Last night Dan and Besweri (aka B-Dubs) found the home where Auma has been staying.  I rejoice in telling you she is safe and being cared for by this household.  When first arriving at the home they started by saying they did not really know Auma, but that she helped by occasionally fetching water for them. Having been told by another that Auma was definitely staying there Dan pressed a little. He explained they weren’t there to get Auma in trouble or take her back to the Auntie. But, that we want her to know we desire to help her in whatever way we can and that, even if she is not staying with that Auntie anymore, school is still available for her.

It was after this initial conversation that the woman opened up. She explained that Auma is scared. She ran in fear of the Auntie she had been living with for the past 18+ months. She did not want anyone to know where she was in fear of it getting back to the Auntie and what she might do. Almost two years ago Auma ended up in Kampala alone. She came to meet this Auntie who offered her work as a “house-girl”, but the Auntie never paid her for the work. The Auntie told her she would get her on this program to pay school fees and that would count as her pay. Auma has been verbally, emotionally and physically abused over the past year. The Auntie has sends her to sell “pancakes” (small fried pancakes made from something like a plantain) at night in Kabalagala, which is Kampala’s red light district, and encouraged her to “get a man”. Punishments for not doing as the Auntie said involved everything from old-fashioned beatings to being cut with a dull razor blade.

I am overjoyed that we were able to find Auma…that she is safe and being cared for. I am heartbroken over what this sweet young girl has been through. I am so angry with this Auntie. She is truly evil. I want justice, but sadly there is not a thing the local police or government can or would do. If it were America this lady would be put away. Sadly, here it is just another tragedy that goes unnoticed. 

Yet still, I find peace in knowing that our God is Just and there is not a single evil act that will go unpunished.  There will come a day, but for now I must remember…I am not the judge, I am not to judge.

As time moves on I see more and more clearly why God has brought different children and families into relationship with Sojourn Church through Plant:Uganda. Praise God, Auma doesn’t just have a random lady she’d done chores for to run to. She has a church family and community who is here to come around her, eager to envelop her with Jesus, His love, His gospel.

A thousand thank you’s to all of you who have been praying with us over the past week. I ask that you would continue to pray. Pray for Auma Lukia. In all that she is been through, pray that God would give her a resilient spirit, that with love, care and encouragement she would press on, continuing to find joy in life and have success in her studies. Pray she would come to know, love and serve Jesus – the one true God. Pray for wisdom and discernment for those of us at Sojourn – that we would honor Jesus, and his church, in how we continue to deal with this situation. Pray that this Auntie’s heart could be crushed by the redemptive power of Jesus and the gospel, that she might be forever changed, turning from her evil ways.  

(above: July 2011, Auma performing a dance with her Primary 1 Level classmates)

I met Auma Lukia early last February. She is one of the 25 children we started during the first term of the 2011 school year, as part of the Plant:Uganda/Sojourn’s FDM. Auma had been living in Kampala for a year or two, she had been brought in from the village by a family that had her working as a house girl. Although she was 12 years old, Auma had never been to school before. She spoke next to no English (the official language in Uganda and only language used in schools) and could not read or write at all; but she wanted it so badly. People were hesitant saying, “she is such a big girl, going to Primary 1, she…she just can’t do that”. I still remember the joy on her face as she explained that she didn’t care what people said, she wanted to go to school, she wanted to learn. I have admired Auma very much, ever since that day.

Last year Auma worked her butt off and finished in the top half of her class. She was the biggest student in her grade, but it never fazed her, she was just so happy to be in school. Every time you see this girl she has a huge grin on her face.

I wish I were telling you about Auma to simply have you celebrate this beautiful girl, her drive to succeed, her hope for something more. Sadly, Auma Lukia is missing. She left her home on Sunday afternoon and hasn’t returned. We feel certain the family Auma lives with is not being honest with us about the situation. They’ve told us she ran away with an older man. They delayed in telling us about any of it and then only went to the police after being forcefully encouraged by some Sojourn folks. One young girl told us Auma wanted to leave because she was mistreated and abused (verbally, mostly) in that home. One of the guys from Besweri’s Community Group thought he saw her in a neighboring parish. B-Dubs and some of the guys were going to go looking for her tonight. Since Tuesday the people of Sojourn have been praying for this young girl and over the whole situation. We have tried to get word out that she can come to us, we will welcome her with love and grace and do what whatever needs to be done to find this sweet girl a place to call home. 

My heartaches thinking of Auma out there somewhere, lost, alone, scared.

Tonight at the end of our discipleship group, as we prepared to pray, we were talking about Auma. I was saying to the girls…..you may not always have the best situations at home, but at least you have some family, you have people you know care about you and would miss you and look for you if you were gone. This poor girl has no one. At least, right now she thinks she has no one.

Please join us in prayer that Auma Lukia would be found safe. Pray that truth would prevail amidst muddle of deception. Pray that the people of Sojourn would have the opportunity and privilege to show this girl what it means to be loved, cared for and looked after.

(Above: 2 weeks ago, Auma during an FDM kids meeting at Sojourn)

Life in Kampala brings the constant threat of accident, disease, illness and so on. One peril I found not to be talked about until arrival is the Mango Worm. (oh my gah, i just wiki’d it to provide a link for you people and saw that another name is “skin maggot”. i may vomit.) 

Clothes drying on the clothesline are a prime target for Mango Flies to drop their larva. Even if you have nary a tree in your compound, the threat is ever present. The larva often live in parts of the clothes that remain damp (hemlines, etc). You put on the clothes and BOOM! the little larva become worms and borrow themselves into your skin. GASP!

The menace of the Mango Worm can be easily avoided if you have a dryer. The heat kills those suckers dead. If you are one of those people who do not have a dryer (for example, me) then you can always iron your clothes. To be honest I heard of Mango Worms when I first arrived, but we had a dryer at the Morris house so it was no big deal. When the dryer broke for a time we were like, “meh, there aren’t any mango trees in our/surrounding compounds.” Then a little before they went home on furlough Loring had a mango worm scare, which (PTL) turned out to just be a pimple. It was then that the doctor told us we should ALWAYS iron our clothes if we don’t have a dryer….especially undergarments that are closest to the skin.

To be honest, the scare was temporary and sick, nasty Mango Worms quickly became an afterthought. I mean, I didn’t know anyone who had actually had one. Then a few weeks ago our friend Josh was talking about how many Mango Worms he had squeezed out of his little 3 year old daughter’s skin. It was then that I bought an iron (which remains in the box unused). A few days after that Katie was telling us how she’s done the same for Fatu. Then last week my friend’s, Molly & Cameron, were talking about how they both had several Mango Worms before they started doing their laundry at a friends house. I was horrified and thought to myself, I should really get an ironing board to go with my iron….

Well, all that brings us to Sunday. My laundry was hanging on the line all afternoon, but it had rained on and off. My friend Sunny, who is in town working through the adoption of two beautiful children, called saying her Aunt had passed away. Sunday was also the day her husband was leaving to return to work in he States. I offered to come and stay with her so she wasn’t alone. Knowing I had Tae Kwon Do in the morning I was grabbing gym clothes. Unfortunately I could not find a clean/dry sports bra. So I did what I had to do, I took a soaking wet one from the line. I figured I would hang it up when I got to Sunny’s guesthouse. Of course, my soaked sports bra was the last thing on my mind when I got to Sunny. It wasn’t until almost midnight when I was going to bed that I remembered it was balled up inside a plastic bag. I took it out and draped in on a chair. The next morning it was still soaked. I asked Sunny if they had a dryer I could use and she directed me to it while she got the kids breakfast. I came back several minutes later admitting I couldn’t figure out how to work it. I could tell she was forcing back a laugh when she asked, “Really?” (long time gone, folks. long time gone.) So anyways, what did I do? I put that soaking wet sports bra on and my mind was immediately consumed with all things Mango Worm. 

Since that day I’ve felt extra itchy. Is it actual itch I feel or is it just my brain responding to my obsessive thoughts on these disgusting creatures? I do not know the answer. Truly folks, I feel as though I was playing with fire putting on that wet sports bra. Here’s to hoping I don’t end up like this girl. 

I wish I had the time now to tell you the whole story about how Katie Borchert became randomly connected with Loring Morris. I will summarize by saying, it’s a small world after all and God is so rad how he weaves everything together for his purposes.

Katie is the founder of Lifted Uganda, which as per their website is “a way for Ugandan mothers to earn an income by using their skills and creativity. The hand sewn crafts are made with 100% Ugandan materials. All the profits go directly to the Ugandan artist mama’s so they can care for their families.” After moving to Kampala last December and connecting with Dan and Loring, Katie expressed a desire to partner with Sojourn, bringing Lifted to the ladies of Wabigalo. So rad. 

It has been really amazing to watch over the past few months as things have really started to take off with Lifted. As of now they make bibs, like for babies, but it’s soon expanding to offer additional products. I am so excited for what more the future might hold.

I know there are a lot of different companies out there with similar ideas. What I love about Lifted is it’s small and I know for a fact that 100% of the proceeds go these women. I also know how this small amount of additional income is a huge blessing to the households of these ladies. 

Couldn’t you use a bib? Maybe not for you personally, but for someone you know? I mean we all know someone with a baby or that is about to have one or who’s kid is about to have a kid…right? Help support Lifted and help bring change by empowering the women of Wabigalo.

Katie asked me to snap a few pictures of three ladies who do not yet have their own “tag” (you’ll know what I’m talking about when you buy one). I have the privilege of knowing all three of the women below personally. Not that I’ve met them, but that I know them. They are my neighbors, they are my friends, they are my community. Won’t you help support them as they work to make a difference in their lives and families?

(miriam at work on the small veranda in front of her home.)

three of miriam’s five children were peaking in on the action

jane, also at work on her veranda. she’s using her brand new sewing machine she bought with money she made selling paperbead jewelry.

that is baris, jane’s last born of 5 children, hanging on the railing behind his mom.

madina, working on some hand stitching on a vacant neighboring veranda

madina with one of her six biological children (but there are many more she has opened her home to care for and welcomed into her family). i just like this series of shots.

Sunday, Easter Sunday, I was baptized. Exciting. 

There was a time in my life I would have quickly shrugged off such news. But now, now I love baptisms. They are powerful. They are true. I cannot watch one with choking back tears. I then shout and cheer to the change that God has brought about in ones life. Despite all this, although I spent a good chunk of my young adult life far from God and the church. I had been baptized as a baby and I guess I kind of always looked to that as enough for me.

Last Tuesday morning I woke up from a dream. It was Easter at Sojourn and I was getting baptized. Dan and Loring were there and Kostya, too. It also was outside in some huge field and it was definitely not Uganda. I was looking for Loring for the longest time to tell her I decided to be baptized and finally she called me to say she was at the Fender store on Wade Avenue. I was like, “You are in Raleigh?!?!!” Anyways, my point is I had this dream and was like, weird. I shared it with Dan and Loring and left it at that, it was just a vivid crazy dream.

Wednesday is my day off and I spent my morning handwashing my dirty clothes while listening to a randomly selected sermon. It was on Matthew 3, talking about John the Baptist and Jesus’ baptism. Throughout the sermon I heard things like: 

Jesus’ baptism, in part, is about his identification with sinners. As we, in baptism, identify with Jesus in his life, death and resurrection. He who had no sin took his place among those who had no righteousness. That is the essence of what Jesus came to do. Illustrated in the very beginning of his ministry by his being baptized. 

He is modeling the obedience for his followers that he will eventually command of his followers. He begins his ministry by showing what will be central in our mission. Baptism is not something we made up, it’s not some manmade invention, it is something God made up and told every follower of his to do. Something that he’s told us to do in every nation. 

It is all throughout scripture - John the Baptist, repent and be baptized. Jesus, repent and be baptized. Peter’s first Christian sermon, repent and be baptized. The message of the New Testament, the new covenant – repent and be baptized. Turn from your sin. Trust in the Son. Rest in his righteousness.

The New Testament knows nothing of an unbaptized Christian. They don’t even exist. It’s the fruit of faith in him. Baptism is the biblical visual public picture of saving identification with Christ. Be baptized, Christian.

I became a Christian in 2008. It was then I believed. It was then that I began a life marked with repentance from sin. Yet, I was never baptized. I mean, it’s kind of embarrassing, right? Shameful even. I’m a missionary in Africa for goodness sake. This is Chrisitanity 101 stuff. What an amateur. Had the conviction of my disobedience not been so painfully clear I would have happily changed the subject in my mind and shrugged this off once again, but that did it for me. It was clear. This was happening.

Later that day I sheepishly told Dan and Loring I wanted to be baptized with the masses on Easter. As you can see from the shots below, they graciously welcomed it.

Oh, happy day!  

If you are interested in checking out the sermon on Matthew 3 you can do so here. It’s the one titled “Repentance and Resolutions”.

The guy in the clip above is David Platt. This is an exert from one his Secret Church events called Crucifixion, Salvation and the Glory of God. If you have time I’d encourage you to check out all four parts. I can’t listen to this without tearing up. For those of you who are not familiar with the passage, it is from Revelation Chapter 7, verses 9-17.

This world, our world, is impoverished by the deadening effects of sin. Brokenness is all around us. No one passes through this life without facing the pain and heartache associated with murder and slavery, sickness and suffering, hatred and falsehoods and so on.

Praise God that this is not how it ends for us. We have been given a promise. The wrong that is done in this life will not go unpunished. Physical handicaps and illness-ravaged bodies will be no more. Jesus, our Savior and King, will wipe every! tear! from! our! eyes!

There is this song by the Newsboys called “Hallelujah”. Now listen, I am not a huge fan of these guys or really Christian Pop music in general, but this song, this song definitely brings it. The song talks about as followers of Jesus “we hope and wait for the glorious day when all tears will vanish, be wiped away” and how “on the saints (meaning Christians) this day already shines”. That ultimately we will be “singing Hallelujah, at the top of our lungs, to His Glory”. Until then we are here, awaiting the call “to our true destination, to that glorious day!”

I have a friend whose mother is battling brain cancer. The road for this family has not been easy and her time in this world is nearing the end. I am a part of a message chain on Facebook from where my friend had initially sent out a blanket message asking for prayer. It has now turned into a revolving door of encouragement. I had wanted to share my own encouraging words, but couldn’t come up with anything that didn’t feel super generic or just inadequate.

So, Ainsley and family, this is my encouragement to you, although I suppose it is not mine at all, it comes from the living truth of God’s Word – Revelation 7:9-17 - on the saints this day already shines.

The following is an exert from a monthly update-ish email I send out. I know there are some folks who keep up with the goings on here, but are not on my email list. If you would like to be added let me know and I can make that happen. 

Wednesday (March 7th) I negotiated a lease on a two-room place that I will be moving into all on my own. Yep, the Morris family finally said they had enough and I’d have to go. Ha. Okay, that is absolutely, 100% a joke (the kicking me out part, not about moving out).

Many people have asked, was this something I had been planning or saw coming? No. In reflection, is it something I can see God’s providential provision leading to? Absolutely.

Allow me to share with you how this all unfolded.

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                                              Let me start out by saying this is one of those topics I’d rather not offer my opinion on.  I first saw people posting on Facebook and Twitter about Kony 2012 on Thursday and I bit my tongue. Then Friday it was EVERYWHERE and I felt compelled to share this article on Facebook. I received several responses from friends asking for my thoughts. So, here you go.

No doubt, if I was still living in the States, and had not spent the past 14 months in Uganda, I would have been all up on this bandwagon. I bought the Invisible Children t-shirt, I’ve given the bracelets to friends, I’m totally that guy. I am not posting this to start a debate. I do not wish to attack anyone, but simply want to offer some insight, as a person who is on the ground, for all my well meaning friends who are just like I used to be - caring, generous, but a little ill-informed.

You see, there are a number of organizations I’ve gained a new perspective on that before living in Uganda I was totally behind. After living here, talking to Ugandan friends who have worked with and around certain US based aid organization, I’ve seen how more often than not - things do not actually play out in the way you would think. In addition to this, experience has taught me that, a lot of the time, people would rather not know that. They are happy to be a part of something that is “making the world a better place” and, especially, when it comes to “helping the poor children in Africa”. I am not hating on these things/people/etc, as I said, I was that guy. It’s just the past year I’ve spent here has been an eye opening experience and I feel obliged to share.

I do want to be clear, I think Joseph Kony is an evil man. The atrocities he led for years on the people of Northern Uganda were inhuman and, I believe, he should face judgment for it. LRA thugs killed Scovia’s parents when she was just a baby and Paska, her biological Aunt, (who I wrote about here) fled with her to Kampala. I’ve shared a room with Scovia for the past 7 months. I love her dearly. It pains my heart to think she was robbed of ever knowing the mother and father who birthed and loved her as a baby. This is just one of countless devastating stories from the LRA’s heyday in Northern Uganda. I am in no way attempting to refute the claim that Joseph Kony is a monster. I think everyone is in agreement of this fact.

Here’s my beef with the whole thing. When the footage for the first IC video was taken Gulu was a different place. Hear me folks, that is not the Gulu today. Northern Uganda is not the war torn, rebel devastated place it once was. Children no longer move around in fear of abduction. Men and women work the fields without worrying of a looming attack from rebel soldiers. Like, get this people, Gulu is even a good place. It’s a lovely, bustling and growing city. Is that surprising? I feel like this would be quite surprising, especially to people who are getting all of their information from IC. No doubt in my mind some of the credit for the change this area has seen definitely goes to IC for the work they did to expose the issues in Northern Uganda to a worldwide audience. BUT, it seems to me that these guys have worked themselves out of a job! This is absolutely something to celebrate! Right? The sad thing is, that is not what’s happening. Instead millions of dollars are poured into a (in my opinion) misleading video marketing campaign. Why? So IC can stay relevant.

I’ve read IC’s response to the critics, it doesn’t offer me any peace of mind and frankly brings confirmation to the claims in articles like this and this. I’m not trying to be a hater. Really, I’m not. I just wish if they were going to pour all their time, money and effort into a campaign that does an amazing job getting all of the western world behind them it would paint a more legit picture of what is going on. Additionally, I encourage all of you - if you are going to spend your money and time in support of a cause educate yourself on what organizations are available, how they spending their money and what exactly it is they do on the ground.

As you can see from this picture, Ronnie is adorable.

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