Hey Friends! Please take one moment to listen to this beautiful yet eye-opening song !
Brooke Fraser - Albertine
Now that I have seen, I am responsible
Faith without deeds is dead
Now that I have held you in my own arms, I cannot let go till you are...
I am on a plane across a distant sea
But I carry you in me
and the dust on, the dust on, the dust on my feet.
For 9 months I was across a distant sea on a plane in Uganda, Africa. I held children and people with the very hands that I am typing with today. I showed my faith through my deeds. Yet now that I am home, I am responsible to tell the world, to tell my family and friends, to even tell strangers, about what I have seen.
Here are just a few pictures of the children that I have held in my own arms. The children that I am responsible for. The children that I want to tell of their stories :
Each one of these children above hold a special place in my heart. Some of them live in a village called Zirobwe, some live in the city of Kampala, and some live in orphanages. The children who live in the Uganda, have a harder life than anyone I have ever met.
Village children have to walk miles multiple times each day to fetch HEAVY containers of water. They are expected to work on the farms with their parents. And most of them NEVER get a chance to go to school. They live in small houses or huts that are smaller than the average American bathroom - with their WHOLE family. They are exposed to many different disease yet are not able to receive proper medical attention.
City children are often left unattended, hungry, and unloved by families. Some children have great families who love them, yet they are still hungry, sick, and living in poverty.
The children that are so dear to my heart simply needed love. They are happy children. They are loving and compassionate.
Therefore, now that I have seen these children. Now that I am held them in my own arms. I am responsible to love them, to pray for them, and to tell the world about them.
Yet... as most of you already know -I saw more than just children while I was in Uganda ! I also taught English.
Teaching English was such an amazing experience! I loved every second of it. My students were so ready to learn. They were so eager to understand the language of English. With each day that I went into the classroom to teach the Reading & Writing class, I was filled with joy. I was so happy that I was able to come in, teach these students, and leave knowing that I was not only teaching.... but I was also sharing my faith to them through my actions.
For the 3 months that I taught my students, I was able to build relationships, get to know about the culture of where each student came from, and to spread simply the LOVE of Christ Jesus to them. The students openly knew that I was a Christ follower. Yet, I did not have to preach to them for them to see the joy, happiness, and completeness that I have in my life from simply following God.
By the end of my 3 months with my students. I was able to see smiles as students did assignments correctly. I was able to have FUN teaching students from all over the world. I was able to teach them how to understand what they were reading and not just read what was on the page. But most of all... I was able to work alongside a group of wonderful Christian leaders and show the love of God through our actions as well as leadership.
"Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?
I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, "Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I'll handle the works department."
Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove."
James 2:14-18 (The Message)
I will tell the WORLD. I will tell them where I've been
