Our God is a God not of just America...but of All Countries

Well this has most definitely been a weepy day for me...so it will probably be a long post...but a really good one! (even if you have to read it in parts...def finish it! and no...I did not feel like checking my grammar or spelling...so sorry haha)

We started the day with our over hour and half bus ride of lots of bumps...the bus ride allows all of us to truly see Uganda's country side. The people are so proud of what they have and a living testament to what we can do with little. Here is some of the country side we pass.

The people here are amazing in what they are able to do. When we got to the orphanage, the children once again ran towards the bus so happy to see us....the older ones yell our "Auntie Amanda...Auntie Jen...good morning!" While the younger children call out "Mzungu!!" and laughing (which we now know well means "white person") It's hysterical..Yesterday we were able to pass out all the Bibles yesterday and it was so encouraging to see the children carrying them around proudly today. We began our day with recreation (definitely not my forte). I volunteered to help with kickball (again...not exactly sure why). Attempting to explain the rules of kickball when there is a language barrier is interesting. I don't think I've mentioned before but the older children do understand us many times...but the little ones haven't learned much English yet...except you can ask any age child "How are you?" to which they reply "I am fine" haha. So back to kickball....Abigail and I did our best to show them the bases, how the ball is rolled, that you kick the ball, then run to a base. The first child kicked and stood there....we encourage them to run to first base....the second child kicked and ran to first base...except the child on first base stayed there....when we told her to run to the next base...she ran to the outfielder....finally getting her to second base....the next few kickers seemed to mildly understand. The outfielders and baseman soon lost interest in catching the ball and the all of a sudden when one child would kick the ball three children would run. Needless to say it turned into just rolling the ball...kicking...and several kids running to various bases.

We then got an opportunity to see their various games...sort of like our "field day". They balanced glass coke bottles on their heads, raced with eggs on spoons in their mouths, and had banana peeling contests...it was so entertaining.

Now begins my favorite part of the day...after lunch (which Mama...the orphanage mama...cooks for us  EVERYDAY) we had our worship time. Pastor Joel's brother has designed a prayer garden behind the orphanage...words cannot do it justice but I will try. It is a beautiful setting with bright green grass with many shade trees overlooking beautiful mountainside. Pastor Joel's brother took stones and designed them as a walkway in the shape of a cross. It is so peaceful and gorgeous. The kids sat around (most of whom brought their Bibles with them without being asked) and we began musical worship. Although the kids do not know our language, they are so attentive. After our songs, the students were led by a teacher in some of their worship songs in Lugandan. So this began the tears...the worship from them..starting with age 4 up into 17...is so powerful. They all sing with such heart, and they are truly praising God in their words. The most choked up I got was watching the older teenage boys closing their eyes and praising their God. It is hard to remember that our God is not just the God of America and English...but the God of our entire planet and every language spoken. It is so easy to think that God only speaks English or only knows us because we attend a church with a sanctuary and we give a monetary tithe...but God is present in every country, in every language, and in every child. (How unbelievable is that? It's near impossible to wrap your mind around...)Not one child will be forgotten by God or is unknown...it is just amazing to see it lived out. (Prayer garden below picture does NOT do it justice)

When Mike began to lead worship, he was reading Romans 5:5 today...the older children (who have the whole Bible) quickly began flipping to find Romans 5:5 to follow along. The younger children (who have a condensed version outlined by stories with pictures) do not have Romans. Without knowing...one of the 6 year old children came running over to Darlene and I asking to help him find Romans. (Sobbing once more...) we flipped a story that was close and told him to start there...excitedly he ran back to his spot with his Bible. It is so incredible and encouraging to see children truly hungry for God's word...that even when they cannot read it...they want to know it.

After worship, we began craft time with the kids. Today, we made beaded necklaces (which I had no idea but were very special to them) and then book marks for their Bibles with memory verses glued to them. Once again...the children are just so grateful for anything. After crafts, I was able to sit down with a few of the older boys and just talk with them about the differences in Uganda and America. They shared with me and I shared with them. They loved looking at the pictures of my brothers and me as well as the children I taught. They couldn't believe I was teacher (they all guess I was 16, 18 or 19) haha. I then asked them what they wanted to be and the responses were so full of hope...they ranged from doctor to pilot to army and more. The students at this orphanage are taught not only facts, but that they must work for what they want and to be appreciative. I truly believe they will carry these ideals with them. (these were two of the boys I spoke with below).

After crafts, the children sang for us and performed a Ugandan dance. It was awesome! When I return home, you will die to see all the video footage I have taken. They had even created a song that thanked Sweet Sleep for the beds, mattresses, sheets, blankets, mosquito nets, and Bibles. It was so sweet.

At the end of the day, we began packing up and hugging our children goodbye for tomorrow when Stuart (one of the boys I had been talking to) ran after me and wanted me to have his Bible bookmark with his name on it for my Bible (tears again...) and then he said when I came tomorrow he would have finished my beaded necklace for me (more tears...) These children have so little but yet they want to give to everyone (tears..)

At the end of the night, the team always shares a high point of the day...Stuart (a worker of Sweet Sleep) shared with us that Mama had pulled him aside to talk to him this morning. She said that the teachers this morning had gone into the rooms to wake the children and that many were already up and reading their Bibles and worshiping and thanking God for their beds (here came the waterworks...).  The teachers had never seen this before and Mama was so grateful to us. Oh what a wonderful God we serve...

Wrapping up this overwhelming post (totally fine if you need to read it in parts..but finish it! haha) I want to share my tow favorite photos of the day because this truly represents the children's nature...

PS. It is tooootally true about the kids and cameras....they LOVE having their picture taken and then you turning it around to show them...they laugh and laugh and laugh...and if one white person happens to be in the back ground they scream out Mzungu with laughter...