Tender hearted inside the bush country

Idoome School - Idoome, Uganda

Vision for Africa Primary School - Buwenge, Uganda

“The portly man with the beard has the candy” has been the joke for three days. The portly man, however, is my brother. I don’t know why I started with that, but we continue to find it amusing as we sit here this evening playing poker with the Jolly Ranchers we are giving to children and pass the time with stories of the day and jokes of what is to come.

The day started off with the best gift ever, and his name was Elijah. I didn’t even have to walk out of guest housing before he walked – well a nurse walked him – into my life. The sweetest three month old that I have ever seen just appear before my eyes. Eli’s mother recently died of AIDS and two nurses from South Carolina are currently fostering him. Eli, and his twin, is the cutest and most friendly little doodles ever.

Eli, unfortunately, has been burdened with HIV. He was born with it, and has no other choice in life but to live with it. His twin does not have HIV but does have a neurological disorder, and regardless of the difficult road that is ahead for their adoptive parents, I would bring them home in a heartbeat if customs would let us across the boarder. Short in short, this set the tone for the day. The happiest child in an unfortunate circumstance that he did not ask for and cannot change, because it is all he has, moves freely and loving to anyone with a smiling face. Granted a three month old does not understand the meaning or gravity of his life as we see it, but there are so many opportunities for his life that he will never see. I guess the saddest part to me is that most of the children I have seen this week may not even reach their teenage years, not to mention realize their potential, because they will succumb to a death from disease, malnutrition, abduction, or any number of things.

I know this information is hard to swallow and more difficult to understand, but it is the truth. And, without the truth you cannot expect people to be motivated to change the current circumstance of those that cannot change it for themselves. Children are the ones without voices, so here is my voice to speak for them.

Both of today’s orphanages were located in villages deep in the bush country. And when I say deep, I mean mud roads that made backwoods Mississippi where 4-wheelers are taken out for a good “muddin” look like a city street in New York. Both villages came out and welcomed us with amazing ceremonies of tribal dance and song, faces of love and eyes of acceptance. One of the best parts of today was when a tribal woman walked up to me as I exited the bus a tied apiece of her dressing around my waist. This was a sign that I dance like a tribal woman. You will find this funny when you see the video I will post later. I told the woman, I do have a little soul for a mzungo, which is what Ugandans call white people.

Overall, I think pictures tell today’s story best. So, that is what I am going to let them do – tell the story for me with a couple of footnotes to guide you along. I hope you enjoy!

An example of the mud framed homes the people we visited live in.

A welcoming dance

Simply said, they love each other.

Idoome School Students

Smiling faces

This mzungo can dance - - watch out now! I don't think they had ever seen a mzungo that could dance with a baby on her back - see photo below.

Franco was my man from the start at Vision for Africa Primary School

Villagers in Buwenge

Best dance yet - these kids are amazing!

My buddy didn't have a shirt - literally the holes you see on each shoulder were out all across the back.

So I gave him mine.