“Why Do You Love Me?”

Hello everyone!!!  It is great to finally get to a computer to talk to you all.  I am sorry that we have not blogged sooner.  We have been unable to get on the internet for a variety of reasons. This is the blog I wrote before Melanie was sick but didn’t get a chance to post it until now.

For the past four years, Cindy and the other CDS missionaries have been telling stories about the children here in Uganda.  To come here and see it all is completely different, and for me to explain would not do any of it justice.  Words could never express or describe how much love is here at Nansana and Namayumba.  It has been difficult to see the poverty around here and to see the conditions so many people live in, but this all seems to just fade away because of the love that overflows from the children. While I have always known how much we love the children in Uganda, I never understood how much they love the Christian Drama School.

On our first Saturday here, Sarah, Mel, and I went with Segawa to worship at Nansana with the boarders of the school.  We all crammed into a small classroom and everyone sang joyfully to God.  It was amazing to see how the children cared for each other, like one four year old carrying little baby Helena, or Elena (literally the cutest baby ever!!).  However, this was not what shocked me most. I was surprised at how much the children love us. First, Segawa has been having all the children and teachers at both schools praying for Kim’s mom and all of the children genuinely care about how she is doing: they ask us all the time, “How is Reverend Kim’s mother?” 

After worship, many of the children came to us asking how people in Drama School are doing.  They were mentioning them by name and I had no idea how they knew so many of us.  Then, throughout the day as more children came to visit us in Segawa’s house, I noticed that every one of them had been looking through a binder.  When I went up to see what they were looking at, I realized it was filled with all the letters written in 2010 (the ones that had our pictures, our hand prints, and a letter from us).  I was amazed!  They were quizzing each other on different names and faces.  Over the past week, the children have continued to do so while we all snuggle and sing in Segawa’s living room.  This was not the only example of their love for the members and helpers of the Drama School but for me to continue…I could go on forever.

When we went to Namayumba on Sunday (before Rev. Kim arrived), we met all of the students at Extreme High School! It was amazing to finally see their faces.  The students were hugging us and telling us how much they loved us.  Throughout the day, we were teaching each other songs that we knew (including “Give Me the Hope of a Brand New Day” and “Just Cross the Jordon”) and teaching each other games (including the most intense game of Duck Duck Goose I have ever played). This continued throughout most of the day.

As things started to settle down from working, I was sitting with a bunch of Senior 1 girls under the tree outside of the school.  They were asking many questions about Drama School and America.  The girls kept looking at each other and I knew they wanted to ask me a serious question but I didn’t know what it would be.  I finally said, “What is it you want to ask me?” They looked at Tendo (one of the leaders of the grade) and she finally asked me one of the hardest questions I have had to answer: “Emma, why is it that the Christian Drama School loves us?  We have done nothing to deserve your love, yet you all love us so much.  One day Cindy came and now everyone seems to love us so much.  We don’t deserve it.” 

I had NO idea what to say.  Of course, I know why but it was hard to put into words.  All the girls were staring at me with their big, beautiful eyes anxiously awaiting my response.  After pondering it a minute I finally said, “We love you because you changed us.”  They didn’t know what I meant and I further explained, “In America, everyone has so much and where we are from, many people are rich.  People are so focused on their video games and objects and looking to material things to fulfill themselves.  Once Cindy came to Uganda and returned home, she told us stories of you all and showed us pictures.  She shared how beautiful you are and how much joy you have despite suffering.  Mostly, she talked about your love for God.  Because of these stories, students and families in Drama School were no longer fixed on helping themselves, but instead focused on seeing God in your faces.  You have helped us love others more than we love ourselves.  Most of all, each one of you has helped us all become closer to God and to remember what life is truly about. That is why we love you.  You have changed us all forever and have brought us closer to God.”  They were amazed and one girl was so happy she began to cry. 

While we can never actually save anyone like Jesus, we can still help and I believe that Jesus can work through us to be the answer to prayers for others. What many of you might not realize is that we, as members and families of CDS, have been an answer to prayers for hundreds of orphans, children and their families.  As Tendo had said, we have never seen the children at Nansana and Namayumba face to face, but we still love them.  God has placed this love within us for a reason and while can not change the world, God can work through us to change the life of one person (quote that is slightly altered from the book “Kisses from Katie”). Many of these children suffer from HIV/AIDs, have abusive parents, go days without eating, or are orphaned.  They didn’t really have a future because they couldn’t afford to go to secondary school.  Everything changed by one person’s journey to Uganda and portrayal of the love that pours out of the children. Kids who had no future can now receive a quality education and have people who love them so much and would do anything for them.  Segawa said that we have become their parents, teachers, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, and everything else to them.  We, as a family, have helped change the world for many children here, with the help and grace of God.  That is what we are called to do as Christians; to love and to “care for orphans and widows in distress.”  It is while we are going through this process that God FURTHER reveals Himself to us in the form of those who are hurt or broken. Even if you are not PHYSICALLY here in Uganda, the love that is shared between the Christian Drama School and the two Ugandan schools has changed all of our lives forever.