"Black or white, we all have a
story to tell," Stella humbly prayed one night in closing prayer. The
amount of truth this statement held left tears streaming down my face. The Lord
has led each one of us on a journey that has resulted in a story to tell. It's
time to step forth confidently and tell your story. My story. It doesn't have
to be pretty. It doesn't have to flow like a steady stream. Mine for sure does not. But it does have to be told. Because The Lord has done mighty things.
And the good news is He isn't finished. He is refining our stories daily. We
are all a work in progress, but whether you are living a middle class life in
America or fighting for your life in a third-world country, we all have one
thing in common--a Father who loves us unconditionally and is writing a
beautiful story of redemption on each one of our lives.
The plane flights start to drag by
slower and slower the closer you get. It doesn't matter how many times you make
this flight, your heart is overwhelmingly excited to see the faces and hug the
ones you hold so close in what has become another place I find myself calling
home. May has become the month of celebration here at Sozo. On May 13th, we
celebrated a special 3rd birthday. This date represents the day the doors of
our first home at Sozo in Uganda opened initially. 17 children. No clue what
the next step looked like. Just raw obedience. Some days i close my eyes and
try to imagine what that day looked like for Allen and Jay. The countless emotions
that raced, the nerves, the unknown and yet still the peace that truly does
surpass all understanding rested on them at the end of that day. A leap of
faith, to say the least, but one that resulted in a domino effect of seeing 69
children growing, loving and excelling in a consistent home that was grounded
in The Lord. We fully rely daily on the guidance from the Holy Spirit to lead
us in the way we should go and we call upon patience, understanding, mercy and
Christ's love with each day that passes. But we are seeing the fruit that has
resulted in the way these sweet lives have been invested into over the last 3
years.
"I discovered an astonishing
truth; God is attracted to weakness. He can't resist those who humbly and
honestly admit how desperately they need him." --Jim Cymbala
I was privileged with the
opportunity to spend about 18 days back in Uganda during the month of May. Each
time I return, it hits me on another level that I am truly watching these
precious lives grow up right before my eyes. I've seen Mercy go from having a
huge space in that sweet smile from losing her first few baby teeth, to seeing
a little white speck peak through her gums, to now seeing a tooth poking out.
I've seen Big Eddie go from being withdrawn when he is in a group of people, to
him now dancing, clapping and singing in devotion. I've watched many of our
boys and girls in house 3 step up and proactively take part in being leaders
within the house. I've seen what appeared to be little girls and boys just a
few months ago become young women and men overnight. I consider this a
blessing.
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I was there with Zub on his
first day eating at the house. On this February day i will not soon forget, we
had to teach him to stir his food together, followed by teaching him how to eat
his food with a fork, as it became increasingly obvious that the act of
partaking in a hot meal served in a bowl was something that had not been
readily present in his life. This truth was evident by one glance at his
swollen belly and protruding chest--he was malnourished in every sense.
Physically, emotionally and spiritually. He scarfed his food down like he was
in an eating competition. He was hesitant to allow anyone to show him
affection, then once that wall came down, he clung tighter to my neck with each
hug that was given. But, oh dear friends, the transformation that can take
place, by the grace of God, in just a matter of a few short months. When I saw
him in May, he had grown taller, he was speaking more English, he was eating
like a growing boy should be and that sweet belly of his was going down. After
he was diagnosed and treated for worms, malaria and typhoid fever on one of my
first few days back, the road to being a healthy and growing 8 year old boy was
back in full swing.
He sat in my lap on the way to church as we piled in like
sardines in our taxi my last Sunday in Uganda. He watched out the window as we
passed the hundreds of people carrying on with their everyday lives on the
streets of Uganda. The market. The hair saloon. The butcher. MTN minute booths.
And his eyes stayed fixed out the window the whole time. He was lost in a gaze
and I immediately began to think about what all he had seen in his short 8
years of life. What his everyday life consisted of prior to Sozo. Had he been
told "I love you" before he was daily loved, hugged and kissed on within
the safe walls of our compound, or more importantly does he know that he has a
Heavenly Father that adores him and longs to have a relationship with him. What
did he do when he was scared? Who comforted or took care of him when he was
sick?
And then just as quickly as those questions raced through my mind about
sweet Subaria(Zub), I began thinking about each one of our children. The
neglect, the rejection, the lack of love that was a reality in one way or
another for each one of them during their childhood. Oh, how I hope to never quickly forget that every single one of our children have walked in shoes that we cannot even begin to fathom. At one time they drank impure water. At one time they went days without food. And at one time they too did not know if they would ever escape the nightmare they were living. How blessed I feel that
The Lord allows us to be His hands and His feet to the precious lives that He
has so carefully entrusted to us.
And oh how special the day was that
we journeyed over bumpy dirt roads and gracefully made our way through mud pits
formed by a morning downpour out to the 60+ acres of land we are eagerly
waiting to purchase. For the first time, I physically set my eyes on the land that
we are ever so confident The Lord has called Sozo to claim as home.
This will
soon be the foundation that The Sozo Village will be built upon. I've seen
pictures. I've seen video. I've heard numerous stories told about the
incredible families in the community that surrounds. But as we looked over this
open space covered with the greenest grass I've ever seen in Africa, rolling
hills that looked like they were made to scurry to the top, followed by rolling
back down like you are reliving one of your childhood afternoons in the summer
and the beautiful Lake Victoria that borders one side of the land. It left me
breathless. It already felt like home. And as much as I thought that I loved
that land prior to pulling up to it, this was trumped by an urgency and longing
for the day the land has been paid in full and has the name 'Sozo Children'
written across the top of the titles for this land.
Dear friends, it's evident
that His hand is all over The Village Project and He gets every bit of honor
and glory for what has already been accomplished, and the exciting days that
lie ahead of us. Some ask why there is such an urgency to raise the remaining
funds needed to purchase this piece of land and to begin building on it. We are
urgent because there are thousands of lives waiting to have a faith family for
the very first time. Oh how precious that first Sunday service will be at the
first building to go up, the church. We are urgent because of the amount
of souls waiting to hear about a Savior who paid the ultimate price for them,
as love kept Him nailed to that cross. Oh how I can hardly wait to hear the
angels rejoice as the lost sheep return Home one by one. Salvation awaits.
We
are urgent because of the hundreds of lives that are waiting to call Sozo
home. We have already began praying for safety, protection and a persistent hope
for those who will soon be told "Tubatwala Walungi"(We are taking you to a better place). Oh how
unforgettable and uniquely distinct each day will be that The Lord allows us to
"sozo" just one more.
We are urgent because there are many like
this sweet little girl on the left who shook violently, as her body was
overtaken by fever and chills. There isn't a medical clinic anywhere in this
village or even within walking distance to her home. How vital will a medical
clinic be to this community? A medical clinic that will provide for immediate
needs but at the end of the day pointing these lives to the Ultimate Physician.
And lastly, we are urgent because the nearest school for these children in the
community to attend is at least 5 miles away and must be reached by foot. Once
they arrive to school, they are in classrooms where the student to teacher
ratio is anywhere from 150-200 students for every 1 teacher. You read that
correctly, ONE teacher. These children need an opportunity to thrive within a
classroom setting and receive an education.
The possibilities are endless. The
dreams that are building within the lives of our children who are currently in
house and those who are still to come, are vital and important. The Lord has
stirred the desire within us to see this carried out unto completion. Will you
join the journey with us? Will you prayerfully consider contributing to the
purchasing of this piece of land? Will you play a part by investing into the
lives of the future leaders of Uganda?? How I pray The Lord will nudge you to
make a move today. To play an important part in the story that The Lord is
daily writing at Sozo.
I am enthralled by the Lord's love
and plans for Sozo with each page that turns....
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