Faith Like A Child

We have enjoyed a weekend full of time at all of the Sozo Houses. The weekends are our time to really focus on education with our kids, other than just doing their nightly homework. Many of them started school late or did their first years at a village school, so many of them are behind where they need to be in their classes. One of the things that Rebecca and I knew would focus on this summer was tutoring with our Sozo kids. We spent this week doing some assessments and getting to know their individual needs. Rebecca has been focusing on Reading and I have been focusing on Math, just for the simplicity of knowing that we are hitting both areas with each child.

Saturday morning we spent time at House 1 with the younger ones (baby class through Primary 2) because they do not have school in the mornings like the older ones. When Mato returned from the market with the food for the week, we hopped on the van and they dropped us off at House 3. The older boys trickled in from school throughout the afternoon. We were able to work with one who knows very little English, is 16 years old, and in Primary 4. After spending a couple hours with him, attempting some upper level math (that I finally had to admit that I couldn’t help with…) we were coaxed into playing basketball and then volleyball. Let’s just say that volleyball is not Rebecca’s cup of tea… The one that we were helping with English said, “Auntie, you will improve” and “Do not fear” as she screamed and ducked every time the ball came her way. We are left today with bruised forearms and fun memories as evidence of our long afternoon on the court.

Today we had church at the Sozo Houses as Watoto Church was having a big celebration for their anniversary and they were not holding services at the location that we normally attend. 

After church we went with the team to lunch and then to House 2. We were able to get in some good education activities with the kids there and enjoy devotion and dinner with them. One of the older girls fried a turkey egg for us to sample after I told her I had never eaten one.

I love how I was able to really connect with kids at all of the houses this weekend, each in a different and unique way. Many of the nightly devotions since we arrived have focused on how God created each person differently, that He made us “very good,” and that we should use our unique gifts to bring Him glory. “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10) I love that every home has a different feel to it, and that the unique gifts and talents of the aunties, uncles, and children that live there.

One of the highlights of my time serving with Sozo this summer is with We have been doing a lot of reading with the young ones from House 1 since we are there most afternoons when they get home from school. Victoria (aka Victo, Vicky-to, Victor, or any other variation you can come up with…) is one of the kids that we knew would need a lot of attention this summer. Rebecca and I have both been very intentional about reading “beginning reader” books with her over and over to build her confidence. She even “keeps” a book for a day to practice reading to others around the house. Victoria also happens to be one of the girls that I pray with at bedtime every night that I am at House 1. Every night she has been asking me to pray that she will learn at school. On Friday, that transitioned to praying for her to “do well with reading.” Saturday night, she said, “Pray that God will help me keep learning to read. And he will help me love to read. And he will help me read so I can read [the Bible] and learn about God. And that I love him more.”

That, my friends, is what it is all about. These children have taught me so much about how to have faith and hope in Jesus Christ, how to seek Him with my whole heart, and how to live life with joy and peace despite the circumstances around me. So many times this week I have been reminded of Luke 18:16, “But Jesus called them to him, saying ‘Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.’”

Everyday Life with Sozo

We have finally gotten settled into everyday life here in Uganda!! There is so much that happens day in and day out that is so hard to put into words. From rising early and jumping right into chores, to helping prepare food for the day, to helping with projects around the Sozo houses, visiting schools, Kabalagala, the village, working with the kids on their homework and tutoring, to dinner and bedtime... There is never a dull moment!

Elise Huguley was a short-term missionary with Sozo this spring. She created a video from her trip that completely captures everyday life in Uganda. Take a minute to watch it and see a glimpse of what my life this summer is like. 

Sozo Children Uganda

Thank you for your prayers during these first few weeks as I have gotten settled in to my home for the summer. Please continue to pray for me to get rest, and joyfully serve in every capacity while I am here. Rebecca and I have been going non-stop for the past couple of days. When you end your exhausting day trying to do homework (that is quite difficult for someone who does not have a Ugandan education) with about 20 kids who would rather be doing ANYTHING other than homework, patience sometimes runs a little thin. Please pray that we are able to work with these children, we are able to love them well and make the most of every moment that we have them one-on-one or in a small group. These past few days, my prayer has been that in every moment -- peeling matoke, frying chapati, organizing medical files, reading and re-reading the same books over and over, bedtime prayers -- my life would reflect His glory and sing His praises!

"Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised..." Psalm 96:1-4

Serve

June 2, 2014

Sozo House 4 is officially occupied! The interns arrived last night late to a house that still has its quirks, but has a lot of love poured into preparing for them. After traveling for two days, the top two priorities upon arriving are: 1) shower and 2) bed. Well, the city water had been off all day and we did not have any reserve water in the tanks. No showers or toilets. Today, we were able to get a water truck out and take showers before dinner. But, after dinner, the power went out. Most of the time scheduled outages are during the day, so this evening has been interesting finding torches (flashlights) to finish hanging mosquito nets (we had to move a few bunks around and get creative…) and trying to entertain ourselves to distract from the sweat that is literally rolling down my back as I lay in bed. Thank goodness for computer batteries…

(Yes this is two mosquito nets from one hook that is in the middle of the room. Using duct tape, a knicker hanger, and rope. Tommy Lunceford would be proud of our Jimmy-rigging!)

It has been so neat to be here the week leading up to the summer interns arriving. There are 13 college students who were selected to do a summer internship serving in the Sozo homes this summer. In the past the interns have lived at the homes, but with so many teams in and out over the summer, Sozo found a separate house for the interns and summer missionaries. It is just down the hill from House 1. The Sozo Uganda staff has worked so hard all week coordinating the plumBer (see previous post for Ugandan pronunciation…), electrician, and corralling some of the Sozo kids to help clean, hang curtains, move beds and mattresses, lay (make) the bed, label keys, fill buckets of water for the toilets, etc. I have loved every minute getting to work alongside them and seeing the joy that they have in having a way to give back to those who are coming to spend their summer with them!

Helping hang our curtains with zip ties.

Our key ring with all of the keys finally labeled for the different locks keeping us secure in the house. This lasted for all of 10 minutes before we had to find a better system...

Each one of the intern family groups picks a “word” to focus on over the summer. Some groups pick words like “love” or “abide.” They dig into the Word to discover what God has to teach them about that idea as they spend time working and doing ministry together throughout the summer. After my first week here, I’ve decided that my word for the summer is “SERVE.”

“Sozo” is a Greek word meaning “to save.” Sozo Children is a ministry that exists to save children not only from their physical poverty, but most importantly to save them from spiritual poverty. (Read more about this ministry at www.sozochildren.org.) I love every part of who Sozo is and what they do. The more that I am around Sozo, the more I realize how every single Sozo staff member, child, and missionary has a heart to SERVE.

Mark 10:48 says, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to SERVE, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” My prayer is that through my time in Uganda this summer, I will learn how to SERVE the way that Jesus came to this earth to SERVE. And I’ve got a lot of people to learn from all around me, most of them our Sozo children!

House 4: Ready... Or not

Ever since arriving, we have been taking up residence in Sozo House 1 while awaiting House 4 renovations to be finished. House 4 will be the interns’ home for the summer. We thought that we would move down the hill on Thursday. We loaded up our bags and headed down the dirt road only to find that the house was not ready. Left a few things, carried the rest back up. Came to try again on Friday. The electrician and plumBer (they pronounce the “B” so it sounds like plum-ber) were still working. We took one change of clothes back up to House 1. Saturday, took a few visits down. At 9:00 pm we decided to make the move. Only to arrive at House 4 with only one working bathroom, and our side of the house still not finished. 

Some of the Sozo kids came with us to mop… Which ended up being a hose down and scrub of the floors. Or as Angela said, “The Nile is rushing through.” 

All of that being said, we are one step closer to unpacking our bags (now that we have been here almost a week…) and should finally be settled in for the summer.

With all of our extra time at House 1, I sure have enjoyed loving on our sweet Sozo babies. They keep asking, “Auntie Lauren, for how long are you staying?” Every time that I remind them it is the end of the summer, their face lights up with a big smile. I love the million times a day they say, “Auntie Lauren… Read me a book.” “Will you help me shade (color)?” “Auntie, pray with me.” Or, “Come, we go.” as they grab me by the hand and drag me off.

Tonight at devotion we studied Psalm 139:14, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” As I thought about each and every child in that room, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with thinking about how God designed each and every one of these children to be unique and special. He gave each of them gifts and talents to be used for His glory. I praise God that He brought Sozo into their lives, despite rough backgrounds and childhoods, so that they can be taught of what He has done for them. Not one single thing that has happened in their lives is an accident. It is all a part of their story so they can grow up to bring glory to His great name.

We are here!

May 27, 2014

After spending two days (30+ hours plus an 8 hour time difference) en route to the beloved Uganda, I decided the best way to update you was to compile our “Top Five Travel Memories.” Please enjoy!

5. The Detroit airport has a hidden jewel: an underground light show tunnel with accompanying instrumentals that tries to make you forget how far you have to walk to the next terminal. Only to find that Terminal A has its very own monorail to take you from Gate 1 to roughly 197 (not sure how long the never ending terminal actually was…), passing the calming water feature smack in the middle. Can you tell we had about 5 hours to kill?

4. The moment that Rebecca and I realized that on our 8 hour flight from Amsterdam to Kilgali, our seats were not together. Then the scheming began to change up seats. We had a delightful gentleman sitting next to Rebecca who was sitting alone, but when asked about trading seats, his response was, “We’ll see.” So, we got our sweet flight attendant on board with our plan. She found us two seats together up about 10 rows in the plane, which included a window seat for sleeping and an aisle seat for stretching (by far the best possible setup). Once we took off and got the nod from the back of the plane to “go for it” we found another lovely gentleman already occupying one of our seats. After a little “back and forth” between our new fight attendant friend and this gentleman (while Rebecca and I were just ready to go back to our old seats), we were able to claim them, only to hike back once during the flight to our stranded bags.

3. The number of times that my travel companion, Rebecca, had to say “Sorry about it.” to the people in the airport/planes/trains from either taking them out with her rolling bag or pillow that stuck out a good 18 inches from the back of her pack.

2. Leaving Rebecca to guard the luggage (which is quite cumbersome after hours of lugging it around) while I made a quick bathroom stop in the Amsterdam airport, I came back to see four armed guards with very large machine guns questioning everyone in the area about their flight, requiring to see boarding passes and travel documents. Not sure what that was all about, but we passed the test.

1. Getting off the plane FINALLY in Uganda. Made it through Immigration, only to find another team grabbing our Sozo tubs off of the baggage claim. We got their attention, they loaded them on a cart, we added our checked bags, rolling carry ons, pillows, backpacks, and the two of us were a sight to behold. We headed out the door of the airport and saw NO ONE that we recognized. Scanned the crowd again. Security won’t let us back in the airport, started walking very slowly, and finally, Mato’s face appeared in the crowd. SOZO FAMILY!

We made it! On a more serious note, I was overwhelmed with emotion as I sat on our last plane that we would board to take us to Uganda. I’ve been waiting for this day for a whole year, ready to return to the country, people, and Sozo kids who stole my heart. I’m so excited to see what God has in store for us this summer, because I know He has done a great work in my life in the past year preparing me for this time. It hasn’t been an easy year, but I’m confident that it has been a part of the journey to “…live the life of love…” (Ephesians 5:1-2) that Christ has called me to live. Thank you for being a part of this journey for me this summer!