How is it possible to become numb to poverty when you are living amongst it everyday? At home I've been an advocate for many social injustices and for the poor. It's something I think about constantly and affects many of my decisions. Then I moved here, to Lira, Uganda for 3 1/2 months. Suddenly I'm surrounded by all the things that squeezed my heart at home. Now I'm hearing the stories that stir up righteous anger in me, yet I've become numb. I've allowed this to become "normal" to me and haven't allowed it to burden my heart like I have at home.
My team was discussing the poverty we have/haven't seen a few weeks ago. Glenn reminded us that there is an immense amount of poverty right here. He used the simple example of how the people here lack clean water and often have to walk for miles to get water for their homes. Of course I was aware of this… I have supported organizations like charity:water and bloodwatermission in the past for clean water projects in Africa. Of course… how could I have forgotten… literally everyday we see women and children carrying water jugs on their heads to collect water. Little did I know that a few weeks after this conversation I would get to experience this first hand.
My team had the awesome opportunity to paint classrooms at a primary school in a nearby village. While there I met Oliver, the lady helping us paint. Our first encounter went something like this: she sees me and says "You come fetch water with me." Half a mile down the road, I helped her pump water and carry it back to the school. I even carried it on my head like a true African. It wasn't easy and I even had the smallest jug. Suddenly everything was thrown back into perspective…
Life here is incredibly difficult. The peole here are faced with so many challenges just to survive another day. Yet the people I have met here in Lira are some of the happiest and most hopeful people I have ever met. My team has fallen in love with so many people here. We've had some awesome ministry opportunities lately and really have gotten to embrace everything God has given us.
It doesn't matter if we are loving on street children at Atin Afrika, praying over people at the hospital, doing door-to-door evangelism or simply doing office work with the staff at Victory, I have been reminded of the suffering and the beauty in this place. It's going to be incredibly difficult to leave a place where so many relationships have been built and so many good things have been happening. My heart has been broken and I have fallen in love with this place.
