With God All Things are Possible!

Just returned from having a little dinner here at our Hotel Colline in Makomo.

Dad with Pastor Hudson as interpreter spoke at the local radio station tonight at 7:30 to over 7 million people. I stayed back at our room as we had a long day with a morning speaking engagement at a high school ( they call college here ) lunch at Mercy’s kitchen then to Pastor Josephine’s beautiful hill top church.

To reach the school we turned onto a red dirt, bumpy road passing several little houses and makeshift store fronts. People coming and going with a task in mind. A woman and her child carrying big yellow water cans on their heads, a young person’s bicycle loaded down with firewood, someone with banana leaves to sell at the market, I could go on and on with the business of these people. One word that must not be in their language is LAZY, as they all have to work hard daily to survive.

I am always asking Pastor Hudson questions as we are driving like what’s that basket for . . . he says oh that is a fish basket on that woman’s head. This basket is HUGE, almost bigger than the woman. She is dressed in a pretty colorful African dress with a pink scarf cleverly tied upon her head. We pass women doing their laundry by hand using large wash pans, some with babies tied to their backs. My eyes dart back and forth to each side of the road to take it all in, sometimes waving and they always wave back and smile.

We arrive at the high school at the end of this long road and have to sign in before the guard will open the gates. I see the students mingling outside all wearing lavender and navy uniforms, having all eyes on this Land Rover pulling in. The students begin to make their way to the conference building knowing special guests are sharing with them today. A boy that was most likely 13 but looked the size of an 8 year old passed by my side of the vehicle. I waved, he waved, then came closer with big sad eyes. I said how are you and he responded with I am hungry ! I said well you will be eating lunch soon and he said he has no lunch. I said why, doesn’t the school feed you lunch ??? No . . . because I have no money. I was really bothered by this and asked the first teacher that greeted us if this young boys story could be true. The teacher said yes, many of the children come as day students and we cannot afford to feed them lunch. Their families don’t send them with food, so they have to wait until school is over at 4:00 PM to eat at home.

I grabbed Stan and whispered what I was just told and said this is not right! I know we can’t change the whole world but we need to help with a lunch program here if possible. He agreed. We entered the school building with the students joyfully singing praises to the Lord and beating the ever present African native drums. Once again my heart was overwhelmed and the tears began to flow.

Oh how these precious young people blessed me.! When it was my time to share I let them know how beautiful they are and that their voices were a sweet gift to my soul. They responded with loud clapping. In my message to them I wove in how God is pleased when we give good gifts and He always blesses us in return. That’s just God’s character and His Word. Luke 6:38 tells us to Give and it shall be given back pressed down and running over. I said some of you may have a lunch and others do not, maybe you could share your lunch with a fellow student and see what a blessing you can be.

Oh how I would have loved to have seen the miracle here of the boy with five loaves of bread and two fish multiplied to feed the five thousand. ( Matthew 14:17) I will not forget these students and with God all things are possible.

We then went to Mercy’s house for a delicious lunch, sweet time of fellowship and a Ugandan dress fitting for me. Mercy had a seamstress bring pictures for me to choose from and then I was measured from head to toe. The Suubi family gave me lovely African fabrics enough for two dresses, so I’ll be stylin with the rest of these fine ladies. Then off to Pastor Josephine’s beautiful hill top bush church. That will be a story I’ll finish tomorrow, as it’s very late and must get to bed.