Smiles

We continue to pour out love on the community here. The variety of ways that Show Mercy supports the poor here is great. As teams continue to come through the base, there is always man power to accomplish a large number of goals. So, for me, I have enjoyed the honor of serving in many beautiful ways, but also in building relationships with the people in these villages. I have learned quite a bit about Ugandan culture, but I feel as if I have only scratched the surface. The poverty of the areas we serve is so stark, and yet the welcoming smiles and rolled out mats are always available. We sit and talk and share the love of the gospel, and we pray and we serve.

 Yesterday, you may have seen a couple of pictures of JaJa Jane. She is a sassy widow who loves music and grape Fanta. She lives in what feels like the jungle, and it is rather enchanting to walk to her house. Jane has trouble walking, she has a dress and a skirt and two shirts and no one to take care of her. So we washed her whole house out. This is what we call community service… a day to fulfill real needs in the lives of the margenalized.

 When we began with our tiny straw brooms, the first thing I noticed was the rat droppings everywhere. The amount of them was overwhelming in that I could only imagine a night with no electricity where rats were everywhere. It was a terrifying thought and my heart broke for her. We took care of all of that and prayed that the rats would leave her alone. Her only furniture was a bed. Then we washed her clothes and cleaned up all the trash around her house, and sang and danced and laughed. The last time we were there she requested (as we were painting her fingernails the color of the rainbow upon request) spaghetti. An American had told her about this dish and she wanted to try it. Her wish granted, spaghetti and Fanta served, she felt like a queen.

In all of this, she kept telling me how much she loved me. Others too, but there was a moment of beauty that she and I exchanged that day. It all started with a smile and a pause. I am finding that when we take a moment to really look at the person in front of us, and hold that gaze, something shifts, as if they know they are known. So as I found her willingness to stay with me and look right back at me, as if suspended in time, she received tender love through my smile and my eyes…. then Jesus moved her heart and Jaja Jane got a tear in her eye, reached out to me, drew me close and kissed me on my cheek as her frail body tried to hug me. No words were exchanged, just the power of love being released. I call this a miracle too.

It is in the moments when our hears become tender that He is able to heal and restore and make beauty from ashes. Feeding, clothing, visiting… Matthew 25 living, is an honor and our calling, but when He moves in the hearts to help a widow know she is loved, there is just nothing that can compare. I am so grateful.

I LOVE HER EXPRESSION! This was a picture of a chance meeting with her on another day. She was particularly spunky this day.