The least of these

I didn't have a lot of dreamt up ideas about what orphanage life is like. So, meeting about 50 children under the age of 5 who are orphans was heart wrenching to take in. The moment I walked in the room, one little guy with slightly crossed eyes put his hands up for me to hold him. It was instant love!! That has happened now with ALL the children. They are so precious! They do fight over attention and want to be the ONLY one a mile around being held. During much of their weekend time and their play times during the week, they play outside in the beautiful Ugandan weather. The mobile ones get where they want to go on the terraced yard with a sand pit and slide. The others play on a mat under a gazebo with a tiled floor. Even the newborns are napping on a blanket on the ground.

The good news is that they are fed, clothed, bathed twice a day. They go to class during the week that seems to have age appropriate activities. This is a reputable babies home that has been around a long time. They are truly blessed to be in this facility.

So, what's so heart-wrenching? Well, these children need so much love. The staff do the best they can, but the "mommas" (the women who take care of the orphans) work 12 hour shifts, often 7 days a week, getting paid about $45 a month. They are not only in charge of everything I explained above, but also handwashing all the clothes and lots of cloth diapers and the dishes and floors. Needless to say, the kids are clamoring for hugs and kisses.

One little boy was given a picture book of his adoptive family. He didn't put it down all day had showed it to everyone he saw, squealing if any other kid got close to it. This is his only possession. He does not have his own clothes, toys, blanket. But, he was old enough to know he had a family who will be coming to get him and take him home.

One boy had a severe seizure and threw up all his tummy held and blood. The bump on his head was huge. He went from being an active preschooler to a lethargic almost non-responsive child who doesn't even eat even after 48 hours. Please pray for Him to be healed in the name of Jesus. I was able to tuck this precious one in bed tonight and plead for Jesus to heal him. I also sang quietly in his ear "how great is our God".

This is My favorite time of the day with the orphans, which is after they have had supper. They are stripped for baths, given potty-time, and a quick bath by the mommas. Then, we dress them for bed and lay them down. I absolutely love tickling them, cradling them all wrap in a towel, snuggling them as I dress them. Then, I sing to them and pray over them. By name I tell them Jesus loves them SO MUCH! And I love them so much. I pray that they would choose to love Jesus all their life and that God would bring them a family fast. I sing them a song and rock them in my arms. I lay them down and put their mosquito net around their crib.

They are the least of these with nothing of their own. Even their name is often unknown and temporary. But, I pray it is only a matter of a short time until their forever mommies and daddies come to take them to their forever homes!

"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40

(the pictures are of the chickens at the orphanage which they paint in order to know who they belong to, goats eating trash on the side of the road, the hazy dusky skyline from all the trash that is burned)