Day 6 June 30th

Thursday June 30^th 11:16

I have not gotten used to the smells, the driving, the bugs or sleeping under mosquito nets.

I do love the people. They are usually very friendly, generous and hospitible. I love how affordable everything is. But most of all I am so encouraged by the faith in Christ these people have shown us. They truly worship Jesus. Our hearts were all deeply moved yesterday by the chidren in the prison worshipping Christ. They worship God in song, dance, in servitude and humility and the most spirit led prayers. The fall on their knees.

My senses are challenged being here. I enjoy cleanliness around me and everything is dirty. I enjoy taking a shower and feeling clean but within minutes I feel sticky, dirty and itchy. I have a hard time with foul smells and to be honest, there is a lot that smells bad to me. There are hard things to see, feel, touch, taste and hear for sure. At this time in my life God has not called me to live in Uganda but I do love the people. I especially love the 3 men that I met today.

Today we went to Pillars of Hope. Please look it up and consider giving to this ministry.

Godfrey, Peter and David warmly greeted us today as we came to their facility. They are AMAZING men of God with HUGE hearts for the children that are living on the streets of Jinga, Uganda. A few years ago they saw this need and God told them to do something about it. Just like God finds us out, they go to the children in the evening or at night and speak to them and love on them. The children have now begun to recognize these evangelists and call them “Uncle”. The children here will call you “Auntie Rebecca” or “Mama” sometimes. They call the men they love “Uncle”.

As you can imagine, the kids on the street are very vulnerable. They do not go to school. They beg for money, steal, or “scrap” (they find things to sell like metal scrap). They are exposed to violence, abuse, kidnapping, death and drugs. Most of these kids have been abandoned, orphaned or with a parent that cannot support them at all. Alex was in school and at home doing well. His father could no longer pay for school so Alex went and lived on the streets to see if he could make money to pay for his own schooling. The children are taken advantage of so easily and Alex started using drugs. David and Godfrey started to minister to Alex and he is now a leader among the other children at Pillars of Hope.

Mission of Pillars of Hope : To empower street kids, orphans and vulnerable children as well as the most disadvantaged people in order to become self sustaining and live a life for the Lord.

Several of the mothers of these street kids are prostitutes. Pillars ministers to the whole family and have led some women to Christ and they are now out of that profession and making money weaving or jewlery making. They believe that what the child hears and sees greatly affects their character. They are praying for a place to house these children. They currently send them to school and then they come to the Pillars of Hope facility. But, they go home to sleep. If their mothers are in the sex trade business, these men are in their homes and the kids are getting abused. The work Pillars does could have a much greater sustainability if the kids were not in those awful living conditions or just back out sleeping on the street.

There is also a lot of witch craft in Uganda. Street kids and orphans are being abucted at night on the streets and beheaded for sacrifices. There are child sacrifices here. THIS IS REAL. The devil wants to destroy this place and from the looks of it he is doing a good job. BUT, there is so much good here as well. He has perfectly ordained fearless, Godly men and women to do his job here on earth.