Some photos for your liking

We thought we should be better bloggers and give you some photos!

Lydia, Logan's friend. They have been meeting every week for discipleship...Lydia was being pursued by Watchtower folk for a while, so it was really timely when her and Logan started meeting up. Jehovahs witnesses and Mormons run rampant here..

  

This is Lily and Aaron's family, some friends of Gracie's. Aaron is the boy in the pink on the far right. He had Osteomyelitis, but through an anonymous donation of $400, we were able to help him get operated on...he is very excited! Please pray all goes well and grace-filled these next few weeks as he heals after the operation. 

This is one of our dearest friends at Alpha (where we are staying). He is called Patrick, we love him so! 

May we introduce to you dearest Opio. He is the sweetest thing, cant even begin to explain how lovable he is. He is staying at Atin Afrika center for street kids. He was completely abandoned by his family because of his down syndrome. Most here believe disabilities are a demonic thing or result of ancestor sin, so they are ashamed and reject disabled kids. So, Opio is staying at Atin but the hope is to find a family to adopt him. The Ugandan who runs the center believes this will be the best for him---because he literally has NOBODY. But we love him so much. If any are interested, please email Gracie. Like I said, this child is a treasure and needs a family; he soaks up any love and nurture that is shown to him and will melt your heart. 

Exciting news with these folks! They are a family of six from San Antonio, church planters living her full time for five years! We met them at a mzungu bible study we were introduced to (which was awesome by the way) last Wednesday. We clicked with them immediately and have enjoyed them so much already

Cowboy hat, and fellow texans...gives Gracie great joy

These are the boys Gracie is attempting to teach art, bible, and photography at Atin Afrika. They are a complicated bunch but need a lot of love. 

Bus rides: we love them 

This is Lucy, Gracie's friend...they meet weekly and talk about Jesus

Logan and Josephine, the best duo I know

A team from California stayed at Alpha for a few weeks, working on digging wells in the villages (a way to help). They were great to have around! 

Hope you enjoyed! 

love, logan and gracie

An opportunity to partner

Hey all,

I just wanted to write to tell you the story of a few precious ones and see if you feel led to help.

The past week has been one where the Lord has been putting orphans before us. As I've been going about the days here with a plan to carry out the discipleship curriculum with a few friends, there have been moments where God has changed my plans and I've come face to face with an orphan who is desperate for love and concern.  The word orphan takes a whole new meaning when you are here and it definitely comes with more weight. This week there have been three in particular that have caught my attention and concern. 

On Wednesday i learned of twins named Joseph and Josephine:

The two are around three years old.  I met them when a man named Washington took me to their home and introduced me to an elderly man named Zachary and his wife Josephina.  Zachary greeted me with a very genuine smile and began to tell me about the two little ones that had come into his life few years ago. 

He told me that the mother of the twins had met them at the market where she would buy beans from the madam.  The twins mother was struggling as a single mom as the father had ran before the babies were born.  One day when the twins were around 8 months the mother came to Zachary and Josephina and begged them to keep the twins for one night so she could travel to the next town to help her sick mother who was in the hospital.  Zachary and Josephina complied as they knew the risk for young babies to be exposed to so much sickness at the hospital.  A few days passed and then months and there was no trace of the mother. Zachary asked everyone he could find in an effort to learn of any information on the mother and where she could have fled to but he found out nothing. Initially Zachary filed police reports and missing person notices but had no luck finding the mother.  Soon after the babies were accepted into a babies home that is about 5 miles out of town where they lived for close to a year before returning to Zachary and Josephina's home. However, recently they have been unable to find anywhere for them to go. There are honestly few orphanages here and the ones that exist have no spaces available.  This has left Zachary and Josephina with the responsibility of providing for the twins, carrying out an "obligation to God and humanity"  as they put it. Caring for the twins has become a great burden on the family. Zachary is currently jobless and the only income they have is the little money that Josephina makes selling beans each day.  The couple have three other children that are currently staying in the village with other family members as they could not afford to have them living in town.  Currently  Jospeh and Josephina are spending the daytime at a nursery school called Lira Christian Centre Nursery School because no one is around the home during the day.  Out of compassion the teachers at the school have agreed to temporarily let the twins attend the day school at no cost until Zachary is able to pay the fees.  

I went to the school last week to meet Joseph and Josephine. Holding them and seeing their big brown eyes and feeling the reality that they live in has compelled me be an advocate for them and to help them. I have talked with an orphanage in town and we are going to begin the application process but they will be unable to take them until May or June.  Zachary and Josephina will continue to care for the twins but they just need assistance with food and day school for the next few months.  I talked with the school and got the tuition list and also the list of required items.  The total fees come out to $115.00 which will provide a good foundation of learning, two nutrition meals each day, a uniform and all of the supplies that both of the children need.

Zachary and Josephine are servants of God who has been sacrificing a lot to provide a safe place for the kids and now they just need a little help.  If you feel compelled to give in any way please let me know and we can discuss more options of how to make this happen.  It brings me a lot of joy to get to share the stories and faces of people here and to see people back home partnering and being generous towards people who are truly in need.  I am reminded here of how In Christ we have received much and as a response to what Christ has done we should be the most joyful and generous of all people. So please pray and consider giving whatever you can!!  I would love to hear from you so please let me know if you want more information or if you have specific questions!!!  Thank you!!

Josephine and Joseph at school! 

On Thursday i met Mercy.  Arombo Mercy is a 16 year old girl who lost both of her parents and wants to go back to school.  I interviewed her yesterday and asked her to tell me what she would tell people back in America. Heres what she said:

      "I was born in Lira, Uganda.  When i was very young my father divorced my mum.  My father got another woman and she did not take care of me.  We were four children. 3 girls and 1 boy but unfortunately our last born and only boy was born with HIV/AIDS.  My mother used to pay my school fees but when she became infected with HIV/AIDS she could no longer pay my fees.  Dad had abandoned us, so i was forced to drop out of school in 2009.  We had been living in the IDP (Internally displaced people) camps and raising money for food for all four children was very difficult on my mother.  While living there i learned that my father had passed away from an unexpected illness.  Life was very difficult as my mother became more sick and later died.  After the death of both of my parents i was forced to live with with a family member who wanted me to work doing household chores rather than go to school.  The madam recently died and now i am staying with different people who will keep me.  I have a desire to go to school and become a doctor so that i can help those who have experienced trauma like me."

I asked Mercy how she is able to remain so courageous and full of hope despite all she has gone through.  She responded by telling me, "I trust in the Lord because his word says that God is the father of orphans and he has not abandoned me".  There is something unique about Mercy. I have met many girls her age in difficult situations but never someone who has been as persistent and unwilling to give up as she has been. 

I recently met a man who started an organization called The Odwara Fund.  The organization provides the opportunity for a quality education to orphans and vulnerable children who do not have a future.  I talked with Eddie who is the founder and although the finances are not there to support her in school this term he has shared that he feels moved to pay for half of her fees from his own pocket.  I was moved by his generosity as he is very limited in his resources and thought i would join his efforts and post her story and see if anyone felt led to give.  The needs would be the second half of her tuition and the uniform/requirements necessary for her to board at school.  The school that she would go to is called Fountain primary school which is a Christian school where she will be taught the Word and also have daily prayer and fellowship time.  The total fees come out to $204.00 which will cover all of her tuition, boarding, food, and requirements.  I am not here to meet the financial needs of everyone but i have been moved to try to find provision for these three who are total orphans.  

 Arombo Mercy, age 16.

Email me if you are interested!!  logan710h@gmail.com

Thank you and God bless.  I am going to post a blog very soon with the highlights from discipleship and other exciting things.  God is truly leading us and protecting us and we are very glad. 

Love,

Logan

Days of Grace

   So far, 25 days full of grace and fullness. Friends have been made, places are now familiar, and we are growing accustomed to the "African way"…might I say it couldn't be more different than customs back home. I feel like America and Africa are literally the two greatest extremes there could ever be! Africa: time carries NO importance, everything has dirt on it, children (including babies) roam free, a days work dictates survival, not comfort, traffic has no order, motorcycles carry infants, people carry their groceries on their head (or even their furniture), breasts are out everywhere, fatness is desired by all, you can pay rent with goats and cows, and people don't care about being "cool". Every day wows you. I genuinely love this place. Even if its just seeing these funny little customs that are soo taboo to our culture. Yesterday was our most authentic and African experience yet. We watched an Acholi Dance Performance by a non-profit that teaches music therapy to youth. It was stunning! But there we were, only one other mzungu there, completely surrounded by tons of Africans, babies in the lap, sweat on our foreheads and all over, sitting for at least 5 hours because the show started three hours after it was supposed to. But we have learned to gladly and joyfully embrace those waiting times…..allows time to make friends! 

  This week was the beginning of teaching at Atin Afrika. School just started for everyone in town this week, so there is still some chaos in kids leaving and coming, however, it was a good first day. The way it works is, they have Ugandan social workers who go out to the streets and get to know the kids, offering them a home and education. Most of them already have homes, but either their parents have neglected them, they have chosen the streets, or they just have run away. These kids get into all kinds of addictions, most of them sniff glue, girls sell themselves as early as age 9, they drink the locally brewed alcohol which makes whiskey look weak, and all kinds of other awful things. So the kids that choose to come for a two month term, are quite the complicated bunch….and the concepts of love and care are foreign to them. Atin is a lovely little home with two dogs, a monkey, and a Ugandan momma named "Grace" who lives there and basically mothers all the children. During the term, the children learn how to live well with others, battle vulnerability, have reconciliation with their families (the social workers help to mediate), and learn respect. Also, they learn a bit of english and do some subject studies to introduce them into school. Then after those two months, they are enrolled for school and go back to their communities and homes. Its really amazing how it works. Most of the kids come to a place where they choose for themselves a better life. So, my plan there is to do a type of art therapy that also shares Christ. It would be unfruitful to keep the gospel from them and just do "crafts", I want to love them earnestly and not keep hidden the very thing that will make them feel most full in life. Its like showing them pretty things, but hiding the treasure. Especially because most of them feel forgotten. I delight in them so much already! You give them an ounce of attention and they light up. Most excitedly, I also get to teach photography! I was able to handle the 12 cameras for the first time on Monday and see which ones worked and needed batteries. So I will begin teaching photography either tomorrow or Monday. Yay!

   We were also able to spend the last week with the Chitesters and go through a Discipleship study with them. They were such a gift to us! Also, I think it was God equipping us for things here. Both Logan and I have been overwhelmed by the misinterpretation of God's Word here among Christians. People have a very skewed view of Grace here and live a very works-oriented faith. There even seems to be more preaching from the Old T. rather than the New. You basically find all these new Christians who have given their lives to Christ, but are acting like fearful slaves instead of children of God. The belief that Christ paid for their sin once and for all is misunderstood; people are constantly in the cycle of repentance because they think every time they sin again, God casts them away. They just want so desperately to be close to God, which is really beautiful, but they are missing out on the freedom that comes when you trust Christ. For the believer, sin breaks your fellowship with God, but NOT your relationship. Ever. And broken fellowship can be restored through love and confession to Him..so glad for that :)

The prosperity gospel also runs wild here. So please pray.

Lastly, we got bicycles!!! John and Janie bought them for us and we have enjoyed them so much. Been a great help.  Still getting used to the chaos of the traffic and being on the left side, but its been good. Also pray for His covering when we are on the roads :)

Love you all! More to tell later,

Gracious (they all call me this ha)