I’ve seen poverty up close and personal.
From the Mayan jungles of Mexico to the dirt roads of India and the slums of Beijing, people struggling to meet basic human needs are everywhere. Yet, there was something different about Uganda. Something that changed the core of who I am as a Western woman.
What was it?
I’ve been asking myself that question since we returned from “The Pearl of Africa.” Struggling to pinpoint the difference, it struck me moments ago. You see, I was filling a glass of clean water to drink (enjoying the return of convenient access to clean water) and I realized what was so beautifully profound.
Gratitude.
Yes, the sweet believers in Uganda have a deep undercurrent of appreciation for every single blessing. This journey of gratitude started on the first day.
We were teaching in the school where sponsored kids attend when it was time to break for lunch. The children in their tattered uniforms obediently and quietly lined up to get a warm cup of fortified porridge…AND…a hard-boiled egg.
Smiles all around.
Not long ago, the students would excitedly anticipate Fridays – the only day of the week they would eat protein with their porridge, a hard-boiled egg. Not a staple, but a luxury.
A generous donor now makes it possible for each child to receive a hard-boiled egg every school day. Egg day is every day – Hallelujah!
Kids who are not sponsored or not part of the school don’t eat protein. In fact, they may not get anything to eat at all that day or the next.
We saw up close how sponsoring children radically affects not only the child’s life, but also the lives of the child’s family members.
When a child becomes sponsored, the social worker first brings a mattress to their hut/house, so the child doesn’t have to sleep on a mat on the dirt floor. Uniforms are provided and so are food baskets for the families. Medical care and Christian education, too. And, yes, hard-boiled eggs – all given in the name of Jesus Christ.
Most of all, friendship is part of the blessings of sponsorship. A friendship between the sponsor and the child; the teachers and the child; Jesus Christ and the child.
Do you want to be a friend to a child in Uganda?
Sponsorship is only $35 a month and no overhead costs are subtracted-the entire amount goes to the child. You can learn more from One More Child formerly known as Orphan’s Heart at https://onemorechild.org
More on Uganda to come. For now, I’m so grateful, too…for your partnership, prayers, and friendship.
Good news…it’s Egg Day today. Let’s eat a hard-boiled egg and praise God!