After our wonderful day of rest and relaxation yesterday, we decided to return to Hope Children’s Home. Our mission wasn’t over by a long shot. The good news is there were several children who spent their first night in a long time away from the abuse that they have suffered for so long. The smiles on their faces showed the changes on the inside. However, there was more work to do.

We decided to sit down and hear from more of the kids. When you see a mass of kids running to your bus as your arrive, you see just that; a mass of kids running to your bus. However, when you sit down and speak to these kids and really ask the tough questions, the smiles on the outside change to begin to reflect the hurt and pain that is on the inside. This is the case of Brenda.

We just decided to let Brenda move into the home. I think we have added 11 kids now since we arrived and I could add another hundred if the facilities and sponsors were available. Brenda is 8 years old. Her father died and her mother remarried. When that happens in Uganda, it is extremely common for the existing children to be utterly rejected. Brenda’s case is no different. She began to tell us how her step father would only give her a small amount of food. He would also go into rages where he would destroy the house and beat Brenda with sticks. She would run from him and he would tell her "go and run to your father’s grave and see if he will help you". She told us this as she had broken down crying. She had asked us to stay at the home and we agreed to let her.

We then saw her limping today at the home. There was an infected cut between her toes. "Brenda, why are your limping? What is wrong with your toes?" She then told us the following story. "I went to the well to get a drink of water. When I returned my mother was very upset at me and asked me ‘why did you go to the well to get water?’ That night when I was sleeping she came into my room and took a knife and cut me between my toes." Yes, you read correctly, her mother who has already rejected her cut her between the toes so she would not be able to walk properly. I asked the teachers in our school about this and they told me that it is common for that to happen. Some abusive parents even burn their kids just to give them pain. I was shocked. 

We cleaned her wounds and bandaged them and bought her a pair of shoes. Brenda is now a happy 8 year old girl who will soon begin to experience love like she has never experienced in her life.

While these stories are hard to read, they are a very common reality where we are working. There are MANY more children just like Brenda who need your help. I sat down with many children like Brenda and had to tell them that we didn’t have room to add any additional children in the home at this time. I tell them to pray for support that will enable us to help them get out of these types of situations. I tell them that they will be alright, but as they walk away, I know in my heart that the possibility remains that they will suffer another night of torment.

I have added more children like Brenda to our Website for sponsorship. If you have a heart to help us support these children or many others like them, we could use your help. If you have a heart to help us build more facilities to rescue more children, we need your help as well. I have never been one that likes to ask for money and I still don’t like to do it. However, I am offering your the opportunity to be the answer of prayer of hundreds of children who are praying every day and night that God will provide for their needs and remove them from the hurt and pain that they are experiencing. Would you join us?

If you want to help, you can sponsor a child or make a donation at www.showmercy.org or feel free to call Lori at 541-905-0791 and she will be glad to assist you. You can also mail a tax deductible donation to:

Show Mercy International
PO Box 607
Albany, Oregon  97321.

Thanks in advance to all of you that have already responded. The children are rejoicing because of you. James 1:27

Mike