There Are No Words....

Today Recho, Prossy (the house matron) Matt and I went into the slum districts where the girls were found over one year ago.  It was as awful as I remembered.  As we entered Katwe, we navigated our way down slippery slopes with what was probably human waste mixed with mud squished between my toes, I realized that we were about to witness suffering, poverty and injustice like few will ever experience.  The little children immediately began to take our hands and the adults just stared and then began to follow us.  We were with Recho so they knew we were not hostile and so they remained calm.  They gathered around us in a kind of mob-like circle and spoke at one time in Karamojong.  Recho was passing out clothes to the small children that the girls had made with extra material from tailoring classes.  the children were filthy and half naked with runny noses.  Some were covered in scabs. They seemed very happy just to hold our hands.   Next we headed for Kisenyi which is more women  and small children than men and where most of our girls were found. This is also where Prossy (our house matron) has lived for the past 22 years.  Please allow that to resonate.  22 years of her life spent in this nightmarish existence.  One of the girls, Ruth, I interviewed today told me she was born in kisenyi.  She is 17 years old.  I could not even finish concentrating after she told me that.  Most of the girls have been there 5 years or less.  Ruth is a beautiful, well-spoken, responsible, hard worker who loves to do hair and is one of the top seamstresses in the group.  And yet when I asked her if she ever thought she would ever have a life outside of Kisenyi, she looked gently at me and whispered, "No."
I asked Matt what his reaction was to what he witnessed today, and he said he was emotionally exhausted.  That nothing he has ever seen or imagined was anywhere near what he saw today.  I told him that the pictures I took last year and all of my explanations could not even begin to describe.  That you will never understand unless you go there, and I hope none of you ever do without first having a very strong faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.  Otherwise it would just be too much.
After leaving these places we went to Sanyu Babies Home, at my request! :)  I bathed, dressed and held babies for an hour before Recho and Matt had to drag me out.  I got to see Allen, the baby I loved on last year.  I was so happy to see him and yet so sad because he still doesnt have a family. I love this place.  Holding those babies brings me great joy mixed with grief at the same time, but to just love on these little innocent ones is more than I could ask for.  
On a happier note, when we got back to the house, the girls were busy sewing uniforms.  They were laughing and singing and I was so relieved to know they were safe there.
I gave Esther (5years) and Paska (10 years) sock monkeys when I got home and they were sooo happy!  They carried them around the rest of the evening!  These 2 girls were brought to live in the house as emergency cases.  They are young for the program, but we are keeping them.

Hailey and Hannah:  The girls loved the gifts from you.  I read your letters to the and they cheered.  I explained everything in the plastic box (they were confused about the slinky so I explained how it worked and they laughed.)  They also loved the music box and listened to it over and over and over.

Tomorrow we are going to Bright School.  This is a place where much younger Karamojong are housed and educated.  Recho is in charge of this program  too through another non-profit.  I met these children last year.  For those of you who watched my videos, these were the children singing in a classroom at their desks.

I delight to do your will, O my God,
And Your law is written in my heart.
Psalm 40:8

Passing out clothes in Kisenyi

Karamojong girl sweeping for beans.  This is what most of our girls did before coming to the house.  When I stopped to take her picture a drunk man (you can see part of him here) was taunting her.

Recho passing out clothes in Katwe

Katwe housing  (This is the good housing)

Our girls sewing