus on that situation so intensely that you lose sight of Me. You put yourself against the difficulty as if you had to conquer it immediately. Your mind gears up for battle, and your body becomes tense and anxious. Unless you achieve total victory, you feel defeated." - Jesus Calling Devotional.

   How many times have I mentioned gearing up for battle? Like at least 100 times. This is God slapping me in the face. He likes to do that I'm noticing. When I see a problem coming or a situation that I know is going to be hard, I gear up. I get tense and my mind immediately focuses on how I am going to over come it. Which is not the correct way to respond. Approaching a problem lightly is not something that is in my instinct. I see a problem and I charge at it head on, with all I've got. Then I wonder why I'm exhausted at the end of it. 

   You'd think I would have learned by now that I should walk lightly, knowing that MY GOD will fight this battle by my side. That means that the battle has already been won. Sometimes I go about problems as if God is on the sidelines watching. I feel as if God has equipped me and now I'm supposed to fight, just me and the enemy. Where did I get this from? It's definitely not in the Bible. 

"There is a better way. When a problem starts to overshadow your thoughts, bring this matter to Me. Talk with me about it and look at it in the Light of My Presence. This puts much needed space between you and your concern...You will always face trouble in this life. But more importantly, you will always have Me with you, helping you to handle whatever you encounter."-Jesus Calling Devotional

   It's true, God has equipped me to fight this battle, but not alone. I have been trained and equipped to fight side by side with my Creator. That brings so much peace to scary situations. He did not create us to fight alone. We were meant to be united, to fight together. 

   I've been told many times by my parents, " Pick your battles wisely." In other words, I don't have to fight or get to the bottom of very situation. That is exhausting and unnecessary. Knowing which battles to fight can be tough. But when I am close to God, looking to Him, side by side, only then will the decision to fight or turn the other cheek be obvious. 

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

John 16:33

   

My Last Month

   On my journey to Kampala yesterday, I thought about my last month here. It’s hard to imagine that all this time has gone by so quickly and I only have 1 month left. So much has happened during my time here, good and bad. While riding in the taxi I thought about Bogere, Betty, and Caleb. I thought about how sad it was going to be for all of us when I have to say good-bye. The 3 of us have been through so much together. We have become a family and now I have to leave. This is not going to be easy.

   I always felt like I had a lot of time, but then when I realized how quickly the first few months went by, the time seemed short. Just 1 month left. There is still so much that I feel like I need to accomplish while I'm here.

   When I look into Bogere's eyes I see so much hope that I didn't see before. I know that he is going to grow up to do amazing things. From the day I met him in June and looking at him now, it doesn't even look like the same boy. We have overcome a lot...together. We have a unique bond, a bond that I could never have with anyone else. When I come back from Kampala I am going to have to have a conversation with Bogere. I need to tell him that I am going home soon. I am just praying that God gives me the right words to say. I know that he wants to go with me. If I could take him, I would, but I can't. 

   After the conversation that I have with him, I wonder how he will act. I am just going to trust God and know that God has everything under control. I know I shouldn't think about the day I leave, but I can't help myself. I think about that day and how hard it is going to be for Bogere and myself. I cannot cry. I need to be strong. 

   My heart also belongs to Caleb and Betty. Caleb is still very young, so he will be fine a few weeks after I leave. I will miss him more than he misses me. Which is good. I don't want him to be hurting. Betty is older though. She will remember everything. I just pray that she will be happy and know that I will be back to visit them.

   This blog might sound like a bunch of worries or concerns. But I am just being honest with you, my family. I know that worry does not do anyone any bit of good. I also know that I need to trust God, and I do. I'm just being human with you for a minute. I'm just being real. I'm not perfect, I'm just a 21 year old girl who loves those children very much. I'm going to miss them. That being said, I have to make every minute of my last month with them count! 

"Thank you Jesus for my last month in Tororo Uganda. I pray that you will use me in this time like You never have before. I pray that I will make a difference. Thank you for all that you are doing in the lives of Bogere, Betty, and Caleb. I love you! Amen."

Nonstop Day

   I'm writing my blog early this time. I am leaving early in the morning for Kampala, so I needed to write my blog tonight instead of in the morning.

   Today was an eventful day and I didn't even get to spend much time at Smile Africa. The team that has been here for the past 2 weeks, went home today. I had made some good friends on that team so it was sad to see them go. Before they left I did some last minute shopping with one of the women from the team. She wanted to buy some presents for her sponsor children that I could take to them. It was fun shopping with her. This lady also decided that she wanted me to be her daughter. I was told that she only had 2 sons and she really wanted a daughter. 

"You are the daughter that I never had!"

    I was happy to have another mother. God has truly blessed me with so much family while I have been out here. I have parents everywhere I go, which I am sure that my REAL parents are happy about.

   After shopping, I said good-bye to the team, then I walked to Smile with a bag of gifts for the sponsor children. They were so excited to get their presents! I was only at Smile Africa for maybe 15 minutes. I said hello to everyone and handed the presents out and then I left. I had to go to Rachelle's house. Rachelle is the American woman that I had mentioned before. I was going with her and her children to a friends house to help support a Ugandan woman who makes jewelry. It was so amazing! The jewelry was made out of paper and rolled into beads. They are just lovely.

   Once we had finished with that, then I went back to my hotel to get ready for dinner. I walked to Pastor Ruth's house. Just as we had sat down to eat dinner, she had gotten a phone call that one of her friends had fallen unconscious early in the day. Apparently she was awake now, but was refusing to  go to the doctor. They were asking Pastor Ruth to come and take her to the clinic. Pastor Ruth looked at me and said,

"We are going to eat this dinner like we are in the military!"

   We quickly ate our food. It probably took us maybe 5 minutes at the most and we were out the door. We finally got to the lady's house and got her to the clinic. As soon as we got everything worked out and the doctor was taking care of her, then we went back home.

   This was a very eventful, nonstop day. I have to say though, I really enjoyed it.  :)

"Thank you Jesus for getting the team here safely. I pray that you will be with them as they travel back home. I also pray for my trip to Kampala. I pray that you will keep me safe! I love you! Amen."

Strength for Battle

   "Do not let any set of circumstances intimidate you. The more challenging your day, the more of My Power I place at your disposal...Try to view challenging days as opportunities to receive more of My Power than usual. As your day, so shall your strength be."

   That was a few pieces from my devotional yesterday morning. That one hit me right in the face. I have never thought about a challenging day like that. When I have had a hard day, I just thought that maybe it was me being weak, then I would count on myself to be strong. In reality, I was weak so that I could use the power that God has placed inside of me all along. In those hard days I should be excited because that is when God gives me an abundance of strength, if I choose to use it.

   I have had some hard days...I've been accused of murder, my boy's mother was beaten to death, and those are just a few. However, those situations were moments were I could call on the strength of The Father. Nothing is too big for my God. It may be overwhelming or scary to me, but to God, it's just the next level in my training. It makes me wonder, sometimes, what God has planned for my future. What kind of battles is God preparing me for? If this is my training, then what in the world does God have me doing in the future?!  Whatever it is, I'm excited. I have been trained to always rely on God. That will get me through any and every battle that comes my way.

   Yesterday was Sunday. I decided that I was going to watch church online. I really miss my church and my Oasis family. I am so grateful that we have live streaming available. It makes it feel like I am right there at home with everyone else. I am really starting to miss all of you crazy people. When I turned on my computer and saw Michelle Lutz and Jf Wilkerson leading worship I was so happy. It was like I was really there. This just made my day!

"Thank you Jesus for our Oasis tech team! They make it possible for me to see my church online every Sunday. Thank you for allowing me to feel so close to home even though I am so far away. I miss them all so much. Thank you for giving me Your strength that gets me through every battle that comes my way. I love you! Amen."

Ugandan Wedding

   Yesterday I attended my first Ugandan wedding. It was lovely. The bride and groom had been together for almost 10 years before he asked her to marry him. That is a long time! The bride says that he was worth the wait. It was a very pretty wedding. The bride and her bridesmaids looked beautiful. The groom looked nervous, but handsome. The bishop of Pastor Ruth's church did the wedding service. They both said their vows and everyone cheered. After the vows, the bride and groom sat down and a pastor came to give a sermon. I think that would be the only part that would be very different from weddings that I have seen before. The pastor gave a full on sermon. It was a nice sermon and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

   Once the wedding was over, everyone began to get in their cars or walk to the reception. I think I told you before, but in case I didn't, let me tell you. I have these American friends that live here in Tororo and they have 2 little girls. The husband, Jesse is out of the country, so the wife, Rachelle, had planned a slumber party for the girls and she wanted a friend as well. While I was sitting in the wedding, Rachelle texted me and asked me if I would come over. I said yes in a heart beat. 

   So while everyone else was going to the reception, I was going back to my hotel to change out of my dress and then I went over to Rachelle's house. As soon as I arrived, the girls came running to greet me. It was so great to see them and to hang out with Rachelle. I helped Rachelle make dinner and I was in Heaven. Rachelle was making macaroni and cheese! I was so excited to eat this! It's really the little things in life. 

   After dinner the kids and I played a little bit then I helped get the kids ready for bed. After much effort, the kids were finally in bed. Rachelle and I got to relax a little bit and we watched a movie before it was time for me to go back to my hotel. It was a lot of fun to hang out with this family. I love them very much. 

"Thank you Jesus for the chance to see a beautiful wedding. Thank you again for bringing me family as I am so far away. I pray God that you will bless the rest of my time here. I love you! Amen."

Hope 4 Women

   Yesterday morning I woke up and I felt like my head was a giant balloon. That is never a good thing. So I got ready for the day and decided to head to Smile Africa early so that the nurse could test me for malaria...again. Pastor Ruth and I walked to Smile at a quick pace. As soon as we arrived I went straight to the clinic. Caleb saw me walking and ran to me. I got my morning hug from Caleb and then I went to the clinic to be tested. The nurse pricked my finger and looked at my blood under the microscope. Turns out I have malaria...again.

   After getting the medicine that I would need, I got a ride back to my hotel. Pastor Ruth ordered me to go back to my hotel and rest. I didn't really like the idea of resting and not getting things done. Ruth told me that I would be way more productive if I was healthy. So I agreed and went back to the hotel.

   At 2pm there was going to be a graduation for the widows of Smile Africa. They have been doing some kind of school to learn how to make crafts to earn a living. This was all made possible by an organization called Hope 4 Women International. They raised money to make all this happen. I am so grateful for them! All these women had done a beautiful job and I was so proud of them. I walked to the church at about 2:30pm and the graduation was just about to start. I looked around the room and saw a bunch of widows with their heads held high and pink graduation caps on. It was so beautiful to see. These women were now empowered. I loved seeing these widows stand up and take action and learn how to support themselves and their children.

   Once the graduation was over I went back to the hotel and rested a little more. Then Pastor Ruth came to pick me up for dinner. I was not hungry at all, but I did really want to run. The place where we were going to eat with all the graduates was a hotel that had a treadmill. This was so exciting. I got to run for about 30 minutes. I was so happy! Then I went to join the rest of the people for dinner. It was a wonderful way to end the night. 

"Thank you Jesus for that beautiful graduation. Thank you for empowering your daughters. I pray God that you will continue to heal my body and that I will be malaria free. Please continue to bless the widows and the work of their hands. I love you. Amen"

Peace Be Still

   When I arrived at Smile Africa yesterday morning, it was peaceful. With over 400 children and limited staff, peaceful isn't the word typically describing Smile Africa. For some reason though, yesterday, I found all the children sitting down and taking a test. They were all listening to the teachers and doing what they were told. Be still my beating heart! Are these my children? I have to admit, I was so confused. I went into the office and said,

"Doris, everyone is sitting down quietly and listening to the teachers. There is not 1 child out of line. What happened?"

   Doris just laughed and explained that they were all having exams today. This exam would determine if they got to move up a grade level in school. Well that explained it. Just 30 minuets later everyone was back to their crazy selves! That just showed me that it is possible for them to sit and behave, I've seen it, no more excuses for them. Haha. I love these kids so much.

   I went into the babies room to check on all my babies. They were all sleeping, except for Caleb. Caleb saw me coming and threw his toy and ran to me as he laughed. Pretty much the best greeting in the world. I picked him up and played with him for a little bit. Caleb was very clingy today and he was not eating. Turns out his cough is not gone either. It was so sad to hear him coughing like that. I gave him some more medicine and brought him his lunch. Caleb eats more than any other little boy his age that I've seen. Yesterday, though, Caleb only had a few bites of his lunch and then he fell asleep. This just proves that he is still sick.

   Once Caleb fell asleep I took care of the other babies. They are all getting bigger and developing little personalities. It is so cute. The twins, Ruth and Eric, can laugh so hard, it's the cutest thing I have ever heard. Baby Joshua laughed for the first time yesterday. It was so cute. I just love these babies.

   As I was getting stuff ready for the night time staff, a girl named Brenda came into the babies room to say hello to me. This girl is so smart and so sweet. She brought some books with her because she wanted me to help her read. So I sat down with her and we read about 3 books before it was time for me to go.

   I said good-bye to everyone and Brenda thanked me for helping her with her reading. I loved helping actually. On my way back to the hotel a team stopped me and asked me if I wanted to go with them to a childrens home. I obviously agreed. I ran back to my hotel as fast as I could and I got ready to go. They came back and picked me up and off we went. It was so amazing. These children were so happy and grateful. They sang us a few songs and then they prayed for us. It was the most beautiful thing. I loved it. These children really understood the love of God. Instead of Americans coming to Uganda to be missionaries, these Ugandan children need to come to America as missionaries. I think there are a few things we Americans can learn from these beautiful children. 

"Thank you Jesus for this wonderful day! Thank you for brining me to Awinjo House. I loved it there. Thank you for allowing those children to teach me something. I pray God that you will continue to be alive in all of their hearts. God, please heal Baby Caleb. Make him healthy and strong! Thank you. I love you! Amen."

Chef Paris

   Yesterday on my walk to Smile Africa, Pastor Ruth asked me if I would come over to her house to help her prepare for the big dinner that was tonight. On top of that, she needed me to watch a little baby so that the mother could go take food to her sick mom and get her hair done. When I arrived at Pastor Ruth's house, the mother of the baby left. I helped take care of the baby as well as help Ruth with dinner. We were having a very big team over at our house for dinner, so we had to cook all day basically.

   It was fun helping to prepare the meals. I loved spending time with Mama Ruth and all the people in the house. We just cooked and cleaned and laughed the whole day. We prepared all different kinds of food, some that I have learned how to make, and some that I have no idea how to make. Finally, we got all the food prepared. I was helping a girl named Anna to set the table for 24 people. The house was going to be full, so we had to clear as much space as possible.

   It was getting close to dinner time, so I ran back to my hotel to shower and look presentable and then I walked back to Mama's house. I helped put the final touches on the table to make it look nice. The only unfortunate thing was that there was no power all night, so we had set everything up in the dark. We put candle sticks all over the house, hoping that they would make enough light for the guests to see the food.

   Finally the guests arrived and Mama Ruth and I served them. The house was full of people. It was a lot of fun to have company. Everyone told Ruth how much they loved the food. It was a success! As everyone finished their plates, Anna and I took the plates and did the dishes together. Then they team took me back to my hotel.

   When I arrived at my hotel, all of my hotel family starting calling me to the restaurant. I walked in and we just started talking and laughing. Before I knew it, I was in the hotel's kitchen learning how to make more African food. They even brought me a real order. I could not believe that they were letting me cook a guest's food! It was so funny. I've never been in the kitchen of any hotel, but this is basically my home at this point. You can usually find me in the back room where all of the staff are. I love my hotel family and I am really going to miss them when I go home.

"Thank you Jesus for brining me family here in Tororo. Rarely do I feel lonely because I am constantly surrounded by family. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn how to cook African food! Thank you for all the laughs we shared today. I love you! Amen."

A Day of Discipline

   When I walked to Smile Africa yesterday morning, I had company. Pastor Ruth decided that she wanted to walk with me, and she did. I was impressed with her for walking so far with me. It was actually nice walking company, however it did take us longer than usual because everyone decided that they wanted to talk to Pastor Ruth as we were walking.

   We finally made it Smile and we both walked right to the office. There were already a bunch of people waiting to talk to Pastor Ruth. First people in line were Michael and 2 boys that stayed at Smile. 1 of the boys stole money and the other one kicked a girl in the stomach. Pastor Ruth talked to each of these boys, disciplined them and sent them on their way. 

   After that little situation I saw Bogere standing at the office door. I asked how he was doing and he didn't respond or look at me. I was not going to deal with his bad attitude today. It was not going to happen. I asked him what was wrong and again he didn't respond. So I just walked away and went to the babies room. On my walk, Bogere finally spoke up. He told me that Betty had hit him. So I called Betty over to hear her side of the story. Apparently that was not what happened. After an argument, Bogere told Betty that he was going to tell me that she beat him.

   I dealt with their fighting and we resolved the issue and they both said sorry to each other. I thought for sure that the attitudes were done for the day. I was wrong. I then walked in the babies room. The teachers all were moody. I thought,

"This can't be happening."

   I sat down and asked everyone what was wrong, but no one had an answer. The only person with a good attitude was Caleb. So I dressed Caleb and decided to go buy diapers with him. Caleb and I went and got some groceries together and then came back.

   I'm not sure what happened to make everyone have a bad attitude yesterday, but I guess that just happens. Thank God for Caleb and his happy personality!

"Thank you Jesus for a new day! Thank you for loving each and everyone of us. I pray that you will fill everyone's hearts with joy. Thank you for Baby Caleb and for giving him so much happiness. God, I also want to pray for our president. I pray that you will help him make good decisions for our country. Please Jesus, protect him and his family and keep them safe. I pray God that the decisions that he makes will honor and glorify you. I also pray for my country. I pray God that we will not be divided, but instead we will work together to make positive changes for our nation. Thank you for never leaving us. I love you! Amen."

Happy Birthday Betty

   Yesterday was Betty's birthday! I was excited to get to Smile Africa so that I could spend time with her and do something special for her on her birthday. My arrival to Smile was later than usual because I was skyping my brother in the morning. Which was so wonderful. I have to say that skyping him made my day. I missed him very much.

   When I finally arrived at Smile, Betty and Bogere came running up to me. They both seemed very happy and excited. As I was walking to put my stuff down, one of the teachers ran up to me and asked me if I would go into the slum to find 2 of the widows for her and tell them to come to Smile Africa. I agreed to do so and I took Betty and Bogere with me. As we walked through the slum, flashbacks of Bogere's mom came into my head. I thought of when I first met her and when I begged her to come to a safe place and she refused.

   Finally we found the 2 widows and told them to go to Smile Africa. While we were in the slum I saw Pastor Ruth and a team that she was taking through. They wanted to see what the slum looked like, so Ruth was taking them all around. She was very impressed that I knew my way around the slum pretty well. 

   Once we all arrived back at Smile Africa, Mama Ruth told me to take the team around and show them all the new things that we are building and plans that we have. I love doing that. I love casting a vision for all the teams that come. As I showed them around I had Bogere on my back and Betty holding onto my hand. They didn't leave my side for one second.

   It was lunch time. They team went back to the hotel for lunch, so I decided to escape with Betty and Bogere for Betty's birthday. I put them in the car and they were very excited!

   We finally arrived at the hotel. I bathed them both, put new clothes on them and we had lunch. They were both so excited and loved their new outfits. Lunch was finished so we went back up to my room and I gave Betty her birthday presents and I sang 'Happy Birthday' to her. The smile on her face made it all worth it. I gave her the presents and she was so excited. Betty got 2 new dresses and a journal to write and draw in. 

   After all our birthday fun, I took them back to Smile Africa. It was a very eventful day and my children seemed to really enjoy their time together. I was so glad that I could give Betty a little birthday party. She had never had one before, so I was glad that I could be the one to give her a party. It was an eventful day, a great day. I am so blessed by these children and I am so glad that God is using me to speak into their lives. 

"Thank you Jesus for everything that you do for me and these children. I pray God that you will continue to heal Bogere's heart. Thank you for Betty and the wonderful birthday that she got to have. I love you! Amen."

Dr. Bogere

   "You are wondering how you will cope with all that is expected of you. You must traverse this day like any other: one step at a time...Trust that I know what I'm doing, and be ready to follow My lead."

   This is a passage from my devotional yesterday morning. This particular one just hit me hard. There are so many days when I look and God and wonder how it is that I am supposed to accomplish everything that is expected of me. There are days when I am so strong, I surprise myself. Then there are also days when I see 400 children looking at me for answers, answers that I may not have. It can be tough or overwhelming. That is when God intervenes.

   God reminds me that he has already equipped me with everything that I would need to fight this battle. He also reminds me that although I'm equipped, He is not going to leave me. That is really a comforting thought. It is a great example of a fathers love. 

   I remember when my dad was teaching me how to ride a bike. My mom and dad would run next to my bike and hold on to it 100 times. It came to the point when I was equipped with everything that I needed. I had my helmet, I had my elbow pads, and I knew how to ride that bike. Even though I knew how to ride it, my dad did not let go of my bike. My dad was holding on to the bike to make sure that I didn't fall, he was helping to steer where I was going. Just because I knew how to ride and I was equipped with protective gear and the know how, my daddy did not let go. He never left my side. That way, if I fell, he would be right there to pick me up again.

   That is the perfect example of my Heavenly Father. God has trained me, we've practiced 100 times, and now I am equipped with everything that I need. God has still not left my side. He is there with me every step of the way, just in case I fall. 

   Yesterday was Sunday, so I had church. It was nearing the end of church and Bogere entered the building. I looked and saw him running to me. He finally reached me and he climbed on my lap. I held him tightly and then we left. As we were walking to the store I asked him, 

"Bogere, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I am going to be a doctor. I am going to make people better. Maybe even HIV will go away forever."

   I have to be honest, I did not think that he was going to say that. That made my heart so happy. My little boy is going to change the world, I just know it. So I said, 

"Bogere, you are going to be a great doctor. You can do anything you want to do!"

   As we entered the store I picked a few things that I was going to give Bogere for his lunch. No matter what the other children were having for lunch, he wanted to eat lunch with me every Sunday. Which I did not mind at all. As I was getting food, Bogere stopped following me and was starring at a pile of back packs. I walked over to him and he said, 

"Can I have a backpack for school? I am going to be a doctor!" 

   I couldn't possibly say no to that.

"Of course you can!"

   I bought Bogere his back pack and I put his lunch inside. When he had that backpack on, he didn't walk the same. He held his head high as we walked back to church. It was so cute! I love that boy so much and no one believes in him more than I do. Bogere is going to change the world. God has great plans for him, I just know it. 

"Thank you God for my sweet Bogere. Thank you for loving him and giving him the heart that he has. Please God, help him accomplish all that he wants to accomplish in his life. Thank you for healing him! You are a good God :) I love you! Amen."