questions and encouragement.

Last night as Ruco and I were lying in bed, I was watching him edit his photos. I do this a lot..just watch him. His love of creating is so intriguing to me (lately it's his garden he is obsessed with.)
As I was watching him, he started telling me all about the people in the photos, whom he had met that day. One baby in particular was so severely mal-nourished. His little legs were just bones. I have held babies like this in Karamoja-babies who look to be infants only a few weeks old, but the parents tell you they are 12 months or older. The skin on their little bodies hangs in folds, and they seem so apathetic and lethargic. It breaks my heart.
The last couple of weeks, I have been thinking a lot about the people here in Karamoja. I sit on these benches behind Mt. Moroto Hotel, and I think about all the people who live up high on those peaks. I think about the food rations they receive from WFP (World Food Program) through Samaritan’s Purse, and if it is really enough. I was imagining the other day all those who don’t have enough to eat, and those who lose children because of mal-nutrition and disease. Then I started wondering about whether or not God cares about those things or about these people in Uganda. If God really loves us so much, why do people not have enough to eat and why do some people suffer so much?At that moment, I was overwhelmed by the physical feeling of the love of our Father. He reminded me in that instant, that everything he does is because He loves us. Love is His motivation for any discipline. Love was His motivation for sending His son to die for me. He has never once forsaken me, but instead recklessly chases after me. Then I started thinking about my sin and the way I repeatedly break His heart even though he loves me more than I could ever grasp…and I thought…hasn’t God made it so that there is more than enough food for all the people on this earth, and for the people in Karamoja? There is beyond plenty…there is an abundance! But it’s us as human beings that prevent everyone on this earth from having enough food to eat. And isn’t so much of the pain in this earth self-inflicted? God has given us free will, and we have sinned against Him and broken His heart. We are so selfish...I am so incredibly selfish. Doesn’t it just take caring about other people as much as I care about myself for the world to really change? Doesn’t it just take realizing that EVERY SINGLE action I take affects other people? God did show perfect love when He was here on this earth…what do I show? I do care about the Ugandan people, and people around the world who are suffering very, very much…but I care about myself first (and my own full belly!!!) It was definitely a moment of clarification for me…to realize that it isn’t God to blame, but it’s our sinful nature as people.
I realize that for me, babies who are suffering from mal-nutrition is a reality that is staring me in the face every single day. So of course I would be compassionate to the needs here. But today, I came across a blog written by a girl who lives in Pensacola-a girl that went to high school with me. I was so encouraged by her heart for orphans, and the things she does even from Pensacola to help! She wrote a blog about how she would ship some of her excess breast milk to Africa for orphaned children. I have never heard of this, but I was hugely encouraged by it!
Last year, while Ruco and I were living in "The Gambia," there was a little boy named Bakary who had lost his mother in our village. His grandmother was raising him, and while she tried very hard (and I also tried,) Bakary was so severely mal-nourished from not receiving breast milk, that he passed away while we were there. I remember asking, "why can't someone cross-nurse or wet-nurse for this baby??" I told our language teacher that I thought Bakary was going to die. But I received no response. I later learned that there was some kind of stigma against cross-nursing and that the other women in our village would not do it. So needless to say after that experience, and then after reading the blog today, I realize that there is a HUGE need/gap. And it was so encouraging to read about this girl's amazing heart for orphans, and the things she and her husband do to put the needs of others before themselves!!
I guess I was not only encouraged, but I was also challenged. Obviously I cannot donate breast milk. :) But I am HERE. I live amongst such need, and I think God has been showing me that I really need to get CREATIVE (like my awesome hubby,) be willing and able, and REALLY put the needs of others before myself.
Ruco also read from Luke 6:27-31 this week during our morning devotions in the office. God is really speaking to my heart!!

mother and cute babe

lots of older siblings are the care-takers because mom is primary bread-winner in home