musings of a ragamuffin

Today, instead of going whitewater rafting on the Nile River, we decided to visit the Good Shepherd’s Fold Orphanage and School, 15 miles West of Jinja. This is the same place we’d been praying about adopting from, and really didn’t think about it before this trip of whether we’d get to see it, because we are here for other reasons. However, when we found out it was so close, we knew we’d have to visit. So, we found a taxi driver that knew where the Buundo village was in the Baikwu district, and off we went. For this blogpost, I’m inviting my amazing wife and hero, April, to give her thoughts… 

“Today, as we entered into a local orphanage and school, I was quite worried at how I would handle it without tears.  I figured it would be a sad, gross, filthy place. However, it was none of the above! There were even a couple of women working there from the same area I am from in NC!  They first took us into the baby house. There were precious adorable babies whom they told us we could hold any of them. So of course I did!  Any one who knows me knows my love of babies! This orphanage hires local women to live in the houses as the house moms. I tell you what, they take excellent care of those babies.. none would cry for more than a couple of seconds before one mom would pick them up.  The babies were all clean and soft.  And in diapers and clothes.  In the villages, babies were usually naked.  As we learned form the women, they are in need of baby wash, lotion, powder. and diapers.  

Then we continued on to the toddler house, whom were just getting ready to go down for a nap… and they ran up to us and said “carry me”.. well, how could we resist? They then showed us the older children’s homes. Each house has a kitchen and running water with a house mom whom takes care of them and cooks their supper. Then it was suddenly lunch time and the kids ran to get in line for beans and corn paste. They eat this every day for lunch.  In the background, kids were playing soccer with a little plastic ball.  Kids are just kids, no matter where they are. They were joyful and playing much like you would see at a school at home. They are loved on and taken care of and are unaware of their situation. In addition to supporting Blood:Water Mission, we are now going to support the Good Shepherd Orphanage.  We are going to collect needed items to send to them. If you can donate baby wash, lotion, cream, and these type things, please let me know!!!”