Today is Tuesday, the day after we got mama all set up in her home.  Brianna came back from work around midday.  She says,”mom, mama is back on the rubbish heap.” I was so discouraged but I reminded myself that she was very used to this daily routine and it may take her sometime to realise she doesn’t need to go to the rubbish heap anymore.

I found Brian our Boda driver and him, Tyler and I went to the rubbish heap to see mama.  We talked to her about why she is back in the rubbish.  She says that the voices in her head tell her to come and dig.  However she also needs food so she comes looking for whatever she can find.  I didn’t understand why she would already need food.  Yesterday we had sent her home with all the left overs, enough for two meals maybe even three. In conversation we found that she has a brother that lives in another village and she would like to go live with him.  We may look into this in the next few weeks.  Also she says he dead husband comes to her and disturbs her at night.  We know that she is being disturbed by demons. So we asked what faith she is from and she said she is born again.  So we asked her if she would like the spirits to be gone.  She said yes.  So we taught her about the power she has to pray in the name of Jesus and command every evil thing to flee.  So sitting in the rubbish pile, momma turns the palms of her hands towards heaven and starts to pray.  I am praying along with her asking for freedom, then when she is finished I pray that God, by the blood and power in Jesus name that He would cast every evil thing from the presence of mama.  We give God thanks and help get momma back home.

When Brian,Tyler, momma and I get back to her place, we found that someone had went into her home and stolen her sugar, soap, salt, and her padlock.  Mama was so grieved.  She looked in every part of her hut that she could think of.  As she searched her heart became so sad and so heavy.  She kept looking at us and saying, “someone took all of it”. I didn’t know what to say, I was so sad also.  I couldn’t imagine someone taking from her what little she had. Then I asked her where all of her food was that we left her with yesterday.  Her answer reminded me of people in the bible who gave out of what little they had. Here she shared her food with the village children earlier that morning, so when evening came she had not extra food.  That is why she was on the rubbish heap.  Her heart is so big and so caring,I have much to learn from her. While Brian and Tyler sat with her I prayed in her home asking Jesus to cover her home with His blood.  After praying inside, I prayed outside her home and walked circles around her hut praying the blood of Jesus and protection over her home  We claimed it for Gods glory now and that He may be magnified for what He will do in her life.  You see, her home used to belong to a witch doctor before she lived there.  Child sacrifice, spells, curses, demons, spirits are all a part of the life of witch doctors here.  It is pure evil. So it is no wonder she is being taunted by these spirits.  I pray that God has or will free her.  I our God has set us free than we shall be free, free indeed!

Local village women have come along side of us to help mama. When we come to visit mama they see what she needs and what we are needing from them. The children gather water for mama and have helped her around her house.  It is amazing to see what happens when one person steps up to help, many others join in and it is a beautiful thing.  Boda drivers, people who live nearer, our neighbours, store owners, and passerby’s are all apart of this story.  Each one will be affected by Gods kindness and love in a special and un

We will be going back into town to buy another padlock for her home so that her things will be secure…

Quick update: I wasn’t feeling well so Brian bought her the padlock and brought it to her and she was so very happy. God is good!

We have left mama again in the hands of God.  Lord please make her whole in Jesus name.

Thank you again for traveling along side of mama as God shows her new and wonderful things.

So, today is Monday.  Eunice and I and all the children are getting ready to head to the ladies house to clean her hut.  Some of the kids are a little concerned about what it will be like, as am I. You never know what you might find in there.  One lady from the village said that the last time someone cleaned her hut they found a very large snake, alive, in it.  We all pray for protection as we clean.

Photo: Getting ready to clean mama’s house!

When we showed up we found mama at home.  We got her up and outside, and immediately began to clean out her home.  She had around 50+ pieces  of clothes that she had gathered from different rubbish heaps.  She had shoes of every color and size, glass bottles from so many different things, plastic bottles, plastic bags, old dishes             including 40+ cups for porridge.  It was so dusty that we could hardly breathe while cleaning.  But the more we cleaned the more      happy and free we began to notice she would be.  The village kids gathered to help as did some of their mums.  We were so happy to see people coming together to help her out.

Photos: The kids in the village who helped us out
After we gathered everything from inside her home, we lit a match and burned most everything we fond.  Her woven reed mats, clothes, and all the rubbish went up in smoke.  We didn’t leave her with much so we knew we would have to buy her some new things.  So we thanked everyone for their help and returned to our home.  We brought mama with us to our home and we let her use the shower to get refreshed.  She enjoyed so much.  After, we gave her some of our clothes to wear.  She was so happy to have “new” clothes.  She praised and thanked God so much.   I just filled with so much joy as I watched her feeble hands   lift to the sky as she gave thanks.

Photos: Top left: mama’s house before we cleaned.  Top Right: rubbish from in her home. Center left:More rubbish from in her home   Center Right: Not sure how a hedgehog skin was in Uganda but she has one, okay had one.  Bottom Left: Working hard and almost done.

Mama’s house before its cleaned

Rubbish from in her hut

This is all from inside her home

Working hard, almost done

yup, a hedgehog skin?

Eunice and I spend the rest of the afternoon with mama in the market.  We took her shopping for dresses.  That was one of the happiest moments for me.  As she would try them on, she would begin to dance in the walkway.

You know me, I danced right along side her.  We danced and danced, with each dress that she tried on.  What joy filled my heart and hers.

When we stopped at one of the dress shops, one of the ladies there shared something so amazing with us.  When she saw mama, she told us that she used to sympathise with mama so much when she would see her walking or sitting in the rubbish heaps.  She felt so bad because she had no way to help this woman.  So she prayed to God that God would send someone to help this woman.  So when she saw mama getting help, she just praised God and thanked Him for sending someone to help her.We were on the first level of this shopping market searching for dresses. However, Brianna and I had been to two shops on the top level, so we thought it would be a good idea to try there instead.  We had no idea that

God was directing us into this woman’s shop, who had prayed for mama.  God wanted to show her that he heard her prayers for mama and that He didn’t just hear her prayers but he answered them by sending someone to mama who could help her.  Our God is so good, so faithful and out of love He wants to show us His character and goodness.  What a blessed moment.

After we found her several dresses, we shopped for some wash bins for her to do dishes and laundry.  We also bought her some wash soap, sugar and salt.  Then we took her to eat at a little local restaurant.  After supper, we bought her a mattress to sleep on. She was speechless.  To know the number of nights that this elderly woman
lay on the ground only on a reed mat, and to know tonight she would sleep on a soft mat.  God is so so good.  Again she just praised the God from whom all blessings flow.  We then took her home and got everything set up and put away.  As we were organizing everything mama was saying that she needed a padlock so that no one would come in and taker her things.  So Brian,our boda driver, knew how to fix her lock.  We went into town, bought the parts, and the lock and returned to mamas house. We spent the time to repair the lock parts and gave her the paddle lock so her new belongings would be secure. We gave her some small money to eat on for the next few days.  She was so grateful for all God had done for her.

We prayed with her and headed back home.  God is so good.

We are still praying for her freedom from the demonic influences. God will set her free. It has been a blessed journey and I know that the Lord has just begun to do a many  wonderful things.  We shall go back and meet her again in a few days to see how she is doing.  We will be excited to continue to see what God does.  Thank you for walking through this story with us.  It is a beautiful story of Gods love and grace.

God Bless

To walk half a mile with no shoes…

Yesterday I went with Brianna into town so she could eat lunch with some girls from the states.  They are so sweet and we are so grateful we have had a chance to get to know them. After lunch we took a boda boda to WEND AFRICA, where Brianna and Tyler are currently interning.  I picked up my new backpack made by a woman who was abducted and forced to become a child soldier during the war.  The backpack is as beautiful as she is and as her story of healing is.  I decided to walk home from there…and this is where thisstory begins.

As I turned the corner, there sat an elderly woman, in a rubbage heap (picture to the bottom left), legs stretched out, wearing an black dirt stained, sports coat, and a tattered black skirt, with the stitching unraveling.  Her hair was cut short and she had a choca wrap on her head and atop the wrap was a ring of twisted filth covered, plastic bags (caviares).  I didn’t know what to think, what to say, which would be nothing since I speak very little of the local language.  I just felt like I was suppose to do something.  I walked on, praying, and asking God what I should be doing, what was his plan.  As I was going to pass the Boda Boda station, I thought of taking the Boda home but realised that I need the time to walk and pray. So I traveled the red dirt road, passing so many Acholi people, smiling, thinking and praying I went.

All I knew is that I felt I should offer to take this beautiful lady to lunch.  So I walked in and  thought about praying again, but I found myself walking into the kitchen to tell Eunice, our house helper, about my thoughts. Then next thing I know we are packing up and heading out the door to see who this woman is, whether or not she is “mad”, as Eunice would put it, and if she was up for lunch.

As we walked up to the lady, I just climbed the front part of the rubbish heap and squatted down.  Eunice proceeded to talk to her and we were able to listen to her story.  She has children that are no longer interested in taking care of her.  She lives in a hut by herself, some distance from the rubbish heap.  She seems in her right mind, mostly.  She only mentions of the idea that she feels like a demon or devil has fallen upon her and it tells her to take care of her children and to pick garbage up and bring it home.  Other than this she held a normal conversation.  The whites of her eyes are stained yellow as I look into them, wishing I could understand her, wishing I knew her story.  We listened and then we offered to take her to dinner.  She accepted.

There are now many people looking on as we continue to talk to her.  There are some housed directly behind us, everyone there has stopped there washing, sweeping and gathering to see wh

Mama in her house, she is to the left. Love her!

at we were doing.  A group of school kids, in their pink and blue uniforms have gathered around to listen to this strange thing unfold.  People driving by, slow down and stare at this strange sight. I am not sure if they are wondering why we would keep company with such a “mad”, filthy lady sitting in a rubbish heap, or if they were more inquisitive over this “Muzungu” (white person), helping a woman like this. Here, white people are known to have a lot of money.  Everyone knows we live a much more luxurious life style than most any of them could ever dream of. We know it, they know, everyone knows it.  This creates some barriers that are rather difficult to overcome.

Regardless of the audience, that wasn’t my mission, I cradled her right arm and helped her to her feet, after getting approval to leave her treasured finds, layed neatly in a dish drying tray, behind. She, barefoot, straightened her clothes, and brushed them as clean as you can, for not being washed, for what was probably weeks, maybe months.  She walks slowly along side of me.  I have so many thoughts running through my mind, but more than anything i just want to grab her hand, and swing it through the air and just walk with her through life.  I can’t explain the love I felt for her as we walked along.

Just a bit down the road, I knew what I was being called to do, so I stopped the woman, bent down and removed my shoes. I motioned for her to put them on.  She smiled in disbelief, but allowed me to help her dirty, calloused, cut up feet and toes, find their way, into my flip flops. My heart overflowed knowing she was able to find some small rest for her feet as she walked. I don’t think anyone that was watching knew what to think or say. For I didn’t even know myself. I just knew God was moving His love for her through me and my heart overflowed. I just kept wrapping my hands around her back and rubbed a few circles then continued to walk.  I just kept looking at her, smiling, wondering what God was up to.

A short distance later, we could hear the music playing from one of the local shops.  The next thing I know, she begins dancing and so I join her.  My heart was full of laughter.  We walked to a local shop and I bought her a pair of flip flops and once again bent over, as she accepted the gift. I removed my sandals one by one and replaced them with her new red ones.  Her delight melted my heart.  We were now off to lunch.  The sidewalk in front of the store has a for high step off the one side. I gently cradle her arm in mine as I prepare her to step down. What happened next, well lets just say, I got the surprise.  As I thought I was going to be helping her down, she bent her knees, and jumped off the edge, landing sturdily on her feet.  I realized, I momentarily had held my breath and now am relieved to see her firmly back on the ground. I erupted in laughter to see such life come back to this sweet lady.

Down through narrow paths between town buildings we walked, seven school girls in their dressed uniforms, Eunice, This sweet lady and I. We made quite the sight as we walked. So many onlookers but my focus was on this lady, whom God had compelled my to walk along side of this day.  Each time she hears music she dances, she waves and greets people as she strolls along the dirt roads.

These sweet school girls, who showed us the way to a local restaurant, where we sat and ate together, sweet potatoes and beans for me, okra and posh for Eunice and goat and posh for this precious lady.  She ate but not until Eunice and I were willing to eat along side her. See, Eunice and I had already eaten but she would no eat unless we ate, it just isn’t culturally appropriate. So Eunice and I, obliged, and ordered ourselves some lunch. The diner was quaint, all wood made, with 3 tables. It was so hot, as there were no windows.  I just prayed and asked God to help us to enjoy the meal and to relieve us of the heat. I enjoyed the meal and God did remove my sensing of the heat and we were able to eat and enjoy the company. (Restaurant and staff photo above)

The owner and workers of the shop were surprised to see a Muzungu at their shop, for no white person had ever stopped in there. I ate with my hands like everyone else and after dinner she asked me, “Do you not eat with forks?” I replied, “yes, but we have also lea
rned to eat with our hands, which is much nicer sometimes.” She laughed at my response. I left her a tip and thanked her for her wonderful food and service. I had sat and watched her count the coins, the profit she had made from her lunch session. There couldn’t have been more than four or five dollars to be split between five of them.  That would be less than one dollar for each of them. So I let them keep the change so that they would have a little extra to spread amongst them.

The three of us hopped onto boda bodas and traveled across town and out to a near by market, about 5 minutes from my house. They pulled in front of her hut and we entered in with her. I can’t explain the smell or sight and the feeling that came upon me, accept for my stomach was so tight as I tried to take in the smell and sight before me. She had garbage piled on every wall, and it filled in towards the middle of her hut floor. Plastice bottles, glass liquor bottles, plastic bags, old food containers, two reed mats that she must sleep on at night along with rotten food and dishes with food remaining on them, rotting for, I would guess, months. She rolled out a reed mat and asked us to join her so I sat down.  I entered with out my shoes, as is custom here, you never wear your shoes inside any house. But after seeing the condition of the home, I went out and retrieved my flip flops and then sat down to join in the conversation. I have never felt so much joy sitting in the midst of rubbish talking to such a beautiful person, even though all I could do is look into her eyes and wonder of her story. Oh how I wish I could speak the language, but I know God can and what He is speaking to her will far out weigh any words I could ever speak.

After she shared some of her story we made plans to return on Monday to help clean up her hut and to see if there would be some way we could help her out.  We bid her goodbye and I gave her a hug. I prayed for Gods healing over her mind through out the day and trust that God will rid her of any evil that has been attaching itself to her.  We will see her free and restored to a sound mind, for Gods glory.

What a beautiful journey this will be! When God is up to something, you know it will be life changing! I am so excited to see what lies ahead. Can’t wait Monday.

Such a blessing to be the hands and feet of Jesus!