Saturday was a good day. I met up with Joy and we walked down to Buloba Community Church at 10 to meet my sponsor kids. I had walked down there on Thursday because Sarah from the ARM office told them I was coming but ended up just arranging time for Saturday. My little Girl Resty was there waiting for me. She skipped school. I was sad that I had made her miss school all day only to arrive late in the day but my day had been loaded up. I got to see Esther and Pastor Eva while I was there and some of the others hanging around the school. My boy Rahman was in class there at the Ebenezer school that the church has but I did not wish to pull him out.
So Saturday Resty and her grandmother Ruth arrived and Rahman came by himself. We talked for a bit and then broke out the presents. I try to get them gifts they will like and use and enjoy. I thought Rahman's favorite color was red because he is ALWAYS in it but he told me he likes yellow. Thankfully I had picked out some yellow things and Becky Gaston's little girl who assisted in shopping for my kids had picked some yellow as well! Rahman wore one of his yellow shirts to church on Sunday. The other worry I always have is size. But thankfully everything I brought fit or was a bit to big. yahh!
Resty and Rahman were so excited about every single thing I took out of my bag to add to their pile. Resty's grandmother cheered when I brought out the pens and pencils. She is very poor and struggles to provide for Resty when she is with her (I found out Resty is moved from her home to her parents which creates much instability).
We (Joy and I) walked Rahman home to insure that he would make it home with all of his things. He walked so fast, with a spring in his step and a smile on his face all the way home. We spent probably up to an hour at his home. His older sister and younger sister and brother ended up coming back after a bit. His mother was down the hill toward the swamp area washing clothes. She does laundry for other people as a job. His dad works down in Buloba town center and drives a boda boda. That would be a motorcycle taxi.
He loved loved his glow in the dark hexbug and laughed so much at it running around. His little brother was very afraid of it and would run away from it. He opened a wooden top I had for him thinking it was candy. I realized I had some jelly belly's in my bag so I got them out and shared them. He was telling us what flavors he had.
We looked over a lot of the photos in my phone of friends and family. He loved watching every video I had in there and thought Sarah Chandlers son saying "Hey!!" after I said "Waaaaar Eagle!" was hilarious. And He loved Sporty's kids dressed as spiderman and supergirl. He loves super heros it seems…guess that is universal.
One thing that I have realized anew this trip is just how much writing your sponsor children means to them. They cherish knowing you remember them. And how just sending ten dollars a month for family needs in addition to their sponsorship will do for the family. So many basic things these families struggle to have…Rahman has 6 people in his family and they live in a two room home that is probably 25 ft by 10 or 15. That is it. And I realized that often we recieve letters and it says the same thing…it's because that is their life! Rarely do they ever have anything different. Every day they get up do chores, go to school, go home. chores. eat bed. Sunday Church. They don't go on vacations or very few ever leave their village area. Many have never been in a car or even a boda boda. They eat the same exact thing every day. The variety that exists in our lives in the US is extraordinary to them. So the vanilla flavor their letters tend to have is simply because there is not much change in their world other than birth or death of someone or what they are learning at school and church.
I apologiezed to both of my kids that I don't write them often enough. And promised to write them more. Simply to remind them that they are not forgotten and they are prayed for and loved daily. Especially for Rahman's family that is muslim. Thankfully my presence in Buloba has drawn her to church service twice now. I am thankful that she wasn't there on Saturday and took up the invitation to come on Sunday. More on that later.
Oh and please note- I represented with My Auburn hat (i won at the AUWBB game :) but as it always has been- we lost when I am Uganda. I solely take the blame. Happens every time I have been here and there is a game. haha
And sporty- THIS is an avacado. And a smaller one here in Uganda. Lydia's hand is way bigger than mine…just to give you some avacado perspective.
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