Evaporated
2 01 2009As I sit at the Internet cafe tonight, red dust clings to my face and is matted throughout my hair. It’s underneath my fingernails and trapped in my shoes. I’m positive I must smell lovely after all the sweating I did today, but I honestly don’t mind any of it– just a side note– did y’all know that Blanca doesn’t sweat?! Today much of the confusion and doubt evaporated right along with the buckets of sweat as we bumped along the dirt roads and trekked up paths surrounded by banana and jack fruit trees.
We spent the day with four members of the EWA staff, Fred, Joseph, Sharon, and Michael. In between playful banter in the van about dowry prices and how women need to kneel down to men out of respect, we visited environmental projects, economic development and education projects, and ended the day with an HIV/AIDS project.
We started the day discussing New Year’s celebrations with the staff. I was struck by something one of the four, Fred, said. When asked why New Year’s is such a large celebration here, he replied, “A new year is not guaranteed for us here in Uganda. We celebrate the end of the struggle of the prior year and the fact that we have survived to see the next.” How humbling, when most of us spend the New Year simply looking for something exciting to do or planning new diet and exercise programs.
There’s so much I could say about the day and the projects we visited, but for right now, let me just say that Fred’s words rang true as we visited household after household. It is a wonder they are surviving and these are the families that EWA is able to help! From the stone quarries where whole families break rocks for weeks just to earn dollars to the child headed household of 18, the need is overwhelming.
I’m choking back the tears now as I picture the disabled boy with the big round eyes and bright smile we met today. All I had to offer was a stroke on the cheek, a smile, and a prayer. Please join me in praying for him as well as the others we met today and the work of EWA.
We’ll write more and Blanca will post pictures soon… hopefully. We leave for Sudan early tomorrow morning and aren’t sure if we will have internet access.
Love y’all & thanks for all the prayers and encouraging comments.
Liz
Richard Venable
blanca
liz
We love y’all and continue to pray for God’s protection and insight. Thanks for writing to us about your experiences. It saddens my heart to hear about the sacrifice of children and the uncertainty of life (which is the case here as well, but we are not confronted with it as much).
And, no, I did not know that Blanca did not sweat. I guess that is good for cleanliness but bad for keeping cool.
Jeff
the story of striking the boy on the cheek reminds me of Acts 3 when Peter told the man he did not have money to offer, but “what I do have I give you.” Thanks for praying for the kid, for touching him, and for offering what you did have.
I meant to say stroking the boy on the cheek and not striking. big mistake. love you guys.
I love this blog! I almost feel like we are all right there with you. (and you know that I wish we were:)
yikes Rudy, yes, stroking, not striking. :0)
Nope, didn’t know B doesn’t sweat, although come to think of it I’ve never seen her sweat. And I’ve seen her after actitivities that should have made her sweat – like carrying her suitcase that was bigger than her up the stairs of the NYC Subway.
Glad you guys were able to visit the projects EWA is working on. Looking forward to hearing more. I am praying for you guys and the people you meet.
Thanks for writing Liz. What a sad entry…but I must say that I’m glad to hear that y’all are finally out and about meeting people and no longer cooped up in an airport or waiting to hear from someone from a hotel. I can’t believe y’alls time in Uganda is already up…it’s 3pm right now here so y’all might already be heading to Sudan right now….crazy.
I hope you guys make it to Sudan and able to get out of Uganda with the copied certificate. Thanks for the picture of the young families in Uganda. What a good reminder to pray for them and for gratitude of our own blessings!
As far as Blanca not sweating, what about when she runs on a beach??
Hannah Lyn
Hannah, that wasn’t sweat on the beach… that was just water from the waves splashing onto me…
love,
B
Wow…I just can’t imagine what y’all are going through. What an amazing thing the sweet Lord has led you to do. May each person you touch, each person who receives your smile, know that the Lord loves them even more!