Saturday in Uganda

Today is Saturday. I have spent the last few days in a whirlwind. I was able to go to the house in Senge. It has about 15 boys. It is away from the city in a village. The boys can wander around a little bit and interract with the community. They also have their own gardens and were proud to show them off to me. This home is run by African Hearts. I have spent most of my time in the Kivulu house, located in the Kivulu community (slum). It is a dangerous place with prostitution, drugs, pornographic movie houses, and it is filthy. The boys here live in ahouse with a large wall around it and a small dirt patch in the middle. No-one, and I do mean no-one enters or leaves without permission. The gate has two locks. So the boys live the majority of heir time here. All attend school, but their break just began for five weeks. This is not a big space for 15 rough and tumble boys.
I have been able to do lot's of things with the boys, both in the Kivulu house and also the street kids. I caught a head cold. I am good as long as I don't get lice too. The street boys I guess don't find me very threatening and they always want to sit close to me, or hold my hands when we walk. How could I possibley tell them no? So I may not be able to be around our kids for a while when I return if I am being treated for lice. For the last few nights I have joined Abby and Uncle Julius as they bring hot tea to the boys on the street before bedtime. I carefully watchd a boy unwrap a dirty plastic burlap type sack and spread it on the ground, then pull out a clean one and crawl into it like it was a sleeping bag. He also had a piece of cloth that he covered his chest with. The bag only went up a little past his waist. But the boy next to him slept on a ratty piece of cardboard with no covers at all. Such a heartbreak. I also was able to visit the older boys, 17-19, that make the beads. They are too old to stay at the church so Abby rented them a small room and they make beads all day. The guys were asking Abby if they could make and sell necklaces with seeds in them but she said they might not sell, but I bought it and paid a premium price. Over $1.00. The other boys were clucking their tongues at him. I think they wished they had necklaces to sell the rich Muzungo. I took some pictures of the older boys to show you. Abby also let the boys open to gifts that Bob and Cathy, their sponsors, had sent with me for their birthdays. i took pictures of that too. The sent to buckets of Legos. What boy doesn't like Legos? Today I went to the market again to buy Sunday shirts for the boys. We really picked around to get the best ones. We brought to boys with us, Peter, the oldest and Katarenga, a new boy at the home. We took them to lunch too. A special treat. So when we went to look for the shirts Peter fell in love with a Boy Scout uniform. So I got it for him and then Katarenga saw one too, so we got that for him. I can't wait to see them wearing their shirts.
They will be testing all of the boys for HIV. So far all of the ones at Kivulu are clean but they are going to test the street kids as well. Three of the boys currently have malaria and are being treated. The clinic charges are a big part of the budget here.
So I asked Abby how we could most help her. Would she like a team to come out or money and she didn't even hesitate and said money. Then she told me about her dream to buy 10 acres and build a home in a village not too far from Kampala. Then she would take all of the boys away from the slum and give them a real home. The bill for that...$110,000. Land is not cheap here. But she already has a great staff. Her best friend here in Uganda, Moreen will be a house mom. David and Julius will be the house dads. They are all such amazing people who really love the kids.
I could barely leave the boys sleeping on the ground at the church, so I don't know how she does it day after day. Only God can give strength for that.
I may not be able to leave to come home on Monday because of the Volcano. London is not accepting ANY flights because of heavy ash in the air. So pray that the ash will seperate.
I love you all and I have felt your prayers.