Poured Out Like a Drink Offering

Our verses of the day, yesterday included Philipians 2:16-18:

16 as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

It is amazing how God has been at work in our team and speaking to us thru the bible and circumstances. We discussed these verses and others that basically told us not only we should be content when we have little and content when we have much but actually that we should rejoice. We should rejoice even if we are being poured out. These words seemed very fitting considering this would be a day of celebration with the kids. By the end of the day we would be poured out, like a drink offering, and yet we were called to rejoice.

As I mentioned before, the plan was too have the kids from Sita come to the hotel for a pool party. That's what took place and it was such a blast. I am still sore from yesterday. Four of us ran to town early in the morning to buy a few things, soccer balls, bottle water, bibles, etc. As we drove out we saw the first van of kids driving towards the hotel. We were excited and rushed to get back.

When we got back, many of the kids ran to us when they realize we had brought soccer balls. It didn't take me long to find James, the boy I now sponsor. We quickly organized a game of soccer. James played on my team and did a great job for a kid of his size (one of the smallest ones in the team). However, I wanted to find Sarah so I told the kids to continue to play without me. When James saw I was leaving he decided to follow me. I thought he would stay and continue to play soccer.

We found Sarah playing on the teeter-totter with a bunch of other kids. I joined them. For an engineer, or a person with any common sense, I did a terrible job at organizing the kids on the teeter-totter. It seems we could never get enough kids on the other side of the teeter-totter and I was constantly having to push hard to get the thing to move. If you ever want a leg workout, this is an effective way, but most of all, a very fun one.

I wanted to spend as much time with James and Sarah as possible but I had to work a bit harder with Sarah. See James already wants to be with me. Sarah may have wanted to be with me but she is a bit shy and wouldn't just come to me like James did. We fed the kids and our team lunch in the grassy area of the hotel. We must have had some 250 people. After lunch, the kids went to the pool. I joined them and played most of the time with James and Sarah. There was laughter all over the place, it was wonderful. Most of us who had been working with the kids were swarmed by little brown bodies and smiley faces.

After lots of fun at the pool we had a few water baptisms. We didn't really have a list of people who were to be baptized, simply, kids came up one after another to be baptized. A total of 33 people were baptized. My little James and Sarah were some of the first. I was blessed to assist our pastor in baptizing them. Our van driver Abdul accepted Christ just this week and also got baptized yesterday.

After the baptisms it was time to say goodbye. I had been trying to not think about this moment. The thought of leaving these kids, especially James and Sarah, after having built such strong bonds was too much. I don't know when I'll get to see them again. Most of all, I wonder how they feel that yet, another person leaves them behind. I still don't know how to deal with that feeling but writing helps.

 Someone from the orphanage approached the kids and told them something in Ugandan, but I understood enough. It was something like say goodbye to your dad. She must have said goodby and dad in English. I still don't know enough about the sponsorship program but I've heard sponsors refer to their kids as my son or my daughter and I've heard kids refer to their sponsors as my mom or my dad. Clearly this is different from any other program Rebecca and I are involved with. 

Rebecca and I have been blessed to be able to sponsor kids thru Compassion International, and most recently thru Amazima. However, these programs are definitely more hands off than the program at Sita Nest. I played with James and Sarah, I sang and danced with them, I got to know them, and love them before I even realized they needed a sponsor. Now that I am their sponsor, it seems the word sponsor is unfitting, it is clear that what they need and long for really is a dad and a mom. It is too much to process. 

The kids were loaded on several buses. I walked around the bus and found James and Sarah, they were sitting close to each other. I went to the closest window and extended my hand thru the window. They reached out and grabbed it. James was weeping, he didn't hide it. Sarah wasn't, she was just happy to see me again. I spent a few minutes saying goodbye to other kids as I walked around the bus. I came back to James and Sarah, this time I saw tears in Sarah's eyes. She didn't want me to see her cry. She covered her face with a scarf I had given to her earlier, but was peeking. It was clear she wanted to see me but didn't want me to see her cry. Eventually the bus left and I stood there trying to hold back tears. That's when I thought about rejoicing even when were were poured out like a drink offering. That's where I was. I was poured out. 

A few seconds later, teenagers and graduates from Siita came to talk to me. I realized I wasn't done, there was more to share and rejoice in. I actually had a great time talking to new friends. They helped me thru... 

We all wish we could stay longer but we have other locations to visit. Also, we are swapping places with our medical team. My team is going to Natete, near Kampala, and the medical team is going to Siita Nest. 

This feeling I have is like when you fall in love with someone. You want to spend as much time with the other person as you can. That's how I feel about James and Sarah. When I came here I never imagined falling in love. I thought this was a once in a life time trip. Now I can't even imagine not coming back, yet I am called to rejoice. I will.