Last month, our teenager daughter, Sarah, went with an adult mission group overseas to Uganda to serve and also learn from abandoned and orphaned children who have found refuge at the Lulwanda Children's Home. She served as worship leader for the team.
To say the least, it was certainly a life-changing experience for Sarah. But her stories have continued to impact us (her parents and brother), too, at home. I recently interviewed her for a Purely Parenting blog post about her experience in Africa:
Sarah, you knew that going to Uganda would be quite an adventure. What drew you particularly to the many abandoned and orphaned children at Lulwanda?
Well, the “adventurous” aspect of the experience was very appealing, for sure. I live for those kinds of experiences. As far as these children go, I had been aware of Lulwanda for about a year and a half and had always felt drawn to them somehow. They are beautiful, beautiful children, obviously, so when I received pictures of them after working for various fundraisers, I would tape those beautiful pictures to my bedroom door. Consequently, I had been looking at these kids’ smiling faces every day for more than a year. Aside from that, I had always felt called to Africa--I just didn’t know why. So you can imagine my ecstasy when I learned about a trip to Lulwanda. I knew God had some secret for me in Uganda, and I was determined for Him to reveal it to me--which He did, through the kids.
You had prepared for this trip for a few months. Still, what things surprised you right off the bat upon first meeting the kids?
When I first arrived at Lulwanda, I expected that I would have to approach the children and introduce myself. I was used to the five year olds back I had met back home who play the “shy role” and have to warm up to you first. However, I was not at Lulwanda for five minutes before I had been hugged by 90 adoring children, the most hospitable and generous beings I have ever encountered. Though once bombarded by grief and abandonment, my kids at Lulwanda show no signs of pain. Their joy is in the Lord alone. I was very surprised that I could sit with a group of 4 year olds and do NOTHING with them, yet they were still entertained! No electronics, no games--just the simplicity of life and satisfying fellowship. I would see a 3-year-old baby named Sarah sit in church for 4 hours without even stirring. Also, most Ugandan children kneel to you when they meet you, a very humbling experience. Their respect and selflessness is incomparable and inspiring to all who witness it.
What did you learn from laughing with them and spending quality time with them?
Prior to my trip, I was guilty of constructing my prayers for the general “cause of Africa.” Though I knew many of these kids’ names and even their faces, I did not have a personal relationship with them; I didn’t previously know the sound of Gift’s laugh (a precious young girl) or that David Lucky (a beautiful boy) would be obsessed with my camera. Now, those kids in Africa have become "my" kids. I now look back at the prayers I prayed before I left for Uganda and try to imagine what I thought I was praying for. I now understand why God is so adamant that we have a personal relationship with Him--that we have to strive to remain in prayer, to grow in Him daily. Without that level of intimacy with Him, there is no claiming His passion as mine.
More personally, I learned about myself by spending time with these kids--that I am more in touch with my own desires than God’s--and that hinders my living “life to the full.” My heart is still with those children--Wycliffe, Grace Faith, Siraji, and all 90 Lulwanda kids; and it’s beating for the God that we serve together.
How does the kids’ faith in Christ impact their lives?
To put it simply, their faith gives them freedom--freedom from death, freedom for grief, freedom from fear, freedom from loneliness--all of this is found in their deeply-rooted faith in Jesus Christ. No one else could turn such mourning into such wild dancing--such beautiful songs. Their sadness of being abandoned has gone because God has held onto His children and the Lulwanda children have clung to His promises.
Have you absorbed anything from this experience so far that might affect your own parenting one day?
I have learned that you can give your child all the opportunities in the world, all the money, fancy things, and even memories. However, children are far more simplistic, by nature, than Americans allow them to be. They require Jesus; they require love. For this reason, a check sent to Kenya or Zambia will feed a child, and yes, that is important. But what really impacts these kids is that you hold them and kiss the top of their head, that you know them by name. I can honestly say I adore my kids at Lulwanda more than anything in the world and would do anything for them; and in that statement I receive God’s little secret--that’s how He feels about me.
How can families help the effort at Lulwanda Children’s home? What would you like to see happen?
Go to http://www.ugandaorphans.org/ and pray to see if God wants you to sponsor a child at Lulwanda. More importantly, I would ask that every family would make an effort to cover these kids in prayer, not just Lulwanda kids, but all kids in need--not just for the “cause of Africa” but because these children are God’s children and, thus, your brothers and sisters. They are honestly the most beautiful creatures I have ever seen and they deserve your time and prayers. It is a mighty prayer to pray for every child in Africa. But we serve a mighty God, and I believe with all that I am that He has never taken His eyes off of one child in Africa and He never will.
I would like for people in America to learn from our brothers and sisters in Uganda, to understand what life can be like when it is grounded in God’s desires and not our own. My life, my heart, my goals, everything has been changed in one summer. God works fast. I know that my service in Uganda is far from over; and more importantly I know that the Kingdom of God has room for every child in Africa, because with God, there are no orphans.
To say the least, it was certainly a life-changing experience for Sarah. But her stories have continued to impact us (her parents and brother), too, at home. I recently interviewed her for a Purely Parenting blog post about her experience in Africa:
Sarah, you knew that going to Uganda would be quite an adventure. What drew you particularly to the many abandoned and orphaned children at Lulwanda?
Well, the “adventurous” aspect of the experience was very appealing, for sure. I live for those kinds of experiences. As far as these children go, I had been aware of Lulwanda for about a year and a half and had always felt drawn to them somehow. They are beautiful, beautiful children, obviously, so when I received pictures of them after working for various fundraisers, I would tape those beautiful pictures to my bedroom door. Consequently, I had been looking at these kids’ smiling faces every day for more than a year. Aside from that, I had always felt called to Africa--I just didn’t know why. So you can imagine my ecstasy when I learned about a trip to Lulwanda. I knew God had some secret for me in Uganda, and I was determined for Him to reveal it to me--which He did, through the kids.
You had prepared for this trip for a few months. Still, what things surprised you right off the bat upon first meeting the kids?
When I first arrived at Lulwanda, I expected that I would have to approach the children and introduce myself. I was used to the five year olds back I had met back home who play the “shy role” and have to warm up to you first. However, I was not at Lulwanda for five minutes before I had been hugged by 90 adoring children, the most hospitable and generous beings I have ever encountered. Though once bombarded by grief and abandonment, my kids at Lulwanda show no signs of pain. Their joy is in the Lord alone. I was very surprised that I could sit with a group of 4 year olds and do NOTHING with them, yet they were still entertained! No electronics, no games--just the simplicity of life and satisfying fellowship. I would see a 3-year-old baby named Sarah sit in church for 4 hours without even stirring. Also, most Ugandan children kneel to you when they meet you, a very humbling experience. Their respect and selflessness is incomparable and inspiring to all who witness it.
What did you learn from laughing with them and spending quality time with them?
Prior to my trip, I was guilty of constructing my prayers for the general “cause of Africa.” Though I knew many of these kids’ names and even their faces, I did not have a personal relationship with them; I didn’t previously know the sound of Gift’s laugh (a precious young girl) or that David Lucky (a beautiful boy) would be obsessed with my camera. Now, those kids in Africa have become "my" kids. I now look back at the prayers I prayed before I left for Uganda and try to imagine what I thought I was praying for. I now understand why God is so adamant that we have a personal relationship with Him--that we have to strive to remain in prayer, to grow in Him daily. Without that level of intimacy with Him, there is no claiming His passion as mine.
More personally, I learned about myself by spending time with these kids--that I am more in touch with my own desires than God’s--and that hinders my living “life to the full.” My heart is still with those children--Wycliffe, Grace Faith, Siraji, and all 90 Lulwanda kids; and it’s beating for the God that we serve together.
How does the kids’ faith in Christ impact their lives?
To put it simply, their faith gives them freedom--freedom from death, freedom for grief, freedom from fear, freedom from loneliness--all of this is found in their deeply-rooted faith in Jesus Christ. No one else could turn such mourning into such wild dancing--such beautiful songs. Their sadness of being abandoned has gone because God has held onto His children and the Lulwanda children have clung to His promises.
Have you absorbed anything from this experience so far that might affect your own parenting one day?
I have learned that you can give your child all the opportunities in the world, all the money, fancy things, and even memories. However, children are far more simplistic, by nature, than Americans allow them to be. They require Jesus; they require love. For this reason, a check sent to Kenya or Zambia will feed a child, and yes, that is important. But what really impacts these kids is that you hold them and kiss the top of their head, that you know them by name. I can honestly say I adore my kids at Lulwanda more than anything in the world and would do anything for them; and in that statement I receive God’s little secret--that’s how He feels about me.
How can families help the effort at Lulwanda Children’s home? What would you like to see happen?
Go to http://www.ugandaorphans.org/ and pray to see if God wants you to sponsor a child at Lulwanda. More importantly, I would ask that every family would make an effort to cover these kids in prayer, not just Lulwanda kids, but all kids in need--not just for the “cause of Africa” but because these children are God’s children and, thus, your brothers and sisters. They are honestly the most beautiful creatures I have ever seen and they deserve your time and prayers. It is a mighty prayer to pray for every child in Africa. But we serve a mighty God, and I believe with all that I am that He has never taken His eyes off of one child in Africa and He never will.
I would like for people in America to learn from our brothers and sisters in Uganda, to understand what life can be like when it is grounded in God’s desires and not our own. My life, my heart, my goals, everything has been changed in one summer. God works fast. I know that my service in Uganda is far from over; and more importantly I know that the Kingdom of God has room for every child in Africa, because with God, there are no orphans.
Note from Brett: As parents, we have prayed for our two children since Kellie was first pregnant with each of them. However, it may be possible that we have never prayed with as much ongoing intensity for Sarah as we did when she was on the other side of the world in Uganda. In fact, for two weeks, we were on "Uganda time" here in Houston, praying and wondering how things were going for our Sarah, the missionary group, and the children at Lulwanda. Needless to say, God moved so mightily through this experience--even for our own family in so many unexpected ways. We, too, have fallen in love with Sarah's "kids". We couldn't be more grateful to the Lord for the transformational impact on each of us so far as a result of trusting Him....and how this trip will continue to influence our family in the future.
