Today started off with a bang; literally. One of our team bought the children and the church 4 large drums and a wooden, hand made xylophone. We found out later that the church had given away their only drum to a new church to help them get started. Now they had four. That is God’s economy in action! The kids worshipped and danced around with our team for what seemed like hours, banging and singing and dancing. They are so grateful for everything that they have.

Later, some of the team began to care for a couple of new young kids that have recently come into the home. Their feet were filled with "jiggers", some type of insect that embeds themselves in the feet of the kids, mostly under their toe nails. She was covered with them. Unfortunately, the only way to get them out is with needles and razor blades. If you don’t get all of them out, they will continue to grow. Oh my, I couldn’t even watch as these kids were being cared for. The jiggers were finally removed and her feet soaked, and treated with ointment. They have been so neglected they are covered in sores, and have insects living on their bodies. Again, dogs are not treated this way in America.

The team continued to pour out love on your children today. They are so in need of love and attention and they have been getting it the past several weeks. It am so touched  by the response that we have seen recently of children being sponsored. To see a 16 year old girl sponsoring two children reminds me of a time when a 10 year old girl came up to me at church one day with a zip lock bag full of coins. She had been working doing chores all week to help raise money to help a child. She had also gone around her neighborhood and collected a total of $22! I am just moved by the generosity that we have experienced by so many. Trust me when I tell you that your partnership with us is changing lives in a very dramtic way. We are all witnessing first hand kids who were hopeless being filled with joy and excitement for their future. We have come a long way and helped a lot of kids, but we have a long way to go.

We also continued to interview more children today. Word has spread around the community that we are taking in abused children. I couldn’t say no to these kids. How can I? Would Jesus turn anyone away? How can I? I heard more stories of slavery, abuse, beatings, hatred, and basically children thrown away like trash. It is heartbreaking to see a kid 10 years old who has lost both of his parents, never been to school a day in his life, being kept as a slave working in the village, not being given the very food that he is cooking for other kids and adults, being beaten every day and with no hope. Tears flow down his face as he tells us his situation just hoping that someone will help him escape a life of torture and misery. I say "hoping" and not "praying" because his first knowledge of Jesus is when I told him that we were sent by Him for the very purpose of getting him out of this situation. His eyes lit up and a smile appeared on his face.

Some of the kids absolutely lose control as they tell us about how their parents have died, chased them away or dumped them in a village where they know nobody. I just can’t say no and I’m not supposed to. Sorry Brian and Susan, our new Uganda Missions Directors! We just gave you more work to do in Uganda:)

We sat down today and looked through out notes at all of the children that we have interviewed since we arrived in early June. I knew that we had taken quite a few into the home, but I was a bit shocked to find out that our home has increased from 53 kids to 84 in only a few weeks. Well, we are totally out of room. The kids understand that some of them will have to share beds and sleep on the floor for now, but God knows and He is good. We will keep taking them in and rescuing the ones that are brought to us. We have land to build on and will be beginning that project soon. In the mean time we will be looking for a place to rent to temporarily house the additional children that will not fit it Hope.

Thanks again for your support! THEY really appreciate it! I hope these reports aren’t downers to you. They are stories of lives being turned around. Their testimonies are hard to hear, but the good news is that more lives have been changed today and I am sure more will be changed again tomorrow. What an incredible honor to be a part of this entire process! Join us in Uganda on a short or long term trip and see your life changed forever!

Mike

Show Mercy International
PO Box 607
Albany, Oregon  97321
www.showmercy.org
541-905-0791