Young Woman

For the past 2 weeks we have been having a young woman with 2 children coming to HCU wanting to leave her children, we have been trying to explain to her that we cannot take her children. She loves her children, it is obvious. Tony and Henry spent a lot of time talking to her and trying to help her understand the rules of the law and what we are here for. She breaks down crying, she tells Henry and Tony that the only way these children are going to survive is if she leaves them with us. She explains that the landlord chased her away from her house, (which by the way is a falling down mud hut), that she has no food at all, no job, and no hope. She makes the statement that if only her mother had not died she would not be in this position.

Have you ever had a series of bad things happen that make it seem there is no hope? Well, I have. I remember that horrible feeling that is indescribable with words.

She came again 2 days ago. Begging, pleading with us to just take one of the children, as she had been offered a job as a housegirl, she could live in servants quarters, BUT they would only allow her 1 child with her not both. We once again patiently tried to explain, and her tears started again. I asked Tony, could we take her to see the probation officer and let him decide? He says, well maybe she would listen to him.  As she sat there, I notice a large amount of drainage coming out her 1 yr old's ear, I mentioned to Tony that the baby was sick and needed medical attention soon. I told him to send them up to the clinic and that I would pay for his visit and medicine. The baby had a severe ear infection, that obviously had burst. (The visit plus medicine cost,  $7.20)

Yesterday we took them to the probation officer and when he told her that we cannot take her children, she once again felt so hopeless and started crying. My heart was breaking.

What were our options? We had been praying about what to do with her for 2 weeks, and had not heard anything from God. Our options in helping her at this point was employ her, well she doesn't speak English, we are not in need of any workers, so that option was crossed off. The other option was once a week bring her food, but does this really help in the long run empower her to help herself?  We just didn't know what to do to help!

We got home from the probation officers office, and I came inside and sat down, wondering what to do and praying for God to show the way. Tony came in and sat, and I walked to the door to see if she had left, and she was still sitting in the car crying. I walked over and asked Tony if he could talk her out of the car, and he said, sit, I have an idea, he said, that he asked her if she could still have this job and live off compound and she said yes, and he asked if I would be willing to pay her rent for 3 months, I said how much is it a month, 10,000sh = $4.00 so i handed him 30,000sh=$12.00 for 3 months of rent in a run down mud hut. Craziness! I also gave her some potatoes and bananas I had on hand here.

Can any if you ever imagine feeling so hopeless that you felt you had to give your children away forever just so that you would know they would live? Even now after all that I have seen and experienced, I cannot imagine the pain and agony that would come with such a decision.

So, I guess the moral of this story is, for a grand total of  around $20.00 we gave this woman HOPE! Please consider making a donation, we here at HCU want to be the hands and feet of Jesus, we want to spread His word, we want to give people HOPE through Jesus!

P.S.
Ran out of money this week, was not able to take the little boy with cross eyes, to the DR in Kampala, but Randy was paid yesterday, and we should be able to manage it this week! I will keep you posted!

Blessings,
Angie