Paradise or Paradigm

What has struck me most is the stark contrast you run into in Uganda.

You have a very beautiful, beautiful country. Watching amazing animals, like the graceful giraffe going along. Everything is so beautiful and looks like a Garden of Eden, until you get into the populated areas, be it the villages or cities. There is so much poverty. Even though there are dirt yards, dirt roads, dirt everywhere, people do their best to keep it clean. Back home, the people living like that would be absolutely miserable, but these people are all friendly. they smile and just wave back.

Everyone we’ve walked up to just wants to embrace you and shake your hand or hug. They are all so friendly, giving love and wanting love in return. It boggles the mind, the fact that you meet with the children and their response, when anyone mentions Jesus, is an “Amen”. I’ve found that the children knew more about who Christ was than I ever expected.

These kids just break my heart. They come up to you to shake your hand and then they want to hug you and hold on and want to be held. They are giving their love and wanting love so badly. And to see them smile when they get something very, very simple, it makes their day. In Gulu, the kids were not so outgoing, smiling, happy-go-lucky, but quickly warmed up to you. We’ve found so many people working an ministering to them about The Word and their needs. To me, I’ve found that there is a little more help being done than I thought, but it is obvious that it isn’t near enough.

We met a grandmother trying to take care of 15-20 children. 15 in her home, and another 5 are over living in the children’s home. She is living off nothing, really. They are really self-sufficient, raising their own foods. I may sound like a broken record, but to see the joy and happiness, and the way they play and like to love on you and receive the love is just unimaginable. I don’t think it would be happening in the US.

When I go home, I’ve got to do more. I had already decided before I came that we would continue where we could to help support. Like keeping our change jars, that’s going to be an ongoing thing. I haven’t talked with the rest of the family about it, but I want to plan to come back. There will definitely be more prayer for these people and I’m going to try to raise some financial assistance for them, but I will definitely be trying to spread the word. These pictures tell a thousand words, but you’ve really go to see it, smell it, live it. You’ve got to tell people, open up their hearts. Help out any way you can. Monetary, goods, come on over and help. For me? I plan on coming back. There is just so much going on in my mind, it is just a blur.



Kevin Gray