Staying with Susan's orphans

The sounds of Arabic and Bari mix in the cool morning air as we enjoy some bread and tea. The older children here at Susan Tabia's orphan home have left for school, and we have some last minute preparations before traveling north tomorrow.

Our team has expanded now with Mandi and Bealy in the mix. We've also been sharing some meetings and conversations with the two Lahash volunteers who've been working with our Sudanese partners. Drew Reich and Jose Nunez have been a huge help to Susan and the staff in areas of medicine, management, and construction projects.

Susan has a dozen kids at this location. Most of the children have special needs which necessitates living in the larger city of Kampala. We've enjoyed hanging out with these kids - singing and dancing and learning some new words. We've also spent some time cooking and in partner meetings.

It's often overwhelming traveling on these trips and hearing story after story of suffering, oppression, and vulnerability. Northern Uganda and Sudan have acute security and resource problems. One mother here at Susan's home lost her husband recently to the LRA (Ugandan Rebels) several months ago. She also has epilepsy, and during an episode last year fell into the fire, dropping her daughter in the process. Both suffered from burns, but the baby has severe facial burns. Jose left this morning to a hospital to help the mother and child with reconstructive surgery. Please be praying for these two dear people.

I've been reading some in the mornings through the book "Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger". As we search God's heart through history, we realize that God is a God of the poor and needy. God is the father to the fatherless, and protector of the widow. He is the liberator, the advocate, and healer. In Jesus we find a leader who stood for love of both body and soul.

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord O my soul... Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith for ever; who executes justice for the oppressed who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the sojourners, he upholds the widows and the fatherless; but the way of the wicket he brings to ruin.
(Psalm 146: 1,5-9)

"There is nonetheless, a sharp contrast between God's procedure and ours. When we want o effect change, we almost always contact people with influence, prestige, and power. When God wants to save the world, he often selects slaves, prostitutes, and sundry other disadvantaged folk. He sees potential that we do not. And when the task is done, the poor and weak are less likely to boast that they deserve the credit. God's frequent selection of the lowly to be his special messengers of salvation to the world is striking evidence of this special concern for them."
Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, by Ron Sider

From Summer 08 Trip