Today we spent our entire day in Jinja visiting the source of the Nile river and Bujagali falls for some much needed rest and relaxation. We first went to Bujagali Falls where we witnessed some Ugandans swimming down some big time rapids! We then took a boat ride to an island where we hiked through trails leading to some large rapids entering the Nile River. After the boat ride we left and went to visit Jinja town for some lunch and a little shopping.

We then drove to the source of the Nile River. This is where Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, pours into the Nile River. It is an amazing place to visit. Hannah Bittner had asked the day before if we would have a chance to baptize her in the Nile River so we agreed that this would be a great place and time to do just that. Steve and I entered the water carefully, trying to not slip on the rocky bottom. A couple of times, Steve showed his flexibility by almost doing the splits in the water. We were so close to having him fall completely into the Nile. I am laughing as I write this. With the exception of the slight fear of crocodiles the setting was wonderful. There were monkeys jumping in the trees behind us and fish jumping in the water around us. Birds were diving searching for food, fishermen were fishing by hand lines in the distance and there we were, standing in the Nile river. We then baptized Hannah in the river. I know that it was an amazing time for her that she will never forget. Then Jay decided that he too wanted to be baptized in the Nile so we then did the same for him. Memories that will last a lifetime were created today.

It was fun filled day for a team that has been working very hard for the past week. It was also a super day to enjoy the beauty of Uganda. There is no place like it. Tomorrow we will be heading back to the reality of the situation with so many orphans in the surrounding areas but for a day we experienced why Uganda truly is the Pearl of Africa!

After rescuing the 5 abandoned children the other day, I wanted to meet more of the 188 kids that are attending our school but that are not living in the children’s home. I wanted to dig a little deeper and find out more about these individual lives that we see running around the home playing with our team. Could their possibly be stories that are similar or even worse than the ones we had just encountered. We sat down in the office and began to bring children into the room, one at a time. What would happen next would tear my heart in two.

The children in Uganda are accustomed to always telling you that they are fine. You ask the question "how are you?" and they respond "I am fine". I knew that there must be some issued with these kids. Could they always be "fine"? As the interviews began, we got the same responses. However, we then began to dig deeper and ask some hard questions about the true conditions that they were living in. One after another we began to hear stories that broke our hearts; stories of repeated rape, beatings, slavery, rejection, abandonment and the list just goes on and on. Tears were streaming down the faces of some of the children as they shared the torments that they are going through every day.

One girl who’s name is Fazirah began to tell us her story. She is an absolutely beautiful girl who told us that she was 11 years old. She is obviously closer to 14 or 15. She didn’t know the year or month that she was born. Her father died when she was young and then her mother remarried. At that moment, she was totally rejected by her mom and her new step father as well as his 4 children that were brought into the home. 

Fazirah’s "parents" pay school fees for her other 4 step brothers and sisters to attend school. However, they will not pay for her. That is why she is attending the Alpha and Omega school. They know that we will not reject children because they do not or cannot pay any fees.  She told us that her mother was very cruel to her along with the rest of her new family. Then as tears began to stream down her face, she told us that when she leaves to go home from school, not only is she hated by her family, but things are happening to her by her step father. You can use your imagination. Barbara and I couldn’t hold our composure anymore. We had been hearing stories like this again and again and again!

I looked at her and told her that she would not have to suffer anymore. We told her that God loved her and would heal her heart from all of the pain that she was feeling. She was also asked if she would like to come and live with the other children in Hope Children’s Home. With her head hung low, she nodded in agreement. Fazirah is moving into Hope today along with 3 other kids in very similar situations. 

We have added 9 children in the past 3 days to an already overcrowded home. We need to begin building additional homes on our new land to accommodate these and so many more children in similar situations. These children need our help. While we cannot do everything for everyone, when situations like this are brought to our attention we cannot turn our heads and ignore them. I think Jesus summed it up very well when he said, "As you have done it to the least of these, you have done it to me."

If you would also like to sponsor one or more of the children that we interviewed yesterday, you can find them all with as much information as we have about them on our "Sponsor a Child" page.  You can also make a donation to help us begin constructing these additional homes in the Village of Hope.  Thanks in advance for partnering with us to save many more children in situations like Fazirah’s.

Mike