Day 6: Uganda
Beauty and brokenness
BY BOBBY FREEMAN, MISSIONS DIRECTOR
“His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” — Lamentations 3:22–23
The sun crept into the clouds over Lake Victoria this morning, reminding me that the Lord’s mercies are new again. I too often take that for granted and move into the day without stopping to thank him. A few moments later, Adrienne came down to let us know Ellie had had a rough night. She’d been up and down and was feeling weak and exhausted. Before the day had really begun, we were reminded of both God’s faithfulness and the brokenness of the world we still live in.
We’ve seen both throughout this week. We’ve met people facing suffering and hardships that are difficult to take in, and we’ve worked alongside brothers and sisters the Lord is using to care for them—loving their neighbors, sharing the gospel, and making his mercy known in the middle of it all. It’s beautiful and hard at the same time. But the brokenness doesn’t get the final word. Our hope is in the Lord, who is greater than all of it, and whose mercies will be new again tomorrow!
Breakfast wasn’t quite complete without Ellie at the table, but Adrienne got some electrolytes into her, and she rallied for the morning. Our families were swapping Tuesday plans. The Davises would visit the hospitals, and we would spend the morning at Amani Baby Cottage before visiting Mailbox Club. Musa was early, as always, so we gathered our backpacks, helped Ellie into the van, and prayed as we drove out the gate.
We picked up Ms. Suzi and headed to Amani, where little ones came running to see who had arrived. Ms. Stephanie, our host for the morning, showed us around and shared about the children, the staff, and Amani’s history. We met volunteers from Germany and the States, Ugandan staff members, and a baby boy named Emanuel who had been there for just 24 hours. Adrienne quickly helped get a new weight on Emanuel, then volunteered to snuggle him to sleep while the rest of us continued the tour. No surprise there!
Caring for 35-40 children from birth to age five involves all the things you might imagine. But what especially caught my attention was the work happening beyond their daily care. The staff goes to great lengths to reconnect children with family, a mom or dad, an aunt or uncle, a grandparent. Hearing about the hard work behind those reunions and how often they’re able to happen was so encouraging.
Somewhere in the middle of our questions and exploring, Henry slipped away. We found him in the preschool class, surrounded by four and five year olds and living his best life! Charlie, Ellie, and Miles soon joined him, scooping up, swinging, and snuggling children while we sat with the staff and dreamed about how West End might send volunteers to come alongside them…Disa, I’m looking at you!
Meanwhile, Garrett and Courtney were at the hospitals with Rett and Coco, visiting patients, sharing the gospel, praying over families, and loving on the hospital staff. After our own hospital visits Tuesday, I know how intimidating it can feel to walk into those rooms. Garrett and Courtney, along with their kids, step into those moments with such boldness and love. I’m grateful for their example and for the ways our families are getting to learn from one another this week.
After Amani, we slipped into town for lunch with Ms. Suzi, talking through the morning and again wondering how the Lord might connect West End with the work happening here in Uganda. By then, Ellie was fading. Musa kindly adjusted our plans, and we headed back to the guesthouse so she could rest for a bit instead of visiting Mailbox Club today. But when we returned to the guest house, we ran into Danyne, Amani’s founder. We got to spend the next hour hearing more about Amani and the story of orphan care in Jinja, an unexpected surprise of the morning. After spending the morning with the children and staff, getting to hear from her was another gift.
Later, Sammy, Coco, and Rett arrived, and we joined Sam and Ms. Suzi for a trip to Jinja Main Market. Imagine a four-story building where you can shop for everything from motorcycle parts to fresh produce to baby clothes. If you’re claustrophobic, you might want to wait in the van—this is probably not the place for you! We had a mission though, newborn baby clothes and bedsheets for Sam and Ms. Suzi’s hospital ministry. It was an experience, to say the least, but Adrienne put her haggling skills to work, and we eventually headed back to the vans with what we’d come for.
We met Garrett and Courtney on Main Street, where Ellie could rest and rehydrate, the team could reconnect, and a few of the crew could pick up gifts for home. Did I mention today was Sam’s 77th birthday?! That’s right, 77! I pray the Lord is still using me to do his work at 77. For his birthday, Sam took the team on a boat ride along Lake Victoria and out to the headwaters of the Nile. Afterward, we gathered for dinner on the banks of the lake. And in typical Sam and Ms. Suzi fashion, there were more people for us to meet and more stories to hear. They’d invited Dana, the director of Ekisa, along with Taylor and Lizzie Barnes, who also serve with Ekisa and have connections to Nashville and West End. There wasn’t a quiet moment around that table. After hearing about and visiting these ministries throughout the week, it was a gift to sit with more of the people behind the work, ask questions, and get to know one another A pretty incredible way to celebrate 77 years!
God at work:
At Amani, we saw little ones being loved and cared for while staff worked patiently toward reconnecting them with family. At the hospitals, the Davises joined in the simple, faithful work of visiting, praying, and sharing the gospel. And we ended the day celebrating Sam, whose life continues to be poured out for the people the Lord puts before him.
The brokenness here is real. So is the love of Jesus being made known through his people.
We all have gifts, and we all have a role to play. My prayer for us, you and me both, is that we would be willing to say, “Here I am, send me,” whether that takes us across the street, across town, or across the globe.
prayer requests:
Praise the Lord for Sam’s 77 years and for his and Ms. Suzi’s faithful service, and that the Lord would continue to sustain and encourage them
Ellie to regain her strength and feel well as we prepare to travel
Our flights home tomorrow and for stamina through the long journey
Taylor and Lizzie, their young family, and the people they serve through their ministry
The children and staff at Amani, for their work to reunite families, and for volunteers to come alongside them