First Week

WARNING—this is going to be a hard one to read.

I have now been in Africa for a full week. During this week I think I have experienced every single emotion you can possibly think of. The day I get here I get stuck at a hotel in Entebbe because of the riots going on in Kampala. Some of the staff here at Amani got stuck in the middle of the riot and described it basically as a living hell. The next day I get up bright and early and head to Amani. I get to see two beautiful families meet their children for the first time! What a sweet picture. Then I got to go over to Katie Davis’s house for praise and worship. Oh how wonderful it is to see young children praising our Father! Then it’s off to work. I’ve been working with the youngest children here and they have all stolen my heart. It is so much work trying to keep 10 babies happy and fed but I love doing it! It does get stressful at times when you don’t have enough hands to calm everyone that is crying but once you get them laughing it is all worth it! Then I get the news about Josie Love. My heart just crumbles into pieces for her and her family. All of this is just within 3 or 4 days of me arriving at Amani. Wow! That’s a lot to take in. But guess what. That’s not all. This is where the hard stuff comes in. The day I find out about Josie is also the day that sweet Walter came home from the hospital. He had been in Kampala for a few days and was getting tests done on the tumor he had in his mouth. They found out that it was so much worse than they had expected. They sent him home from the hospital saying there is nothing we can do because treatment for this cancer doesn’t work well and since we have caught it so late it won’t work at all. They brought him back here so that he could be loved on and cared for. His little personality was so cute! This is the journal I wrote about him just a few hours ago.

This two year old boy is one of the most beautiful kids I have ever seen! But he has a horrible and ugly disease that is taking over his tiny little body. Cancer. Many would take one glance at him and turn away. But when I look at him I see the face of my sweet Savior. I will not turn my head and pretend as if I never saw him. I have welcomed him and shown him as much love as I can. This sweet boy has such a strong personality. He is very independent, strong willed, and a spunky little fella. He knows what he wants. Tonight I sit by his bed and try to comfort him as he struggles so hard to breathe. This cancer has come so close to blocking his throat. He is no longer able to swallow the medicine that will keep the pain away. He goes long seconds without taking a breath and then struggles to catch it again. As I have been sitting here for over an hour I grieve the pain he is going through and what a struggle it is for him. But there is hope! For when he takes that final breath here on earth, he is taking his very first breath in heaven with our Father. He will no longer endure the pain of his earthy body but be given a body that will run and not grow weary, that is able to soar on wings like eagles and fly, and that gets to sit with the One who created him! How amazing does that sound?! He will be relieved of everything here on earth and made new again. He gets to sit at the thrown of God and praise Him for what he has done for him. Although I have only known sweet Walter for a few days, I have learned a lot from him. He has taught me to be thankful for what I do have and the health that I have and how to serve the least of these. But most of all he has taught me what true struggle is. Many times I find myself thinking I am struggling when I can’t find this or that or when I am late for an appointment or a whole bunch of other meaningless things. But as I sit here and watch this boy who is so young struggling to breathe because something is blocking his throat I realize that all the things I complain about are so worthless and pointless to be worrying about. This morning at 1:15am I watched as Walter gasped for air and his tiny heart slowly stopped beating. As sad as it is to us, Walter is so much happier now than he ever was here. He is in the arms of our Lord and Savior!!! Thank you Jesus for bringing me here for such a time as this!

"A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest."~John 10:10

The Lord your God wins victory after victory and is always with you. He celebrates and sings because of you, and he will refresh your life with his love.” ~Zephaniah 3:17