Love - It Is That Simple

Afayo- it means; He cares. It is not a love and care for others that we can give in our own strength; but a love that overflows from the spirit within us to others. It is something that I am constantly praying for more of.  Somedays I feel I only have enough to share with my family. It happens on the not so great homeschool days, when all of us would rather skip class and head outside to play. On dry season afternoons, when the heat exceeds 95 degrees and your legs drip with sweat, when all you are doing is sitting in a chair. And then there is a day we head out to the village and sit with a young woman named Harriet. She holds a small baby girl who is struggling to thrive. She is not the one who produced this baby, but the baby of her co-wife, who has died in labor. This is the 11^th little one she is now caring for. Some of these little ones sit around us, curiously watching the muzugos (white people) who have come to their village. She seems to really love this sweet baby, which is not typical in this culture; to care for someone else’s baby. Two month old, baby Margaret,  has been spoon fed cows milk and seems to be struggling to breathe. We are able to provide her formula and transport her and the baby to the nearest clinic. There is no doctor in the area. The nurse gives baby Margaret a quick look over and prescribes the meds. Before we leave Harriet, we make sure to share how much God loves this baby and how wonderful that she is caring for her. Harriet is beaming. Thank you God for love that overflows.

We then sit with a grandmother of the village who appears to be in her 90’s, has an obvious eye problem, and can no longer straighten her back when she stands. She lifts her shirt to show us her back and makes a facial expression to show she is in pain. She talks to us in Lusoga as if we understand, with a smile that doesn't leave her face. We enter her small home, dirt floor, chicken eggs in the corner. She asks us to pray with her. We give them some sugar and they do a little dance, eyes lit, full smiles. We pray healing for the grandmother. When we are ready to leave, she gives us the two chicken eggs that are in the corner of her tiny home as her appreciation.
And then this week. An eleven year old, neglected, repeatedly defiled by her father, sleeping with chickens and pigs, body full of jiggers. Our hearts break. I wish we could scoop her up, take her into our home and love her. Unfortunately, it is not that easy. Chris and our teammate attended a Soul Hope training last week. It wasn't by coincidence that we received a call soon after from a policewoman, sharing the devastating news of this precious child. The police gather the documents for a protection order so that we may bring her to the place called Sole Hope. A place that is not only experienced in removing jiggers; but does so while sharing the love of Jesus. This little girl was craving love. When we picked her up, she was smiling, beaming, giggling! It was as if the Lord had given her this miraculous gift of JOY despite all the unbelievable trauma she has been through. Today we received the news that they had removed around 300 jiggers from her body. She will stay at soul hope for about 2 weeks. Please pray doors will open for a place for her to stay where she will be loved and cherished.
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We are excited to begin developing trusting relationships with the people of Naigobya. Chris has spent some time with the children, playing sports, and discipling along with it. Pray for us as we share the love their Father has for them,

The Afayo team has been studying what God says about discipleship during our weekly Bible studies. Here is an excerpt from the book, Multiply, we are using;

Making disciples isn't about gathering pupils to listen to your teaching. The real focus isn't on teaching people at all- the focus is on loving them. Jesus's call to make disciples includes teaching people to be obedient followers of Jesus, but the teaching isn't the end goal. Ultimately it's all about being faithful to God's call to love the people around you. It's about loving those people enough to help them see their need to love and obey God. It's about bringing them to the Savior and allowing Him to set them free from the power of sin and death and transform them into loving followers of Jesus Christ....So the question is, how much do you care about the people around you? ....Do you love them and long for them to glorify God in every aspect of their lives?

Christian, Patrick, and Isaac

Stacey with baby Margaret

We have been blessed to see God at work in the lives of 4  young people that we met in Soroti; 1 year ago.

Isaac is our foster son. He has been with our family for about a year now. We are so thankful we said YES to the Lords promptings to have him stay with us. He has brought our family Joy. There have been hard times and struggles, Yes…for sure, and times we wondered if we had done the right thing; but to see what God has done in this young boys life, is so worth it. Isaac decided on his own, a few weeks ago, that he wanted to be baptized. We went as a team to Sipi Falls and he was baptized there! We had been desiring to send Isaac to Mto Myoni for the past 6 months, and now there was a month long class; the timing was perfect. He was excited to go. The class is for youth who have been through difficult things. There were many street children and orphans who were part of the month long program. They teach about an orphans heart, their identity in Christ, idols and strongholds, their Fathers love for them, walking in the Spirit and much more;  I’m sure I didn’t touch on all they taught and worked through with these youth.  Isaac left this place with a joy and peace we had never seen in him before. God is continuing to work in his heart. 2 days ago, we went to his village in Bukedea to visit his relatives. There are things that Isaac should never have had to go through. There are many people who owe him an apology; but he desired peace in his heart. He went to them to say he was sorry for what happened. He left with a feeling of freedom. The anger, unforgiveness and bitterness, for certain people, which satan used as a stronghold in his life; was lifted! Praise God! I have never seen him leave his village with joy before. He had a smile on his face as we pulled out of the village. Thank you for your prayers! Please praise God with us for what He is doing! Below are pictures from Isaacs baptism at Sipi Falls.

Jorem was also able to attend Mto Myoni. He is a different young man than the one we met at our gate a year ago! He is awaiting his S4 results (expected Feb. 20) and hoping to attend nursing school if the finances are there. Esther is also awaiting her S6 results and hoping and praying for the opportunity to go to University in August! She has been staying with us for last couple of weeks and is like a big sister to our girls. She is working for our teammate now and staying in Kaliro, so we will be able to spend more time with her!

Esther at her parents graveside during a visit we took to her village

Peter, Isaac, and Jorem by the Nile river on the last day of Mto Myoni

And our friend Patrick. He is staying with us in Kaliro and helping us as a guard during the day. Patrick was also recently baptized! He has a beautiful testimony and we can not wait to see how God is going to use him. He has been taking care of the Farming God's Way garden at our home and has already had 2 others ask him to teach him FGW! 

Patrick, Trayton, and Chloe gathering mulch for the FGW garden at our home in Kaliro....oh and don't forget flat stanley:) All the way from Grandville Michigan..he's coming back soon!