WOW-It has been awhile!

I left for Uganda on May 24th.  This trip was a long time in coming.  I was supposed to go with some great ladies last year-one that is my good friend and I ended up with kidney cancer so I wasn't able to go until this year.

I am of course still digesting all that God revealed to me on this trip-as is always the case when returning from a mission trip.  Just because our feet touch American Soil-doesnt mean the trip ends.  I always experience the revelations continuing -even when back home.

I think one of the most powerful experiences for me was the time spent with disabled/special need orphans.  Not only are you living a life among the Fatherless, but you are suffering physically as well.  Really?  I still can't get my head around it.  I spent some time with a precious child name Arafat who is unbelievably sweet.  Whether I am at home, doing yoga or sitting on a spinning bike-I can't get his precious smile out of my head.  I also hung out with a little boy who I named Joseph.  Can you believe no one knew his name since he is deaf and there isn't someone to speak sign language where he stays.  Seriously?  He was so beautiful and had the biggest smile.  I asked all the little girls to make sure when I left and include him and be nice to him-as when I walked up-he was sitting on the outskirts of the driveway while all the rest of the kids were huddled up on the patio.

In Uganda it seems if you are born with a disability, you end up an orphan-in many cases.  You are considered an outcast from the start.  I met one of two girls who run a special needs orphanage in Jinja.  These girls are probably not even 25.  I was blown away by their surrender of their lives to Christ.  I felt awkward and embarrassed thinking of me and how I live.  Day in and day out they take care of 20-30 special needs orphans that the rest of the world has cast out.  They truly care daily- 24x7 for God's "precious", the world's "least of these."

I couldn't speak.  I didn't have words.

I must be honest-in my flesh I would have been grossed out by some of the things I saw-but I knew I was there in my spirit, with God giving me eyes to see what He wanted me to see and ears to hear what He wanted me to hear.

I felt weird are group was there.  Imposing for a few hours. All they did was work.  Work to care for the kids.  Cooking.  Feeding. Teaching.  Hugging. Cleaning. Hugging some more.  Drawing. Chasing. Rubbing backs.  Wheeling Wheelchairs.  Feeding while kids spit up.  Pattng backs so they didn't choke.  Hugging.  Chasing.  Picking up limp bodies and moving to wheelchairs.  Loving.  Loving.  Loving.  Serving.  Serving.  Serving.

For me-it isn't about what I do-it is about what I don't do.

Matthew 25:45

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’