do something beautiful for God.

On Wednesday evening I went with Terri (registrar at Heritage who I am living with while I am here) to Nsambya Babies' Home. I was not sure what to expect but was told it was the oldest orphanage in Kampala...opened in the 1960's I believe. Right now it is home to about 37 children. The home is run by Catholic sisters, and we asked how they were doing the sister we were talking to replied, "we are trying." I was not sure what that meant, but she took us on a tour. There was an intensive care room, where she explained that all the children are placed there first. At that point there were a couple of little ones, and then a young girl who had been there for several years. She was kept in the intensive care room because she has cerebral palsy....

In another building there was a long corridor with rooms for infants and a medical room. There was only one baby at that point and Terri picked him and carried him with us as we were guided to another room. We were standing and talking to the sister when I felt a little one squeezing my legs. I looked down to see a precious little girl giving me a hug. I followed her into the next room and there were so many children! It was one of the saddest things though because as I looked around the room, I saw an old mat, walls that needed cleaned and painted, and no toys. There was a tv on, but not with a kid's program.

The children played well together, but there were so many that seemed to have health problems or disabilities, and it was heartbreaking. There was a room for the girls to sleep and a room for the boys to sleep. It seemed like the children kind of took care of themselves...like they were short on staff and volunteers. For the couple hours we were there, we just held them and played with them. There was a "book" that was really just the front cover and the back cover. One of the boys made up a story on his own about the picture of the dog on the cover. Terri and I left feeling heavy and asking the question, "what do you do?" Now that we have seen it...how can we help? She went to the store yesterday and got some books and cd's...crayons for the children and I believe we are going back on Saturday. I want to go back once a week at the very least, probably on Saturdays because of school. I cannot stop thinking about those sweet children though...and where they live. Where they sleep. How do you bring change? Please be in prayer for those children and the people that are running it. It seems as though the hearts are there but the resources are not...we will see what happens.

"Social action without prayer and conversion to the Lord lacks power and the ability to produce long-lasting change in the socio-economic conditions of the poor. Likewise, prayer and evangelism without social action leads to piestic withdrawal from the realities of the human condition and an escape from social problems rather than a confrontation and challenge to change."
-Father John Bettuolucci in Finding Calcutta.