Patience pays; you can never get back time; late to school, late in life; always respect your teachers... These were some of the phrases decorating a building at the school at the TrueVine compound in Tororo, Uganda, that we visited today. I was in awe the entire time that we saw this five and a half year old community, previously a bandit's field next to the Tororo Cement factory. Each brick that was laid for the grounds of the complex had Jesus' light shining through, a blessing.
From the moment that we arrived at the community, I had children attached to my arms. One toddler, pretending to drive an abandoned truck, burst into tears when he saw me. I tried not to take it personally, this mixed reaction to a group of 25 of us entering their space. But, they are so grateful for everything that Hope4Kids has done for the community: purchasing the 35 acres of land, starting with a church, then clinic and school, now houses for the workers and boarding students, a well, x-ray machine, computer lab. Plans continue to evolve, but the goal is for the community to be self-sustaining and life-giving.
I felt helpless the first few days here, driving along the roads, experiencing intense emotion as I watched the kids dressed smartly in their uniforms walking to school and felt vulnerable when the people at rest stops would storm our van with offers of chicken on a stick and water. Now, I feel like I can do something, I can give to these people in the community here for the next 8 days. I can encourage Margaret, a fifth grade school teacher with 8 kids of her own and 80 in her class each day. I can share my teaching with the students at the different primary schools. I can teach women in the village how to knit. I can sponsor a child and secure their educational path. I think that the quote that most rings true with me is "I need Africa more than Africa needs me."
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