Today was an initiation of sorts.
It was a time of seeing life through a different lens - perhaps even a new set of eyes.
It was a time for our new "Go Team" to begin to understand that we don't live like the rest of the world in America, nor do we resemble the rest of the world. Today was a day to have the scales removed from our eyes. Today we had surgery on our hearts to remove presuppositions, prejudices, and false conclusions.
Today we went to the slums in the heart of Kampala. Our "Frontlines Feed+" program actually got it's start in the slums. In the slums we
typically feed 60 street boys three times a week. Today 80 showed up. They had been told "Big JaJa" (grandpa - that would be me) was showing up! And they showed up in mass!
Many of you help
support our feeding program with our partners; "API". Because of your generosity
we have taken responsibility for all costs associated with the feeding
program: including food 3 times per week, basic training, medical and
hospitalization costs, and costs of resettling runaways. (The church where they are fed only allows us use it 3 times per week.)
But when you really go into the slums and see with your own eyes, smell the rotting garbage and touch the children's tender faces your life will be forever changed.
At
our Team meeting tonight the tears flowed as person after person shared their hearts. Almost everyone was in tears.
Moms, wept at the "big brown eyes" that stared into their eyes without hope. Young ladies
cried as they recalled the pain of the sights and experiences. Big men had tears fill
their eyes as they recounted the children.
The smells, oh
the smells. As you walk across a small bridge into the heart of the
slums you look over a water shed area of mud and human waste. This is
where they bathe and wash their clothes. "Welcome to the rest of the World"!
Then walking up a small set of
stairs we encountered the garbage pile, soaked from heavy rains and
filling our every footstep with a constant shoe sucking reminder, "you are sloshing
through garbage." (Welcome to the rest of the world.)
There are areas you smell human waste and actually see it on the ground inside the church building project. "Welcome to the rest of the world!"
Then you see the kids... they cheer.... we have arrived!
"Welcome to the rest of the World!"
G
shared incredulously, "One boy came and offered me his muffin. He wasn't going to
eat for 2 more days! And he offers me his muffin! Another boy came up
to me and offered me a little bit of change - all he had.... all he had,
unbelievable! These boys were giving me everything they had! (Who is the picture of Christ here?)"
As G shook his head in disbelief you could feel the room grow silent. We
all knew -- these boys were willing to give up everything they had.... could we say the same?
"Welcome to the rest of the World."
What the team experienced today is how most of the rest of the world lives every.single.day.
It is the reality for millions and millions of children each day.
Five thousand children around the world die each day due to starvation.
The rest of the world is clawing and fighting to get their next meal.
The rest of the world fights to survive.
But because of partners around the globe, we at International Voice of the Orphan have said, "No more! Not on my watch!"
The rest of the world has been praying that someone would care... that God would answer....
The rest of the world waits.....................................
Will you help?
Feed One -
Frontlines+ Feeding Program
