HungryForLifeInternational

Saturday began with sad news from Pete. While having our team devotions, Pete came in and told us that one of the babies died during the night. He was about 4 months old, his name was Chris. The puzzling thing in this death was that Chris was one of the healthy, vibrant ones. So many of the babies are sick, lethargic, suffering from HIV, and on some kind of medication. But Chris was healthy and happy. He was no trouble to the caregivers. He was one of the ones that was easy to sit and hold.
It was a difficult start to the day. That news came at 9:30 and we had a sports day to begin at 10. We needed to collect ourselves and move forward fast. We spent most of the time we had in prayer and as difficult as it was, we had to put the emotion aside, turn around and focus on the other 150+ children that came to play.
The sports day was great. Most of the children from the home were there, plus lots of kids that attend the school from the community. Many of these children brought their parents who eagerly jumped into the games. It was 3 hours of high energy, organized chaos. The sports day ended with a big game of netball. It was the team against the community people with about 200 children and parents surrounding the court and cheering wildly. You would be surprised how hard it is to score on a 10 foot high hoop when there is no backboard. It ended as a 7-7 tie.
The highlight that day came next. We split up into pairs and with the escort of translators, walked through the community with those kids and visited their homes. This was a close up look at the poverty, the lives and the stories behind Uganda. It put faces and humanity to everything we had seen. The honour, respect, humility, and generosity is astounding in the context of 100 square foot houses made of mud and brick and straw.
The day of emotional rollercoaster riding for our team came to a peaceful, pleasant conclusion with a spectacular BBQ with Pete and Pita. 6 kinds of meat, quietly sitting under the veranda in the lush green, tropical paradise…. very normal for us; but given the context of such great need, awkwardly conflicting in the heart.
Dave Brotherton

Monday we head off to Jinja to see some local sites that include a waterfall and the mouth of the Nile River. We will also be treated to some local delicacies such as -chicken on a stick- as well as dinner out with Piet and Pita. Continue to pray for the team as we begin to wind down this trip and begin the task of re-oreintation into North American culture given all this team has heard, touched and smelled in Uganda.

~HFL Team Leader