Update on Haiti for Friday.

Hello friends--

I've been glued to CNN since Tuesday night. My heart is broken. My body is going to a prayer time for the people of Haiti. I encourage you to come be among others who are lifting up our brothers and sisters who are in such great pain right now. Brentwood Baptist Church chapel, 6 pm.

An update on our help to Haiti. Our ministry partners, Global Orphan Project, have been on the ground in Port-au-Prince since yesterday. Some are also in the Dominican and have been loading up two 30-foot trucks with supplies and will head to Haiti at 4 am tomorrow.

All the hundreds of children in their care are fine. What a miracle. Thank you, Jesus. We continue to thank God for the protection of the children at two orphanages we've worked with in the past. Of the orphanages Stuart and I just visited, there are about 6 we've not heard from. Orphanages like the one where the little boy in this picture lives. His name is Junior and he's a wild little guy who lives at the orphanage we stayed at just two short months ago. We all remain in fervent prayer that those children (and their caregivers, that goes without saying) are safe.

Many of you have given, and we are so thankful for your trust in our ministry, especially at a time like this. I've had people ask me what organization they should send their money to. My own personal encouragement to them has been to give it to whom they feel they trust and to those who are working in the first responder phase.

As I shared with you in my first email after this grievous tragedy, Sweet Sleep is not an emergency response organization. However, because humans sleep, we do provide something that the people of Haiti are in need of. The earthquake didn't care if you were an orphaned child or the President of the country. Now practically everyone there must sleep outside for their continued protection.

The aid many of you have given to Sweet Sleep will be used to provide for these emergency needs in the likely form of blankets. Blankets that will wrap around one of these precious people and will comfort them---since you and I cannot be there to do so. Blankets that will keep their tired, hungry, traumatized bodies warm at night. Blankets that will help them sleep more comfortably through the night so that they can wake stronger to face another day that is desperately different than the one before.

I love what we do to minister to "the least of these" because of all the reasons above. We always communicate to our children we minister to that when they lie down at night and pull their new blanket up around them, they should think of that as God wrapping His arms around them in love.

One of my many prayers for Haiti is that they will feel God close to them right now. Even as close as a blanket.

Thanks friends,
Jen

Update: Haiti

A quick update:

Our ministry partners are on the ground in DR, the PAP airport was closed due to bottlenecking of aid coming in and planes leaving out and poor air traffic control. Currently en route to PAP.

Aid to Sweet Sleep for Haiti will go toward providing emergency blankets and other bedding/beds as necessary. Donations are still needed.

Former Senator Jim Bryson's company, 20|20 Research has offered to match gifts made to Sweet Sleep at his office. If you know a company or such that might like to match as well, let us know.

Also looking for churches and such that would like to get involved in a relief effort and would like to help provide to orphans and the newly orphaned in Haiti.

Thanks all.
Jen

Sweet Sleep's Emergency Response in Haiti

You’re probably expecting a report about my recent trip to provide beds for orphans in northern Uganda this Christmas. However, right now, as you know, there is an immediate need in Haiti because of the 7.0 earthquake -- the most powerful to hit Haiti in 200 years. The quake virtually destroyed the capital city of Port-au-Prince, where more than two million people live. Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere and is also the most densely populated and least developed, with 80% of residents living in poverty.

For more than a year, Sweet Sleep has been working to establish partnerships on the ground in Haiti to develop our ministry there. We began providing beds to local orphanages late last year. In November, our operations manager and I traveled to Haiti where we met with several ministry partners and dozens of orphanages in the areas directly impacted by yesterday’s earthquake. Of course Sweet Sleep will continue our commitment to provide for the bed and bedding needs of these orphans.

This morning, we received a message from a friend at one of the orphanages:
"It’s crazy. We can hear people wailing and crying. We know a lot of big buildings have fallen. We watched the mountain above the orphanage split. I have never experienced anything like this before. All of the nannies and kids are sitting out in the middle of our compound. A neighbor has already come over for medical help. I don't have words to express." -- Hands and Feet orphanage, Jacmel, Haiti (south coast)

Many of you have already contacted Sweet Sleep to ask if you can help with a monetary donation. We are grateful for such a desire to help. While Sweet Sleep is not an emergency response ministry, meaning we are not involved in the current search and rescue work, we encourage everyone to be in prayer at this hour for the rescue attempts being made now and over the next several days.

At this very moment, we’ve been asked by our partners at the Global Orphan Project to help provide beds and bedding to the thousands of children who were orphaned through this disaster. We’ll only be able to respond with whatever designated gifts come into our ministry for Haiti. Monetary gifts can be made to Sweet Sleep and designated “Haiti” in the memo line or special comments box if donations are made online.

Send your emergency aid donations to:
Sweet Sleep
P.O. Box 40486
Nashville, TN 37204-9998
T: 615.730.7671
Designate memo: "Haiti"

Online: www.sweetsleep.org/donate
Special comments box: Haiti

Once the search and rescue phase of the recovery is complete, Sweet Sleep continue to work with our ministry partners and various orphanages to provide beds for children who were in need long before the earthquake struck… as well as the many more who will find themselves orphaned from this catastrophe. Sweet Sleep expects to be responding to this need for months and years to come.

Again, thanks for your desire to help and for your prayers during this urgent situation. We will continue to update people on this as much as possible. If you have a question about your donation, please don’t hesitate to email or call.

Thanks so much,
Jen
615-730-7671
jennifer@sweetsleep.org

P.S. Look for my report from Uganda in the next few weeks, along with more updates about our work in Haiti.

Photo courtesy of timeinc.net.

Earthquake in Haiti

As you’ve likely heard, Haiti was hit by a 7.0 earthquake-- the most powerful to hit Haiti in a century -- shortly before 5 p.m. which was centered about 10 miles southwest of the capital city of Port-au-Prince. As of this hour, at least 17 aftershocks have occurred, with more than 7 of those over a 5.0. Haiti is one of the poorest, most densely populated and least developed countries in the western hemisphere. 80% of residents live in poverty.

All reports we’re hearing anticipate there will be significant loss of life and injury as a result of the earthquake, and further damage is expected as the mountains continue to slide off the mountainside due to the deforestation the country has experienced. There is an obvious state of chaos, on a regular daily basis, however now there is even more as children have been separated from families and the widespread devastation in and around Port-au-Prince is making search and rescue difficult.

Many have contacted Sweet Sleep to ask if they could help make a monetary donation. We are grateful for such a desire to help. We encourage everyone to be in prayer at this hour for the rescue attempts being made now and over the next several days. Sweet Sleep is not an emergency response ministry, meaning we are not involved in the current search and rescue work. We do however have ministry partners on the ground and orphanages we have worked with, have relationships with or have visited with--- which already had an extreme need for beds. Our ministry hopes to provide for those children with an emergency need. Sweet Sleep expects to be responding to this need for weeks and months to come. We’ll only be able to respond with whatever designated gifts for Haiti come in to our ministry. We will continue to update people on this as much as possible.

We are confident of our relationships with other organizations and ministries on the ground and of our ability to get the necessary funds to them to provide beds and bedding for this emergency need. Emergency monetary gifts can be made to Sweet Sleep and designated “Haiti” in the memo line or special comments box if donations are made online. The mailing address is below, as is the website for credit card donations (www.sweetsleep.org/donate) .

Below is a report tonight from one of our partners in Haiti that Sweet Sleep provided beds to last Christmas after their orphanage suffered rock and mud slides from the 2008 hurricanes:

"its crazy. we can here people wailing and crying. we know a lot of big buildings have fallen. we watched the mountain above the orphanage split. i have never experienced anything like this before. all of the nannies and kids are sitting out in the middle of our compound. a neighbor has already come over for medical help. i don't have words to express." -- Hands and Feet orphanage, Jacmel, Haiti ( south coast)

Again, thanks for your desire to help and for your prayers for this urgent situation. If you have a question about your donation, please don’t hesitate to email or call.

Mail to:
Sweet Sleep
P.O. Box 40486
Nashville, TN 37204-9998
T: 615.730.7671
Designate memo: "Haiti"

Email: jennifer@sweetsleep.org

Online: www.sweetsleep.org/donate
Special comments box: Haiti

Thanks so much,
Jen

photo by Frederick Dupoux/Getty Images

The promise of Psalm 37

People always ask me how God brought about a certain work or place of ministry. There's always a great God story to every place we minister in. Here's one for you to read. It's a bit long, but I promise in the end you'll be glad you read it.

A few weeks before I left Nashville for Uganda I met with my friend, Missy, who works for Mocha Club. They’d been to Gulu just a few weeks prior and she’d taken video for me of an orphanage that Mocha (and their larger component---African Leadership) support which was in need of beds and bedding.


If you want the gist, it’s this: Sweet Sleep was able to provide for their need because of your generous and loving gifts this Christmas.

If you want to experience the blessings of your giving, then here’s a slightly longer story: Candis and Jerry are originally from the States. They could be retired and living comfortably near their children back home in some nice, stable environment in a comfortable house that doesn’t have a squatty potty as its only bathroom. Instead, they’ve spent the last 8 years of their life ministering to their “kids” in northern Uganda.

Before they could even learn the language, the deep and vast needs of the people and of the children were filling their days and nights with prayers and programs to give hope and love to all God placed in their path.

Candis and Jerry have spent lots of nights in fervent prayer for protection from the LRA’s attacks on their home, their orphanage and the homes of all they love and serve. They’ve spent many more nights praying over the hundreds and hundreds of their “kids” who have, as a result of the LRA, been child abductees, child brides who’ve become child moms, child soldiers and even children of rebel commanders. Over the years God has grown many programs out of their ministry, all being administered by indigenous people desiring a chance to help their fellow people.

April, Beth, Stuart and I spent a considerable amount of time with this “family”….visiting their orphanage and their school on various occasions, their very own home for New Year’s dinner, and Christmas Day as we worshiped with them in their church and then as we returned to our hotel to host a Christmas feast for their entire “family” which included this little one who April said “ate like a linebacker.”

It was hard for me to be in their presence and not feel worn out. God has not only given them passionate hearts for their intense ministry, but He has also supplied them with the energy they require to meet all of the needs He places before them. For anyone else—like me-- to come in and experience their life is just exhausting because I’ve not been given that gift. Think of it as me trying to be a heart surgeon. Ummm, not so much. Not only do I have a freakish fear of doctors and anything medical, but I also can’t even begin to look at anything gross---such as a heart…in surgery. Thank you, but I’ll stick to what God has created me for: advocating for orphans and the need they have for healthy, enriching places to sleep.

To that, Sweet Sleep provided for each of the children now in their care, including 14 child moms and children living in various IDP camps. The blessings we received from our days with them were numerous and hard to put words to.

Perhaps the biggest blessing is this note that Candis wrote to me and brought by my hotel the morning we were leaving Gulu for Kampala. The note was just a little something to accompany the “real” gift of a Bible and a necklace made by one of their children. However its words will stay with me forever because they not only provided a reminder of what Sweet Sleep’s work does, but also they provided me with a Biblical battle shield for the stories and struggles of the people which were causing my heart to weep.

I’m happy to share them with you, my partners in ministry, so you can also be encouraged and strengthened:

Dear Jen Dec 09

Once again I pray you feel our hearts appreciation for an answer to prayer (of a long time) that you and Sweet Sleep gave to our precious children. Not only ours that we are privileged to touch but many others…Your ministry is truly unique and such a Beautiful Blessing to hundreds and hundreds…May the Lord give you renewed refreshment in Him. Psalm 37

Thank you again….from “our” hearts.

Love and a hug,
Candis and Jerry and our huge family, too

I read this note in the van as we were beginning our long journey to Kampala. Until then I was having a hard time leaving behind all I had taken in, experienced, learned and discerned. I confess, I’m not always good at looking up verses people list in their messages with the expectation that you’ll look them up. However, on this day I reached down into my backpack and pulled out my Bible to read the Psalm Candis has mentioned. In doing so I was filled with understanding, knowledge and a great hope for all I was leaving behind, physically anyway.

I’m writing out Psalm 37 to save you from having to go look it up. Be moved and be blessed as you read through it and picture the struggles and the hope it might mean for your brothers and sisters northern Uganda who have lived through 22 years of an evil, wicked war. Be steadfast in your prayers for your brothers and sisters who are now clinging, daily, to the prospect of lasting peace as they wonder how--or if--- they’ll ever be able to live their lives the way God intended.

Psalm 37 of David
Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.
Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit their land.
A little while and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them they will not be found.
But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.

The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the LORD laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.
The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and the needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. But their swords will piece their own heart, and their bows will be broken.
Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.
The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever.

In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
But the wicked will perish: The LORD’s enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish---vanish like smoke.
The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off.
If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.
I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children beg bread. They are always generous and lend freely their children will be blessed.

Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.
For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones.
They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off; the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.
The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.
The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives; but the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial.
Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil, but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found.

Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace. But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.
The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.


See you in the next blog,
Jen

Malaria Militia

Malaria Militia

It's hard to imagine what something like a mosquito or mosquito net means to somebody when most of us don't ever think twice about them. In Uganda it is one of the top worries for the people here.

According to statistics, malaria now kills more Ugandans than HIV/AIDS. Prior to that, Uganda had been a leading country in the AIDS pandemic. Think about that for a second. Then just google malaria a bit and read about it for 2 minutes.

Here are some things I can share with you, first hand, from my time here:

-During the 2.5 weeks we spent in northern Uganda we probably developed close relationships with about 21 people. During that time 6 of those people became ill with malaria.

-Remember my blog about the sick young boy we found laying on the ground by our car one day? We left the orphanage and took him for medical care. He tested for having cerebral malaria---which is fatal within 24-72 hours, if not treated. Today, he is healthy. For now anyway.

-We worked in 6 IDP camps (internally displaced persons) giving beds: mats, mattresses, blankets, nets and Bibles. We gave beds to 395 children/child-headed families. None of them had nets prior to getting our Sweet Sleep nets.

-As we returned to the camps to do malaria education and to connect our beds to the hope and love of Jesus, I always asked the same question, "How many of you have had malaria?" Every single hand would go up. We always had larger crowds than we'd been able to give beds to, so we're talking about more than 1,000 children, adults, widows who have been infected with malaria.

-In the last several days we've made countless calls to orphanages our partner organizations have connected us with. Here's a sample of a portion of a typical call:

Us: how many children sleep in your orphanage?
Them: 82
Us: how many beds do you have?
Them: 31
Us:how many blankets do you have?
Them: 15
Us: how many nets do you have?
Them: we have zero nets

And on it goes.

Yesterday I blogged about the beds and nets we gave this past summer and the visit we had with the children there. Each of the teens I talked with told me they most liked getting a net. They said they hadn't been sick with malaria since.

Amazing. And to think a treated net is $8.

Malaria makes me angry. It attacks a person's entire body and gives them flu-like symptoms which can include: high fever, fatigue, aching body, dizziness, headaches, vomiting and chills as well as death.

I don't have an answer for ridding Africa of malaria, but I do have a voice. And so do you. I'm not sure how I'm going to combat this problem. Then again, I wasn't sure how I'd ever provide a bed to an orphanage, either. We'll do this together. So, I shall form a malaria militia to educate everyone we can and to raise funds to provide for these nets. If we can't get beds to every child right this minute, we can at least provide them a net so they'll have the opportunity to live long enough to get their bed.

Schools are a powerful vehicle. Before leaving for this trip I spoke to several schools about malaria and nets. The students connected with this task. They've also provided nets for nearly every child we've worked with. Bring me to your school. Bring your ideas. Bring your willingness to join the militia. Or, just bring your checkbook.

Whatever you do, do it soon and help Sweet Sleep save lives. It's evening here in Uganda and in orphanages and huts everywhere lives are being taken by a simple mosquito bite.

Message me and we'll talk.

See you in the next blog,
Jen
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Greater Life, indeed

Greater Life, indeed

This morning we had the fabulous pleasure of revisiting one of the orphanages our awesome July team helped to provide and build beds for.

We didn't tell anyone there we were coming out---we just wanted to surprise them.

It's a wee bit of a drive through "jams" out of Kampala and then the long jungle dirt road going to the orphanage is in tip-top mix up your internal organs shape. As we finally rounded the little corner that would take us to the orphanage gate we just laughed and were filled with delight.

For whatever reason about 15 of the kids were standing at the gate. Not just standing there, but faces pressed against the fence, hands clutching the bars---kind of like they were trying to watch a baseball game while on the other side of the fence.

When they saw us there was immediate screaming and shouting and jumping up and down. We totally didn't expect that and I scrambled for my camera to try to record that for the team (don't get too excited, team...I have no idea how it worked for me).

As we drove down the dirt drive the kids ran along side. The driver had to slow down as the kids began to reach out for our hands. All of a sudden I heard a boy shout, "STUART!!" I thought I'd cry.
As our van slowed to a crawl our driver just stopped and said, "I think you should get out here." We were far from the buildings but the kids were hyper, happy road blocks.

There were lots of hugs and holding of hands. April became a huge celebrity because of her giant camera and willingness to snap endless pictures of them.

One reason we went out was to see how our first Ugandan double decker prototypes were holding up. We were so glad to see they were in great shape, though I've come to the conclusion that mosquito nets are as delicate as they are precious. I think we will have to consider a way to replace nets which get holes poked or get ripped.

While I was in the first boy's dorm several older boys came in. I asked one of them, David, how he liked his bed. He instantly broke into the biggest smile and showed me how he got up into his top bunk. He said he slept very good on his bed. I asked him what he liked the most. David said, "I like being able to have a bed for sleeping and I most like my blanket." And then he ran his hand across the soft blanket neatly covering his bed. I'm not sure I've ever had a 16 year old boy tell me a blanket made him so happy. I almost cried.

As he was climbing down I saw a Bible we'd given the children on a small table next to the bottom bunk. I opened it up and saw all kinds of writing and marking on its pages. I was glad to see whoever slept on the bottom was using their Bible. I asked David if he had his. He reached over to the foot of his bed and patted something under his blanket. It was his Bible. He said he reads it all the time and keeps it under his blanket to "keep it well". I thought I'd cry.

Another boy, Henry, wanted to show me his bed. Henry is also 16. I made a big deal about how clean and neat their beds were and asked what he like most about his bed. He said, "I like having a mosquito net so the mosquitos don't attack me and I don't get malaria anymore." I choked up.

I moved from bed to bed, dorm to dorm talking with any kid who wanted to show me their bed or tell me something about it. They were so proud to do both. Almost every single child I talked to said they most like their nets because the mosquitos didn't "swarm" or "attack" or "bite" or "hurt" them. Tears.

A girl I sat and talked with, Gorret, said she liked her Bible so much. She said she was reading Micah and that her Bible was teaching her how to be a good person and to have good behavior and to do the things God wanted her to. Tears.

There are many stories I could share with you...and I will. For now I want to share a letter with you that was given to me by an older boy as we were leaving. We were actually giving a few of them a rie back to town, but before I knew that he came up to me and handed me a yellow piece of paper folded over a couple times. He said, "This note is for Sweet Sleep in appreciation of what you have done." Tears.

I read the letter and, oh, great joy. Here it is:

Africa, Uganda

Dear our friends Sweet Sleep. How are you there at your place and your family (kids and your relatives).
The reason why I have written this letter to appreciate you as Sweet Sleep for the beds and blankets (other things).
And another thing I would like thank you because we were in good relationship with you and us.
We were happy because you have visit us today and you have shown us a big love.
Thank you very much
May God bless you.
Simon Peter

This letter makes me very happy. And, it should make all of you happy, too. Without you these children would still be sleeping on the filthy foam scraps you've seen pictured in our newsletters and on our website.

Tonight, as I was walking around taking care of a few things, I also was reflecting back over the day and our time at their orphanage, Greater Life. In doing so, a happy smile came to my face. "Greater Life" isn't just the name of the orphanage these children are growing up in; it's also something that we've all worked together to give them----greater life.

Thanks friends.

See you in the next blog.
Jen

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Beginning the new year with thanks

Beginning the new year with thanks

I thought it might be fun to share with you a few of the thank you notes we've received from the children here in Gulu. Spelling and punctuation is intentional.

"Dear friend,
How are you. We are thanking you for all the bedding you have provided to us. Thank you for helping us. May the God in heaven bless you. We love you so much. Our hearts are filled with your love." Mildred

"My name is Charlotter. Dear my friend. I love you. I thank you for the bedding that I was missing. I have got it. Thank you."

"Thank you for gave me beds." Irene

"Hello. How are you. For me I am okey. For me I am called Benson. I love you so much. Thank you for giving us net, mattresses, blanket. Thank you so much. I am called in primary six in studies and I love praying to continue to give to children. I pray God bless you so much. From love of Benson."


I'll share more of these with you as we go along. They're such great ways to help you see how much the children love and need what you are helping to provide them.

See you in the next blog,
Jen

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Christmas Joy....

About now you’re probably returning to work or maybe you’re lucky enough to have the week off. Nonetheless, all of you are probably asking or being asked the question, “What’d you do for Christmas?” Turns out that’s somewhat of a universal question. Yesterday we went back to one of the camps we’re working with to ask how they had enjoyed sleeping in their new beds and to educate them on their new nets and malaria and, most importantly, to share with them about the meaning behind their beds.



It was a rainy afternoon in Gulu, so the children had gathered inside a nearby school building rather than outside of their huts, like usual. As we all crammed into a school room April and I listened as VOH’s director went from child to child to child asking each, “What did you do for Christmas?” The answers came like this:

“On Christmas I woke up and went and got water and washed my clothes and cleaned my hut.”

“When I woke up I cleaned the hut, went for water, made some tea and washed the utensils.”

“My friends and I found some meat and we went for water and when we came back we found a dog had eaten our meat, so we had millet and did some dance.” Millet is a grain, by the way.

“On Christmas, when I woke up, we went to get water to make some tea and to wash the clothes and clean the utensils. I made a fire and said some prayers and for dinner we had some goat.”

“On Christmas we woke up and got some water and ate some millet and then went to find some things to sell in the Centre to make some money.”

“We went to the Centre to make some money on Christmas too, but there wasn’t much money to be made so we came home and washed our clothes.”

“Christmas we didn’t do anything much different than the other days. We cleaned and got water and ate millet.”

And so it went. All of the 40 or so children who were there yesterday had the same kind of things to say. Some talked about how their peers had tried to influence them to do bad things. As I listened to each of them share their Christmas Day stories, several things struck me. One was that they were all so happy to share what they had done and each did so with some amount of laughter. They found great joy in their sharing. Maybe it was that somebody was listening to them. Maybe it was nervous laughter because they were speaking in a group. Maybe it was just laughter that comes from being a child and being with other children. Maybe it’s because there was joy in doing all those things ---because they were able to HAVE those experiences without being forced to hunt, hurt or harm others (in the LRA) and found delight in enjoying life’s simple things.

I imagine it’s all of these together.

It made me think about this own question in my life. Not so much this year. This year, as you read earlier, I went to a loud church with lots of jumping and dancing and spent Christmas for 13 or so orphans; playing with them, holding them, loving them, talking with them, feeding them, talking about baby Jesus and how much God loves them. Santa didn’t come here. Not to me, not to April or Beth and not to these children. The day was about happiness, about putting on your best clothes as a way to honor God as they jumped up and down and swayed in celebration or honor or glory of Him. It was about being alive and being thankful for the life that God gave them and thankful to the One who gave them life.


I thought of nearly every single other year of my life over the Christmas holidays. Busyness. Stuff. Stress. Food. More stress. Presents. Worry over what presents to buy for who. Worrying about not having enough presents and then worrying because you’d spent so much money on all those presents. All that stuff I know all of us can easily relate to.

Over the last few years there seems to have been a trend….an awareness…among people to examine their holiday ways and make changes. Changes to trim off the excess; to spend their time and resources more wisely; to care for those who don’t have the blessings they do. I’ve listened to this talked about in church. I’ve seen it in your own lives. I’ve seen it at Sweet Sleep as the number of people who choose to “Give the Gift” to those they love or those they’ve lost has increased.

This is why we’re here, in Gulu, this Christmas. We’re here because of the choice that you made in giving a bed to an orphan here. When you gave in honor of someone or in memory of someone or just because you wanted to, you have helped bring health, hope, happiness, joy, excitement and love to these children’s lives. That’s a gift they can’t even begin to understand yet. But you can.

The pictures you’re seeing are actually from today’s camp while the stories above were from yesterday’s. Apparently I didn’t have my camera with me. Regardless, their hearts were the same. These are photos of the children writing thank you notes to you all. And, then of them receiving cards from school children in the States.





Finally, here’s something super fun to share. Today when I asked the children how they felt when they first slept on their new bed instead of on the ground or their mats, one little boy raised his had right away. He answered in Acholi (the language in the north) and all the children absolutely burst into laughter. We turned for translation….this little boy said when he laid down in his bed he felt like he was sinking and sinking down and down.

Love it.

See you in the next blog,
Jen

Love...

I know my posts can be long sometimes. That's just because there's a lot happening. This blog is a bit like reality TV, except we're not marrying people, making cakes or jumping off tall buildings with a bungee cord. We're loving the little children who seem forgotten by the world and giving them a bed to sleep in that will not only keep them healthy and comfortable, but also remind them about real love and real hope.

Rather than sharing stories with you, I thought I'd just post pictures and let you see a bit of what that looks like....loving an orphan. Insert yourself in any of these photographs. I'll bring you here. I'll bring you anywhere.


Indeed...


...this one....


...and this one....


...and this one who used to have to sleep on this mat. But, because of love.....


....now sleeps on one like this that April is helping to tie so it can be carried to their hut.



Love...this is what I saw the day I rounded the corner and found a little boy sleeping on the grass. Hard. He was moaning and in pain. This little boy is the one we took to a clinic and found he had cerebral malaria and would die within 24-72 hours if he wasn't treated.


And this is what treatment for cerebral malaria looks like when you're healthy strong again and trying to see if you also have my spiritual gift...touching my tongue to my nose.


And by bringing smiles to little faces...even if they are blurry.


Love is needed here....


....and is being given here, but so much more is needed than this little one can give.


....love was missed here. And, is waiting for everything it still could bring.


There are an unfathomable number of children in the world who are orphaned and abandoned. Thanks to everyone who decides to give their love through Sweet Sleep, we're helping reach them...one by one.


This is my prayer as well....that these children, and children like them all around the world will "Be Wih God".....and that they could know God is with them.

Thanks to you......

Pray on and I'll see you in the next blog,
Jen