Joyful Tears

Shedding more tears than I ever imagined. Feeling more joy than I ever imagined. The emotions overwhelm and drive me to pray. It is difficult to describe all the feelings. In three days at the medical clinic, we have treated about 500 patients medically and spiritually, over 200 of these people have professed faith in Christ and we had the honor of baptizing 12 in a nearby stream (about a mile walk away).

We see illnesses at the clinic that you almost never see in the U.S. The need for basics (clean water and proper nutrition) create and exacerbate illnesses that should be easily remedied. I cried as we prayed for the boy who had to have the infection under the skin on his leg lanced and debreeded. We had no anesthetic to help him and he screamed while 4 people held him still so the doctor could cut out the infection. I grinned from ear to ear as we baptized 12 new brothers and sisters in Christ in the village of Buluba. We spent our first three days of ministry in Buluba and today we moved to Kanyala.

The needs here are tremendous and they overwhelm all of the members of the team in different ways, but the love of God compels and inspires us to do what is before us, loving those we can by providing medical care, spiritual care and complete care to those who have no parents.

Kathy and the rest of the orphanage team had an indescribable day as they went into villages and brought 8 new children to the orphanage yesterday. She described it as feeling like she was able to be the hands of Jesus as the team loved “the least of these”. She and the team felt incredible joy as they began the work of providing a home of love and nurture for these children. A home in which they will receive good education, good food, good care and the knowledge of Jesus. She and the team also felt the overwhelming sadness of taking children from their villages and homes, but these children's families are excited for the care the children will receive. They also felt the sadness of being unable to take care of all the children who need it. While in Buluba, I learned there are over 200 orphans in that village alone. Villages are overrun with children without parents and whether they have parents or not they still live in poverty.

A team of college students from the U.S. joined us today in Kanyala and will be with us the next two days as well. It is good to have additional help and a joy to minister together. We are tired, but it is the good kind of tired that comes after pouring yourself out physically, spiritually and emotionally. A few people have not felt too great lately. Pray for the health of our team and pray they will get good rest tonight and in the coming nights.